Hey Ladies and Gents-

I'm planning a cross-country road trip of anywhere between 4-8 weeks, leaving some time in mid-late April.

One of the states I'm going to be visiting is Arizona.

So far, I have the following on the list of things to *potentially* see in your state.  I'm not sure I'll get to all of them, but I want to solicit suggestions about things I should see or avoid.
I'm particularly interested in stuff that people might not know about or remember that has historic significance.  For instance, in Louisiana I'm visiting the site where Bonnie and Clyde were gunned down.  In that case, it's just a small monument on a dirt road, but it's an interesting part of history.

• Sedona


• Tombstone (OK Corral)


• Monument Valley


• Jerome mining town?


• Canyon de Chelly National Monument


• Bisbee?


• Antelope Canyon?


• Devil's Bridge?


• Commemorative Air Force Museum

I have family in the Scottsdale area and plan on spending a few days with them.  I plan on spending up to a week in AZ total, so I'd really like to explore it.  I've been to Flagstaff before to see the crater, so I won't be going there again I don't think (even though some of the things I'd like to see are in the same area).  I won't make it to all of the things on the list above.

I have some sort of fantasies about driving through canyons with the 4runner, camping in awesome locations (Sedona maybe) in secluded camp sites, and seeing some awesome sunrises and sunsets.  I don't know what the rules are as far as camping in some of these areas, or if there are some amazing camp sites that people can recommend.  I'm hoping someone on the ground can be my guide here and give me some advice on that stuff.  I'd be happy to link up with a group one day and explore some of the areas I'm talking about.  

Arizona is really one of those places I'd really like to get out in nature and see, and spend time in.  Camp fires in the desert with cactuses, mesas/rock monuments, sunsets and sunrises, etc.  I just don't know how to make that sort of stuff happen.

Any advice at all is welcome.  Things to see, places to avoid, roads to use and not use, trails for off-roading, camp sites, etc.

One thing I won't be doing is shooting, and I don't really intend on visiting FFLs or anything like that.  I have a limited amount of time for certain states and can't waste that in gun shops.

I plan on sleeping in the back of the car for 2-3 days, then getting a hotel for the night, then going back in the car.  As a result, I'll need recommendations for cool camp sites with views, etc.

Any information about Covid restrictions is also helpful with regard to closures of parks or businesses.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Tombstone and Bisbee are cool.  In addition to the OK Corral in Tombstone the mine tour in Tombstone and in Bisbee are interesting.

I can give you a whole week's worth of interesting sites in Cochise County alone.

Camp Naco (Fort Newell) in Naco, AZ has an interesting history.  It is pretty much only adobe ruins now.

I really like the John Slaughter Ranch Museum near Douglas, AZ.

The Chiricahua National Monument is interesting.  And if you go there you might as well visit Johny Ringo's grave site.  Not too much to see but historical.

Cochise Stronghold and Council Rocks is really interesting to me.

I also really like Montezuma Pass in the Coronado National Memorial.  The view from the pass is great!  You can see the San Rafael Valley, Mexico, and the border wall.

In northern Arizona, the Grand Canyon is awesome!

The road to Snow Bowl north of Flagstaff it is amazing!  But, I am not sure when it opens for the summer.  You can also take the ski lift up even higher or hike to Agassiz Peak or Humphreys Peak.

Also in Cochise County is Kartchner Caverns State Park.  You may need reservations for the cave tour.  It is a beautiful cave!

Near Tucson is Pima Air & Space Museum and the Titan Missile Museum.

If you want a camp site with a view, portions of the Mingus Mountain campsite near Jerome overlook the entire Verde Valley.

+1

Spend time in Jerome before sedona, don’t get me wrong but unless your into crystals and power vortex there tons of places inAZ as pretty as Sedona.  Check out Childs while you’re up that way, theres hot springs where there used to be a resort, canyons, site of old power plant from early 1900s, and according to some people thats where the aliens are spotted a lot.  Different aliens than you’ll see by Tombstone and Bisbee

Oh cool, I'll look into those.  Thanks!




Sounds perfect!




Awesome advice, thanks

What sort of burn restrictions, as far as campfires/open flames, are in some of these places?  Is it ultra-strict?  Could I get away with something like a solo stove?

I'm going to look it up, but figured I'd ask in here just in case someone knew for sure.  I imagine it's a lot more restrictive in the summer when it's extremely dry (though I know that's a little bit of a joke in AZ when it's dry all the time basically).

