Pack Camping In Central Arizona
Grand Canyon Council Camps
Campsites where participants bring their own tents are $15 per 24-hour period (beginning at 5 PM and going to 5 PM the next day) There is also a $2 per person environmental maintenance fee. For example: 20 people using a campsite, arriving Friday after 5 PM and leaving the next day before 5 PM would cost
$55–$15 for the site, $40 for the people. All people are counted, whether Scouts, babies, leaders, or grandparents. Cabins and bunk houses, use of amphitheaters, equipment, and meeting rooms can involve an additional rental fee. Dining Hall kitchen use require s a food handler permit.
Heard Scout Pueblo -1901 East Dobbins Road, Phoenix, AZ (20th Street, one mil e south of Baseline Road) Named for the Dwight B. Heard family, who donated the property to Scouting in 1929. The Pueblo is the home for Cub Scout Summer Day Camp, as well as Order of the Arrow activities, meetings,
training, and overnight camping. There are 18 campsites within the Pueblo main area, which have space for 5 to 15 tents, with available water and fire rings. There are also 8 remote campsites on the top of South Mountain, which require backpacking in and have no facilities. The Pueblo building contains conference rooms, a kitchen, and has 4 bunk rooms that are generally not available for campers.
Camp Raymond – Parks, AZ (30 minutes west and south of Flagstaff)
Camp Raymond provides open-air camping in the pines and hosts Camp Kaibab for Cub Scouts each September, and a Webelos Weekend in the summer, along with Boy Scout summer camp. There are 15 campsites available, for up to 30 persons per site. Each site has a fire ring, water and washstand, Ramada, and vault toilets. Raymond is on the edge of Sycamore Can yon, with several excellent hikes available. Check the temperature- it is at 6500 feet, and can be cold even during late Spring and Fall.
Camp Geronimo – 40 minutes North of Payson, AZ
The premier camp of the Grand Canyon Council, Geronimo features 29 campsites. Tents are not provided outside of summer camp. Each campsite has a covered Ramada with tables and benches, fire ring, water, washstand, vault toilet s, and a 3-sided cabin called an Adirondack. There are 14 cabins which are used for staff during summer, and are not generally available for campers. Gorgeous views of the Mogollon Rim, hikes of all types, and beautiful campsites.
Camp Theodore Roosevelt R-Bar-C-30 miles east of Payson on Highway 260
Home for Cub Scout Resident Camp and Camp Sunrise, R-C is a beautiful spot on the side of Christopher Creek. There are 10 campsites for bring your own tent camping. Each has a table, fire ring, nearby water, and vault toil etc. Additionally, there are 7 bunking cabins that sleep 16 people each. There is also Van Ness Lodge, which has 6 bunk rooms and sleeps a total of 40, with a small kitchen for use by campers.
Catalina Council Camps
Double V Scout Ranch – South Kinney Road 6 miles southwest of Tucson, near Cat Mountain. It is used for both Cub Scout and Boy Scout camping and events. Eight camping areas each include a large stone Ramada equipped with water, fire rings, picnic tables, restrooms, and water misters for cooling. The Double V Scout Ranch offers a desert camping experience with access to mountain hiking trails, near to the Sonora Desert Museum, Titan Missile Museum, and Pima Air Museum.
Camp Lawton – is in the Catalina mountains, on Mount Lemmon, about 60 minutes from Tucson, where mountain biking and hiking trails are abundant. It has been continuously used as a Boy Scout Camp since 1921. Cabins and 11 campsites are available for rental all year round. The road is very winding up to Mt. Lemmon, and can be closed if there is heavy snow.
Maricopa County Parks with Group Campgrounds
Vehicle Entry Fee–$6 per vehicle Youth Group Reservation Fees: $45 Group Area Fees: $50-$150
Be very clear on how many people, where to camp, when you want, and what activities you want to do. Use the Online Reservation System, but don’t hesitate to call and talk to the park staff if necessary to get all your questions answered. Study the website carefully and the Group campground maps, fees and requirements. Make sure you don’t book an RV camping spot by mistake!
Usery Mountain 3939 N. Usery Pass Rd . Mesa, AZ 85207 Phone: (480) 984-0032 Fax: (602)372-8596 userypark@mail.maricopa.gov http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/usery-mountain-regional-park/
McDowell Mountain Regional Park 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr, Fort McDowell, AZ 85264 Phone:(480) 471-0173 Fax: (602) 372-8596 http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/mcdowell-mountain-regional-park/
Cave Creek Regional Park 7900 N. Cave Creek Parkway Cave Creek, AZ 85331 Phone: (623) 465-0431 Fax: (602) 372-8596 http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/cave-creek-regional-park/
Estrella Mountain Regional Park 14805 W. Vineyard Ave. Goodyear, AZ 85338 Phone: (623) 932-3811 Fax: (602) 372-8596 http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/estrella-mountain-regional-park/
White Tank Mountain Regional Park 20304 W. White Tank Mountain Road Waddell, AZ 85355 Phone: (623) 935-2505 Fax: (602) 372-8596 http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/white-tank-mountain-regional-park/
Lake Pleasant Regional Park 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Rd. Morristown, AZ 85342 Phone: 1 (928) 501-1710 Fax: (602) 372-8596 http://www.maricopacountyparks.net/park-locator/lake-pleasant-regional-park/
There are additional parks in the system (Spur Cross, Buckeye Hills, San Tan) that do not have developed campgrounds and are not suitable for Pack camping.
Tonto National Forest-Group Camping sites:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/tonto/recreation/camping-cabins
Arizona State Parks and AmeriCorps offer a Family Campout Program that provide a weekend campout for families with little or no experience camping. This would be useful for a family that can’t make it to any Pack or Scout family campout. See http://azstateparks.com/family/ for more information.
Note: Most cities and towns do not allow camping in municipal parks due to liability.