Weekend in the woods The simple life can get complicated if you don’t plan ahead By Virginia Betz
Even if you’re not an outdoorsy type, you must occasionally feel that you ought to take advantage of Arizona’s
Photo by Jeannie Gilbertson, Courtesy of Coconino National Forest
scenic beauty.Why not give yourself and your family a break from the relentless sterility of the urban desert by sleeping in a tent and cooking over an open fire? Besides the opportunity to take in lungsful of fresh air and eyesful of greenery, a camping trip can be a very economical mini-vacation, especially for family groups. You can even convince your kids that chores, like hauling water and collecting trash, are actually forms of entertainment. This Time out is for those readers who have thought about camping as a weekend getaway, but aren’t sure what they’d be getting themselves into. Living without all the comforts of home does involve, as the scouts say, being prepared. LPM offers some recommendations for the relatively inexperienced camper to ensure that your weekend in the woods is stress-reducing rather than stress-inducing.
Arizona maple leaves show their color near Dane Ridge on the Mogollon Rim Ranger District.
Where to go? Choosing an appropriate campsite is the decision that most profoundly affects the quality of your camping experience. Campgrounds on public lands (national and state parks/forests) cannot be surpassed for the vastness of the natural ambience they provide. Also, they are wellmaintained, economical and offer many support services. One such service is the detailed, up-to-date information available online for all developed campgrounds. By visiting recreation.gov, you can enter the name of a town or recreational area and get a listing of all the campgrounds. Descriptions of the facilities, seasons the site is open, fees, vegetation and weather data, nearby attractions and how to get there are included. Reservations can be made on-line, although a few campgrounds operate on a first-come-firstserved basis. The cost is usually between $15-$20 per day. The character of a “developed” campsite is fairly uniform in national parks and forests: most are accessed 60
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by paved roads and have graveled areas for parking your vehicle; most have lavatories (vault-type toilets), showers (cold water only) and water spigots; most have cleared areas for tents and RVs but no gas or electrical hook-ups; most have prepared fire-rings for campfires, but also metal grills and picnic tables. In the fall, campgrounds start to close, especially those at higher elevations. Nearer the Valley are several open all year round. Novice campers might best enjoy small, tentonly campgrounds, at an easy driving distance from the metro area, with marked hiking trails nearby, as well as other sight-seeing opportunities. Two that fit this bill are: Manazanita Campground, Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, part of the Oak Creek Canyon Recreation Area, has space for 18 tents. At five miles from Sedona, the site is close to Slide Rock State Park and the Palutki and Honanki archaeological sites, featuring cliff