Secluded Car Camping Near Phoenix

[snowbored]

I'm going camping this weekend with a bunch of friends and I'm looking to go camping somewhere near Phoenix (within 1.5 hours from Tempe) where we don't have to worry about other people. There's going to be about 8 of us (and 4 dogs) and we're looking for a place where we can just park, unload the cars, set up camp, have a fire, and not have to worry about how loud we are or worry about watching the dogs really closely. Can anyone recommend somewhere to go? I don't care if it's just a dirt road that leads to no where, just somewhere where we can have a good time without bothering others.

I've gone near Bartlett Lake a few times, and while it's not bad, it's not quite secluded enough. I'm also not sure about the rules regarding where you can camp/have a fire in Tonto or Superstition mountains. The other caveat is that we need to be able to drive a family sedan (Corolla) in on the road. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[PaleoRob]

Considerations:
Solitude in easy to reach areas with huge perennial waterfalls does not exist close to Phoenix or Tucson...

I don't live down there, so I can't give you much advice, but remember this caveat from the "Looking for a Hike" section...

[chumley]

What you ask is tough to find. For two reasons. If its close to Phx, then its not going to be secluded. Unless you can get off the beaten path a bit and then you can find something ok. But its hard to get off the beaten path in a Corolla.

The Supes are majority Wilderness, so there's no driving into it, and around the boundaries tend to get plenty of traffic since all the roads you can get a Corolla to usually have trailheads at the end of them.

Basically the further you drive, the fewer people you'll find. There are no fire restrictions anymore, so that shouldn't be a concern for you.

[paulhubbard]

I would check out around the Globe area, and maybe north of there towards Young or Cherry Creek.

[snowbored]

Thanks for the help. I've gone hiking with my dog around Dynamite and 132nd St, which is in the middle of the desert. I saw spots where people had campfires, but it's private property, so I don't want to risk getting in trouble. But, even something like that (just a random spot in the desert where we won't be hassled) would be fine. Any suggestions?

[chumley]

If you don't mind random spots in the desert, I would head up the Seven Springs Road and pick a side road, and/or drive past Seven Springs. That's all national forest land and unless otherwise marked is no problem to camp/fire. Seven Springs itself will have no seclusion, but you won't have to go far past it to find your own piece of desert. As a note, if you didn't know, the road that continues north past Seven Springs becomes Bloody Basin Road and hits I-17 30 or 40 miles up between the two exits for Prescott. There's a lot of seclusion in that stretch, but it's a lot of slow dirt road driving. Corolla won't have a problem though.

[Grasshopper]

If you don't mind random spots in the desert, I would head up the Seven Springs Road and pick a side road, and/or drive past Seven Springs.

I do "second" this option! It's a 30-40 mile maintained dirt road too, with some low creek/drainage crossings so wetness-rain for this possible weekend should be considered. Also, I know that 8 campers+ 4 dogs aren't going car camping in one Corolla, so if you can carpool with someone else who has more vehicle weight-wheel base and ground clearance, you will have more remote choices in this 30-40 mile stretch. Have fun!

[Alston_Neal]

I agree with these guys, alot of area up there. The first spot I would check is when you cross 7 Springs the 2nd time going north, there is the trailhead on your left with the bathrooms. A 1/4 mile past that on your right is a little deadend road that if nobody is there will put you by the water and anyone coming back, would prolly not camp with ya. If that doesn't work ya got thousand of acres to explore.

[nathanbrisk]

Bear Canyon Lake (outside of Payson, up the Woods Canyon Lake rd) is good for secluded, dispersed, car-camping.