Car Camping in the Flagstaff area

[sirena]

I have several nights coming up that I will be car camping in the Flagstaff area and I was looking for some recommendations. I am looking for a couple different places to camp that have good views, preferably primitive camping on forest service roads, I really don't like developed campgrounds but will deal if the view is worth it. The sites have to be reachable by passenger car. I was looking at Lockett Meadow and was wondering if you have to stay in the campground or are there areas on the approach road that I could camp?

Thanks!

[PaleoRob]

Just outside of Sunset Crater there is lots of Forest Service land that is open to camping with good views of the Peaks and Sunset Crater. I'm thinking specifically of the Cinder Hills area.

[Al_HikesAZ]

If you stay on the roads around the San Francisco Peaks there is a lot of dispersed camping. If you stay on the road around the northern part of the Peaks toward Abineau Bear Jaw TH there is some really nice dispersed camping. It is hunting season so there will be a lot of hunters in the area. My recollection is that once you turn on the road up to Lockett Meadow there is no camping until you get to Lockett Meadow. If you turn east on Hwy 89 toward Sunset Crater instead of west toward the Peaks, there is Bonito Campground - a developed campground. I'm not sure when or if it closes for the winter.

[azbackpackr]

I've heard good things about the area near Kendrick Peak. I've camped at Lockett, not bad for a campground. I've camped at Shultz Pass numerous times, but it is just a handy place to camp when I'm in the area, and is not too special. In fact, it can be noisy and crowded.

[chumley]

There is no camping allowed along the Lockett Meadow Road, except in the campground.

Freidlein Prairie Road (FR522) runs along the southern portion of the mountain and has about 15 numbered spots where dispersed camping is allowed. Most have no view, but several are set in some nice Aspen Groves. This road is accessed from the Snowbowl road, just a short way (1/2 mile?) from Highway 180. The east end of the road ends at a trailhead that connects to the Weatherford trail at its junction with the Kachina trail.
The Forest Service has a special page dedicated to camping along this road http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recrea ... camp.shtml

Hart Prairie Road (FR151) begins about 1/2 mile past the Snowbowl road and features dispersed camping with great views, and some really nice Aspen groves. It eventually connects with FR418, which connects the loop and heads east to Hwy 89, at the junction of the Lockett Meadow Road, and Shultz Pass Road.

Speaking of Schultz Pass ... there's plenty of dispersed camping along that as well.

151, 418, and Schultz Pass all get plenty of traffic, so I would try to pick a spot that is down a spur road, not directly adjacent to one of these three.

[Sredfield]

I thought the spots here the AZT crosses FR 418 and the Kendrick Park road (can't say the number right now) were fine. Especially 418

[Jim]

Heading down FR 231 AKA woody mountain road can get you views as diverse as the Peaks and Sedona, and it is pretty quite. Hunters, you bet, but the area is large and being so close to Flag many people may be local and not camp out if they can drive home. Lots of possibilities down there.

[cabel]

Plenty of good camping sites by Lava Cave.

[sirena]

Just returned from my trip- thanks for the suggestions everyone! The fall colors were spectacular!

[chumley]

So ... for the future searchers of this thread ... where'd you camp?

[sirena]

I camped at Snowbowl one night to be able to get an early start on my Humphreys Peak hike, and one night on the approach road to Lockett Meadow, there's some campsites with views before camping is restricted on the road. Timed it just right to see the fall colors without being snowed on!