If you are inspired by nature, adventure and outdoor activities, the Southwestern United States is the destination for you. In Arizona and New Mexico, the core of the Southwest, you can explore cactus-filled deserts, deep canyons, discover ghost towns and navigate rivers. From the deserts of the southern regions of this area, to the mountains of the north, you'll find campgrounds on diverse terrains to choose from.
Arizona
Arizona is the land of the Apache Trail, Sinagua Indian cliff dwellings, the Grand Canyon and famous Route 66. With more than 25 state parks, you'll find plenty of well-maintained campgrounds close to scenic wonders and outdoor activities.
Spend a night at the KOA Mesa/Apache Junction campground before you head out to explore the 120-mile Apache Trail between Phoenix and Globe. The Trail takes you through the Superstition Mountains and offers scenic campgrounds along the way. You can escape into the desert or take a mountain hike while camping at Buckskin Mountain State Park located north of Parker, Arizona.
Arizona National Parks and Forests
There are no organized campgrounds in the Petrified Forest National Park, but you can pitch your tent in the wilderness of the Painted Desert. The Coconino National Forest maintains campgrounds along Clear Creek, which offers swimming and fishing. While there, you can hike to Montezuma Castle, a five-story, 20-room Sinagua Indian cliff dwelling.
When visiting the Grand Canyon, most people camp along the South Rim, which is open year-round. The more adventurous may prefer to obtain a backcountry permit and camp in the wilderness while hiking through this national park.
Wilderness camping in Saguaro National Park will afford you up-close viewing of giant saguaro cactus and you may also encounter gila monsters, desert tortoises and the occasional javelina along the way.
New Mexico
In New Mexico, you'll find many campgrounds near major cities and attractions, as well as within national and state parks. Search the night skies for UFO activity when camping at Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, site of the 1947 alleged UFO incident.
Navajo Lake State Park offers developed campgrounds on the shores of New Mexico's largest lake and a full range of water-sports activities.
The Orilla Verde Recreation Area, along the banks of the Rio Grande, has six developed campgrounds to choose from. You may even hear the Taos Hum, a persistent, low-frequency humming that is not audible to all people, while biking and hiking the local trails.
New Mexico National Parks and Monuments
You can self-tour one or more of the 117 caves in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which allows backcountry tent camping. Head out to the cavern in the early evening where, according to the National Park Service, “nearly 400,000 Brazilian free-tail bats exit Carlsbad Cavern in search of a smorgasbord of insects for dinner.”
Located in western New Mexico, El Morro National Park operates a year-round campground. Here, you can follow hiking trails through Inscription Trail and up to the ancestral Pueblo ruins of Atsinna.
Four Corners
The Four Corners is a region of the United States consisting of northwest New Mexico, southwest Colorado, northeast Arizona and southeast Utah. The boundaries of these four states meet at one point.
Tent campgrounds are available at New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historic Park in the Four Corners region. Here, you'll be surrounded by petroglyphs and cliff dwellings.
Located between southwest Colorado and southeast Utah, Hovenweep National Monument offers a small campground with hiking trails leading to six prehistoric Pueblo villages.
Member Comments