Camping in the desert

Bartlett Dam

Jason and I had a few weeks off for the Holidays so we decided to go camping in Arizona.  I had hiked down near the Cave Creek area and thought it would be nice to go back to that area, although, that was about 15 years ago. When we got down there, we wondered why we decided that area because it had boomed obviously. Well, we found a reservoir on the Tonto National Forest that was absolutely beautiful. We arrived at nightfall and didn't realize that we needed a pass on the Forest.  We found a campground called Riverside. It was right up against the Verde River, below the dam. There are two dams that flood the Verde River. The dam we we camped near was called Bartlett. 

The country was beautiful with the cholla, saguaro, and ocotillo cactus. There were also mesquite, palo verde trees, and other vascular plants in this basin.  They also had a hiking trail that hooked from one cove to the other but after hiking the dogs the first day, we realized that we needed to hike on a road instead of a trail. It is not a great place to take a dog because of all the vegetation. We were constantly pulling stickers out of their paws.

The reservoir was gorgeous but one could only imagine how busy it was in the summer months. I love the water but I have got to point in my life where I really enjoy being secluded as well. The dispersed camping was perfect for a great desert camping experience. I recommend winter camping. Jason put his wall tent up and it worked perfectly. The air mattress, lantern, dog beds, backpacks, and the cooler all fit in there nicely. No stove though so we had to layer up before crawling in your sleeping bag.

Since we didn't bring the boat or fishing rods, we spent most of the day hiking in the desert. We did find a trail along the SB cove that was really nice. The boaters were going up lake to fish and enjoy the daytime temps in the desert. The temps were hovering around 72 degrees and then dropping down into the 40's at night. It was a nice getaway since we didn't have any new snow.

Other areas that are great for hiking is the Spur Cross Recreation area. It has about 5 trails ranging from easy to difficult. We took the Tortuga trail, which was about 3.5 miles long. We got out right at sunset and it made for a nice day. Those recreation areas charged $3 though so be prepared to fork out some money to hike. I usually don't mind paying a little to get some exercise.