I swear I’ve never seen so many gorgeous free campsites as there are around here! Today I went to check out Rock Crossing Campground in Coconino N.F., on the recommendation of Aida Schenck who I think knows more than anyone about boondocking in AZ. What a great place! It’s got water, toilets and even dumpsters! (Finding places to drop your garbage is one of the hardest jobs of boondocking, so finding a dumpster is like finding gold!) The water was not turned on quite yet. It costs $8 a night (1/2 price with Geezer Pass) though some are double sites so they cost…..double! There are several pull-thru sites but the best ones are back-in sites perched right on the edge of the Mogollon Rim. How would you like this as the view from your campsite?!
I really liked the bbq grills they provided at the campground…have never seen any like this before, they have hoods! That would allow you to be a lot more creative with your cooking! 
Someone suggested I give more complete directions to these campsites, so I’ll try to remember that. To find Rock Crossing CG, go 4.4 miles from the intersection of Hwy 87 and Lake Mary Rd. in Clints Well. Turn right onto FR 751 and drive 2.3 miles to the campground. N34.34082, W111.13258 Elev. 7222′
To get to Blue Ridge Reservoir, go an additional 2.1 miles past Rock Xing CG. There’s a boat launch and up the hill, a vault toilet and dumpster!! I believe it you go farther up the road past there, there are some free dispersed campsites (Aida said there’s a road that goes off just before the “No Camping” sign). I went a little ways up the road; it’s very rocky but you don’t need a high clearance vehicle, just go slow. I turned back because I had to pee……boy that reservoir looked like a great place to kayak! Here are a few pics, including some brave hardy flowers that seemed to grow right out of the rocks! N34.5558 W111.19927 Elev. 6783′
There were also some pretty dispersed campsites between Hwy. 87 and Rock Crossing CG.
I haven’t been able to get a photo of them yet, but the squirrels here have about 1″ long pointy ears that stick straight up!! I think all the squirrels I’ve ever seen have tiny ears close to the head so you don’t even notice them.
It’s supposed to get quite windy today, 15-25 mph sustained with gusts up to 40 mph. I hope these tall Ponderosa pines have good roots! And I’m glad they took that huge dead tree down yesterday.
Yesterday I drove out to check out Kehl Spring CG, deep in the forest. It’s 7 miles from Hwy. 87 on a little one-lane dirt road (FR 300). There are 5 campsites there with picnic tables, fire rings and a vault toilet. I didn’t get the GPS coordinates for it, but you turn off of Hwy. 87 near Mile Marker 281 onto Forest Road 300. The sign out on 87 says “Rim Road and Knoll Lake”. Go just 500′ and then turn left and go 7 miles to the campground. At about the 6 mile point there’s a gorgeous overlook for the Mogollon Rim, and I got really great wifi and phone signals there! (no Verizon or ATT signals at all at the CG) I think it’s at about 7700′.
The camp host here, Rudy, said that there were several elk feeding with behind my campsite at 6 a.m. a few mornings ago! So I’ve been getting up around then and looking out the windows, with no reward. Yet.
