If you are searching for Arizona campgrounds for camper vans, these options are a great start! We booked a camper van rental in Arizona this summer and headed to Sedona, Flagstaff and Williams with no campground reservations or solidified plans, just the intent to enjoy some beautiful destinations. Check out these northern Arizona camping spots that were perfect for our 4 day camper rental.
Where to rent a camper van in Arizona
There are plenty of Arizona campgrounds for camper vans all across the state and some great companies to rent from. Boho Camper Vans is a local Arizona company based in Tempe. They have an amazing fleet of rental vans in all types of configurations.
Our rental was called the “Aloha” and was beautiful inside. It’s a 2021 Ram ProMaster 2500 high roof. Our van had a full size bed, sink, refrigerator, and shower. All the comforts of home combined into a 20′ long by 9′ high space. There was plenty of storage for all our clothes, gear, and food and our water tank lasted the full trip without being re-filled, thats including our showers ( which are heated by the way )!
With a baby on the way we knew we needed to take this opportunity to spend our last summer vacation as a party of 2 in a new unique way. This van rental from Boho Camper Vans was the perfect option.
What to pack in your camper van rental
Generally when we go camping, our list of gear always seems to be endless. Compared to this adventure, we packed much lighter than usual because Boho provides many standard items needed in their rental. To list some, they provided metal plates & cups, cutting board, silverware, cooking utensils, a pot & pan, dish soap, sponge, towels & wash clothes, folding table, 2 camp chairs, paper towels and toilet paper.
Finally, I want to note there are not toilets on these vans so if you are in a campground you’ll need to use the facilities or if dispersed camping then practice leave no trace principles.
Our 4 day camping trip checklist
Clothes
- Hiking Boots ( Hers )
- Hiking Boots ( His )
- Waterproof Jacket
- Stretchy Dresses ( for me obviously! )
- Long Sleeve Shirts
- Leggings/Pants
- Sweatshirts
- Shorts/ Biking Shorts
- Socks
- Swimsuits
Camera Gear
- Sony A7RIII & Lens
- Tripod
- Drone
Gear
- Phone & GPS
- Day Backpack
- Headlamp
- Flashlight
- Rechargable Light
- Sunscreen
- Axe
- Bluetooth Speaker
- First Aid Kit
- Bug Spray
- Lighter
Food
- Cast Iron Skillet
- Backpacker Meals
- S’mores Sticks
- Drinking Water Jug
- Jetboil & Propane
- Drinks
- Ingredients for our Skillet Mac N’ Cheese & Walking Tacos
- Lots of Snacks!
Misc.
- Firewood ( 3 bundles )
Sedona Arizona Campgrounds for Camper Vans
Campground Location
Sedona is an amazing place to visit for camper van renters. First, we tried to snag a spot at Manzanita Campground but even by Thursday afternoon, all 18 spots were filled. Headed north, we stopped at the next campground option along Oak Creek, Cave Springs Campground, and lucked out with a spot on a Thursday night. Our site was A1 shown below which was close to the entrance and a short walk to the creek.
About the Campground
Cave Springs Campground has 84 camp sites with deep campfire rings, picnic tables, and cooking grills. In addition to those, there are showers available and the camp host sells firewood on site if needed. Sites are fairly close together here but the greenery and access to the creek are much worth sharing space with other campers.
Always remember to check online if there are any fire restrictions. Also, camp hosts are a great source of up to date information.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA FIRE RESTRICTIONS
There are plenty of dispersed camping spot options in west Sedona if all the campgrounds are filled. You can find some great options using the iOverlander app.
Flagstaff Arizona Campgrounds for Camper Vans
Campground Location
Flagstaff Arizona is very popular spot for van renters trying to escape the heat down in Phoenix. One of the campgrounds we wanted to stay at was Fort Tuthill Campground. We snagged a spot for our camper van rental in the outer section, site B22.
About the Campground
Fort Tuthill Campground offers 101 camping sites, both reservable and first-come first-serve.The sites here are much closer together and being that it was a Friday night, lots of RV’s and trailers pulled in during the evening. This campground does require all RV’s and trailers to turn off their generators by 10pm which makes sitting by the campfire and making s’mores far more enjoyable.
Things to do Nearby
This campground is walking distance to the Fort Tuthill Bike Park. Tim had loaded up his mountain bike and was looking forward to riding these beautiful trails through the pines and hitting the drop zone section.
If you are looking for other fun things to do in the evening while visiting Flagstaff in the summer, check out Snowbowl Ski Resort. Snowbowl has scenic gondola rides and offers sunset ride tickets for certain days of the year.
Williams Arizona Campgrounds for Camper Vans
Campground Location
After leaving Flagstaff, we headed towards William’s with the goal to camp at White Horse Lake Campground. I camped at this lake with my Dad and Brother when I was little and it was nice to come back for a visit with the camper van. We arrived around 11:30am on Saturday and lucked out with site 21 being one of the last few spots available.
About the Campground
White Horse Lake is a popular fishing lake and it’s also a great spot for paddle-boarding and kayaking in the Northern Arizona area. They have90 single unit campsites,both reservable and first-come first-serve, which were perfect for our 20′ van rental.
Note: The drive in to this campground off the I-40 will be a dirt road with parts of it being very bumpy washboard sections. It was fine for the Boho van rental, which by the way is only 2-wheel drive and standard tires, however be sure you have all your belongings put away snuggly before hitting this road.
Just a heads up:
When we visited, it was cash only for camping spots.
You can see the lake from this campground site and it was just a short walk down to the water. This spot is close to a restroom and there was a food truck nearby that sold things like ice cream, hamburgers, pretzels, snow cones and more ( they take cards as well as cash ).
The evening brought a light sprinkle of rain from the Arizona monsoons which made for a beautifully cool morning with a mist that covered the whole lake at sunrise. The sound of the wind blowing through the pines while we had the back doors open to the van will be a memory i’ll never forget.
Things to do Nearby
There is a great hiking trail all the way around White Horse lake which was about 2 miles round trip.Also, kayak and canoe rentals are available here which you can rent by the hour. Kayaks were a great way to get out and fish without having to be stuck on the shoreline.
Overall, all three campgrounds were beautiful and very clean. The camp hosts were extremely friendly and all the campers nearby were respectful of the campground rules. Having the camper van rental made things far easier than tent camping and we will definitely be renting one again.
Looking for other fun camping or off-grid staycation ideas in Arizona? Check out these options below!
Arizona Campgrounds for Camper Vans
Trip Length: 4 Days / 3 Nights
Area: Northern Arizona
- Van Rental – Boho Camper Vans
- Our rental at the time was the “Aloha”
- Our rental at the time was the “Aloha”
- Campground Spot #1 – Cave Springs Campground
- Located in Sedona, Arizona
- Right along Oak Creek with lots of shade
- Campers were having good luck fishing along Oak Creek
- Campground Spot #2 – Fort Tuthill Campground
- Located in Flagstaff, Arizona
- Fort Tuthill Bike Park in that area is great for mountain biking. Open dawn til dusk and free to the public. Great for all riders from beginner to expert. Kids trails available.
- Snowbowl Ski Resort has summer scenic gondola rides and offers sunset ride tickets for certain days of the year.
- Campground Spot #3 – White Horse Lake Campground
- Camping spots available with lake views
- Hiking trail along the lake ( approx. 2 miles round trip )