Arizona State Parks With Campgrounds Offer All You Are Looking For

There are many Arizona State Parks. If traveling through with a travel trailer, you will want one with an RV campground. There are several in this beautiful state.

There's so much to see, starting with the Grand Canyon, but also, Native American tribal lands, a variety of cacti, amazing landscapes with mesas and miles of desert land. Truly a place everyone should see at some point in life.

A reservation is always the best to lock in your site, but sometimes, there are openings that are not available for reservation. If you intend to use a site without a reservation, be sure to have a backup plan.

Here's my list of RV campgrounds broken down by regions. You should definitely call ahead to ensure an open site before you begin your travels.

If you plan to travel in Arizona, remember that the climate is a very dry. The state doesn't get a lot of rain, so some of the campgrounds are limited on burning firewood. Plan accordingly.

Take note of the rules and regulations of the campground and be sure to obey them.

While traveling across deserts, be sure you have water on hand in case of break-downs or other unforeseen problems.

Arizona State Parks with RV Campgrounds - South

Catalina State Park 

(520) 628-5798

125 campsites, hiking, corrals for horses

Charcoal and propane fires only, wood campfires NOT allowed

Kartchner Caverns State Park

(520) 586-2283

60 campsites - cave tours

Propane only

Smoking in camp area or vehicle, no smoking while hiking

Lost Dutchman State Park

(480) 982-4485

70 campsites, hiking

Charcoal and propane fires only, wood campfires NOT allowed, no smoking while hiking

Patagonia Lake State Park

(520) 287-6965

107 campsites, boats to rent, fishing, beach

Campfires ok in designated grills, must provide own firewood, no gathering or cutting on park property

Smoking in camp areas only, no smoking while hiking

Picacho Peak State Park

(520) 466-3183

85 campsites - fantastic walking trails. No smoking while hiking

Roper Lake State Park

(928) 428-6760

71 campsites - hot tub, fishing

Campfires and smoking restricted to developed areas only, no smoking while hiking

Arizona State Parks with RV Campgrounds - West

Alamo Lake State Park 

(928) 669-2088 - 250

Campsites, excellent bass fishing, waterskiing, swimming

Campfires and smoking in designed areas only

Buckskin Mountain State Park & River Island

(928) 667-3231

126 campsites, water sports, cabanas, beach

Campfires in designated grills, no smoking while hiking

Cattail Cove State Park

(928) 855-1223

61 campsites.

No wood fires, charcoal for cooking within a campsite or on a grill on the beach

Smoking - campsites and beach only

Lake Havasu State Park

(928) 855-2784

47 campsites - boat launches, great park areas and swimming beach

Campfires in fire-rings call for details, smoking in camp areas, no smoking while hiking

Arizona State Parks with RV Campgrounds - North

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

(928) 634-5283 Cottonwood

150 campsites - fishing, boating (non-motorized), hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, guided trail rides

Campfires in designated fire rings.

Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area

(928) 537-3680

92 hookup sites, 31 campsites, great fishing and swimming

Fire restrictions during windy days. Call ahead regarding campfires

Lyman Lake State Park

(928) 337-4441

61 campsites & 4 yurts / 4 cabins, fishing, waterskiing

Campfires in cement fire rings and smoking in vehicles

No smoking while hiking.

Grand Canyon National Park

I think of this area as the heart of Native America. Eleven tribes have connections to the Grand Canyon area, and three have tribal lands that connect to the Grand Canyon National Park. Learn more about the tribal connections and what to know if you plan to visit the canyon area.

The North Rim closes for winter from mid-October until early May. The South Rim is open year round except during periods of bad weather. Trail conditions vary, so check the park's website for current alerts and conditions.

It is possible to visit Native American Reservations, for example, the Havasupai tribal lands, or the Hopi. Just remember to respect the laws and customs of the native people if you visit a reservation. It's just like visiting a foreign country.

When we traveled through Arizona, we circled the canyon and visited both the South Rim and the North Rim, which is only possible in summer. We started that leg from Flagstaff and took the train to the South Rim. After exploring there, we traveled east and then north to the top rim.

There are smaller parks near the Grand Canyon area where you can do short hikes to see pueblo dwellings and volcanic fields that were used in films over the years. The one we visited looked like a landscape on another planet, like you would see in Star Trek shows.

On some of the reservations we stopped in, we saw dinosaur tracks. It can get surreal out in the remote places, so I suggest taking a map as well as your GPS navigation aids.