Newb Camping Recs? (1 Viewer)

[Abigail]

Hi all, a good friend with an Outback is investing in an RTT soon and wants me to take them out camping. They are quite the newb and will have the wife and kid along as well. Does anyone have some Suby-friendly but neat camping areas to recommend?

Obvi thinking the Mogollon Rim but it may be getting a bit too cold for the kiddo at this time of year up there... Anywhere nearer to the valley? Thanks!

Sorry question not LC related but there will be a LC on said camping trip... !

 

[Stepmurr]

Almost every Forest Road off of Highway 260 is Subi accessible. Actually almost every trail I go on with Copper State Cruisers is Subi accessible but my wife won't let me bring the Outback

Every option from desert to pines can be found along highway 260 between Camp Verde and Strawberry.

Accessible land along the 260 between Camp Verde and Payson

(Thread inspired by @OffRoadScott ) I frequently travel 260 as it is easier on the FJ40 to not pull the hills north of Phoenix. These are some of my side trips - please add yours! As can be seen on Google Maps, the route 260 takes from Camp Verde to Payson is entirely in the good zone (green...

forum.ih8mud.com

Here is my Nissan Sentra camped om a forest road along 260:

Camping - sleeping in tent or in rig?

:lol: there must be a story behind that one! I would vote that as my last option. :hillbilly: Well, the Nissan was my only option! I still hadn't finished the FJ40 exhaust, and I broke the Taco after camping for 10 days in KofA and had to go to your place to get a new steering knuckle. I ran...

forum.ih8mud.com

Almost all of KofA is Subi friendly:

KofA Kamping Trip

I am heading to the KofA national wildlife refuge area Friday night. Home - Kofa - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service I will camp somewhere in the vicinity on Friday night, somewhere else on Saturday night, and somewhere else on Sunday night. There seem to be several easy trails in the area and I...

forum.ih8mud.com

And if you get lucky you can see some sheep in KofA:

 

[Abigail]

Almost every Forest Road off of Highway 260 is Subi accessible. Actually almost every trail I go on with Copper State Cruisers is Subi accessible but my wife won't let me bring the Outback

Every option from desert to pines can be found along highway 260 between Camp Verde and Strawberry.

Accessible land along the 260 between Camp Verde and Payson

(Thread inspired by @OffRoadScott ) I frequently travel 260 as it is easier on the FJ40 to not pull the hills north of Phoenix. These are some of my side trips - please add yours! As can be seen on Google Maps, the route 260 takes from Camp Verde to Payson is entirely in the good zone (green...

forum.ih8mud.com

Here is my Nissan Sentra camped om a forest road along 260:

Camping - sleeping in tent or in rig?

:lol: there must be a story behind that one! I would vote that as my last option. :hillbilly: Well, the Nissan was my only option! I still hadn't finished the FJ40 exhaust, and I broke the Taco after camping for 10 days in KofA and had to go to your place to get a new steering knuckle. I ran...

forum.ih8mud.com

Almost all of KofA is Subi friendly:

KofA Kamping Trip

I am heading to the KofA national wildlife refuge area Friday night. Home - Kofa - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service I will camp somewhere in the vicinity on Friday night, somewhere else on Saturday night, and somewhere else on Sunday night. There seem to be several easy trails in the area and I...

forum.ih8mud.com

And if you get lucky you can see some sheep in KofA:

Thanks Red Steve!

 

[Stepmurr]

Driving slower and some occasional rock stacking is all that is needed to get my Outback on most trails. Unfortunately my wife's veto prevents me from doing that.

Sometimes I take a picture of a Subi out on a trail we are on but she remains unconvinced, and since it is really her car I take the FJ40 or the Taco instead.

If I could take the Outback off road I would put BFG TA KO2s on it and get a full size spare tire. If I did a lot of off roading in the Outback I would put a lift kit on and buy larger KO2s.

Outback — Fit Garage

www.thefitgarage.com

 

[Funner]

Schneby Hill Rd from near Munds Park to Sedona is beautiful and usually suby/car friendly. You could load them in your LX at the end and take them through Broken Arrow so they can see what they are missing. Camping in the high desert west of Sedona shouldn’t be too cold and there is a grocery store 15 minutes from camp if the need something for the kiddo.

 

[medtro]

Schneby Hill Rd from near Munds Park to Sedona is beautiful and usually suby/car friendly. You could load them in your LX at the end and take them through Broken Arrow so they can see what they are missing. Camping in the high desert west of Sedona shouldn’t be too cold and there is a grocery store 15 minutes from camp if the need something for the kiddo.