Depends where you are and when.  As of right now, there are none in the Prescott National Forest.  April will probably be ok unless they pull the Covid excuse again (yes really), restrictions usually start May to June.  When the restrictions are in place, propane is ok, but anything else is verboten.  And you will not be able to sneak a campfire, USFS, YCSO, and Karen all patrol the area, and you will get cited.  The exact restrictions will depend upon which forest you are in (Prescott, Kaibab, etc).  Here is the Link for Prescott’s page where current info is posted.

Hotel Congress in Tucson where Dillinger was caught.  They even have Dillinger Days.

https://hotelcongress.com/

When you're in Jerome for a meal, make sure to get a seat in the patio at the Haunted Hamburger to get a full view.

If you want to stay up to date with our restrictions in regards to camping in our forests, I suggest keeping up with USDA forests of interest pages, like this one.

Gotcha, thanks for the info.  I figured it could be pretty restrictive.



Oh that's cool, I didn't know that.  I always just associated him with Chicago and getting gunned down outside the theater.



Cool, I'll definitely put that on the list of possibilities.  And thanks for the info on the camping.  That'll be a useful resource.

What is your planned route into Az north on i40 or south on i10? It would be best to organize the trip to flow in your general direction your headed so your not back tracking or doing a bunch of extra driving.

And how capable is your 4 runner. If your planning on going remote out here - good fresh tires. Heat and sharp rocks are real Tire killers. Plenty of water needs to be carried. Your not planning on being here in the real hot months but still

Plenty of trails here that are fairly easy. If you make it out towards wickenburg I can point you in the direction of a nice camp spot that can check some of those boxes for you.

You mentioned you have a 4 Runner. If you're headed to Sedona drive the Broken Arrow trail. Scenery is amazing.
Pink Jeep tours take many people there.

I imagine I-10.  Most of the places I'm planning on visiting in NM are in the south, so it makes sense for me to move South to North through AZ and out into Nevada or Utah (just haven't made my mind up on the exit yet).

It's a TRD Pro, so lifted an inch, Nitto Terra Grapplers with about 10k on them, factory skids, RSG sliders, etc.  I will have on-board air, a tire patch kit, tools, water, recovery gear and maxtrax, etc.  It's not ultra modified, but I think it can probably handle what I plan on doing with it.  I'm not doing the Rubicon trail with it, though it's apparently capable of it.

I'm planning on spending 3-4 days with family in the Scottsdale area, and that's not too far from Wickenburg.




I'll add that to the list, thanks!

UPDATE:

I've postponed the trip until around mid-June.  I currently have covid, which makes a postponement absolutely necessary.  My father also has it and is in the ICU.

I'll touch base again on this when I get through some of this.

If you're taking the southern route in June we may be on the road at the same time.  I'll be driving to Houston to see my grandson graduate from high school.

Visit these folks in Deming for the good stuff:    Diaz Farms

You'll want to hit Tombstone and Bisbee on your way in to AZ, then hit the Pima Air Museum outside of Tucson.  

Be sure to stop and see The Thing.  The signs will show you where.....

For your Sedona/Jerome/Verde Valley trip, stop by either the Pink Jeep tours place or Barlow Jeep Rentals to get a map of the trails in the area.  Red Rock Crossing is a great place to have a picnic lunch between Sedona and Cottonwood.  Bring your own food and drink.  All that is there is beautiful scenery.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross will give you some awesome photo opportunities.  

If you go into Oak Creek Canyon, skip Slide Rock Park and go to Grasshopper Point instead.  

The Jerome mine museum is quite interesting if you like mining and rocks and stuff.


I've camped at Dead Horse Ranch several times.  Cheap and clean.  


If your timing is right, you can hit the Tilted Earth wine and music festival at Page Springs Winery.  Visiting the winery would be a great side trip even if you miss the festival.  Great food and even better wine in the vinyard on the banks of Oak Creek.  

When you are in Tombstone and Bisbee go to Sierra Vista and Ft. Huachuca.  Huachuca is the Home of the 9th Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) and there is a good museum.  Huachuca is also  (rumored) where the War on Terror is actually being led.  Good chance you will see some low flying A 10's practicing low flights wo they can hit Taliban thugs.

Fellas, the trip is off.  My father passed away from Covid a few weeks ago.  My spirit for this sort of thing is just smashed, and I have no idea when I'm going to get around to thinking about it again.  

I want to thank everyone I've talked to in this thread and via PM for their recommendations and information on your state.  I hope that maybe one day, I can plan this again and meet up with a few of you along the way.

My best to all of you.