The only problem is she doesn't have LX

 

[Abigail]

Schneby Hill Rd from near Munds Park to Sedona is beautiful and usually suby/car friendly. You could load them in your LX at the end and take them through Broken Arrow so they can see what they are missing. Camping in the high desert west of Sedona shouldn’t be too cold and there is a grocery store 15 minutes from camp if the need something for the kiddo.

I do love Schnebly Hill Rd. I think that may be a bit too intense as a starting point but maybe after they get more comfortable with trails this could be an option.

 

[Living in the Past]

Schneby Hill Rd from near Munds Park to Sedona is beautiful and usually suby/car friendly. You could load them in your LX at the end and take them through Broken Arrow so they can see what they are missing. Camping in the high desert west of Sedona shouldn’t be too cold and there is a grocery store 15 minutes from camp if the need something for the kiddo.

I thought Schnebly Hill has gotten much worse in recent years. My brother inlaw I sold my 99 4Runner to came down it last year and said it was pretty rough. As for Sedona I drove from I-17 on SR179 to SR89A then up thru Oak Creek two weeks ago on a Saturday. I would avoid the area on weekends. Sat in traffic for a half an hour just to get to the Schnebly Hill Rd turn off. Not sure how long it would take to get west of Sedona to camp if you came down Schnebly Hill.

 

[Clunky]

I would NOT take a Subi on Schnebly! The Forest Service roads in West Sedona would work (FR 525 etc.).

 

[Funner]

I would NOT take a Subi on Schnebly! The Forest Service roads in West Sedona would work (FR 525 etc.).

 

[Cactuscrzr]

Apache lake has some easy spots. Just try the alternate roads down to the lake.

 

[Saddletramp]

Take the Young Highway from Roosevelt lake to Young Az. Nice dirt path, nothing tough and there are several offshoots that can get you to easy camping at reasonable elevations. Run in to Young just for the adventure.

as you head north on 288 Young Highway from Globe, go north until you hit FR 609, turn left and drive along until you se a desirable spot. Elevation is about 5000ft but you can get lower.

 

[tls3601]

Seven Springs Road heading North out of the Valley is pretty tame

 

[DSRTRDR]

/this\

there are numerous places where you can take off the main Forest Road for a camp spot - excellent views are from the top of Humboldt Peak (sign to the right when coming from Scottsdale, most of the incline is paved asphalt)

there are also numerous possibilities for camping right off Four Peaks Road, on the valley side as well as on the Roosevelt lake side - totally doable in a Subie - prime look-out spot would be the large cleared area just right up from the end of the dirt trail to Lone Pine Trailhead

going down FR401 to Sycamore Creek and up a bit FR1852 towards Ironwood Ridge would also get you to camping spots that are not crowded

I think I would prefer places off of FR403 down from the Sugarloaf exit off Beeline, even before you get all the way down to what is known as Sheep Camp and is the crossing of upper Sycamore Creek - plus, there are very nice spots the deeper you get into upper Sycamore Creek along FR1855 - but depends on water level in the creek

further up Beeline, going right at the intersection with Mesquite Creek will get you into a broad creek valley, although the scars from the big Bush Fire in 2020 are still evident; plenty of camping opportunities around there - to the left will get you into an area that easy to access in a Subie with multiple suitable camping spots, but also quite popular = crowded on weekends, probably

the Bushnell Tanks turnoff will not get a Subie very deep into the desert, but usually it's not crowded, either

up the road to Mt. Ord is another possibility, although getting colder these days at that altitude

oldie-goldie: go into Bulldog Canyon from the south (better for a Subie) or the Usery entry area (more scenic) and find many suitable camp spots - you need a permit, which can be pulled online: Tonto National Forest - Bulldog Canyon Off-Highway Vehicle Area - https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/tonto/recarea/?recid=35555 via recreation.gov

 

[Highway Romping]

Take the Young Highway from Roosevelt lake to Young Az. Nice dirt path, nothing tough and there are several offshoots that can get you to easy camping at reasonable elevations. Run in to Young just for the adventure.
View attachment 2833684View attachment 2833685

as you head north on 288 Young Highway from Globe, go north until you hit FR 609, turn left and drive along until you se a desirable spot. Elevation is about 5000ft but you can get lower.

I second this option. I camped around here December of 2019 and it was just right. No one else was camping around.

 

[re_guderian]

Promontory Butte up on the rim, you can camp right. on. the. edge. Also, you can camp up near the top of Mt. Ord, and hike the ~1 mi. to the towers at the top for 360 degree views.