National Forest Free Camping

I should note that I am not local to AZ and this was my first time here. This road connects you to 5 different campsites or as other reviewers have described - parking lots. I setup at the Nolan camp. I am super grateful I set up earlier in the day and got a magnificent location because at night, tons and tons of vans were arriving late and circling looking for space. I had an amazing view from my... I should note that I am not local to AZ and this was my first time here. This road connects you to 5 different campsites or as other reviewers have described - parking lots. I setup at the Nolan camp. I am super grateful I set up earlier in the day and got a magnificent location because at night, tons and tons of vans were arriving late and circling looking for space. I had an amazing view from my car that I was camping in. I did have to take a little stroll to the nearest porta-potty. Not very clean but I’ve been in worse. The campsite wasn’t completely quiet at night which doesn’t bother me personally but maybe to some others it does. I know this new dispersed camping thing for Sedona is new and quite challenging from what it sounds like but I was able to work with it just fine and had an amazing time with breathtaking views. No campfires allowed. Leave no trace and be respectful. I saw people had dogs and cats on leashes tied up in their area. I think if you’re a van lifer, you just need to be considerate about the generator noise. All in all this was my favorite dispersed camping spot in Sedona.

This area used to be true dispersed camping, but vandalism and general public mistreatment caused the Forest Service to close the vast majority of the space. We saw remnants when we visited (obvious axe marks in live trees, etc.). It's a shame, because I found a bunch of cool old campsites from yesteryear while exploring the area on foot. Camping is restricted to eight lots which are spread apart... This area used to be true dispersed camping, but vandalism and general public mistreatment caused the Forest Service to close the vast majority of the space. We saw remnants when we visited (obvious axe marks in live trees, etc.). It's a shame, because I found a bunch of cool old campsites from yesteryear while exploring the area on foot. Camping is restricted to eight lots which are spread apart. Others have mentioned nine sites, but one was closed for rehabilitation when we went. The farther in you go (down a rough, washboard dirt road) the less traffic there is. We stayed at the Nolan site for three nights and were the only ones there the entire time. Sites closer to the main road were much busier. The relatively short distance to Highway 89A is deceiving due to poor road conditions and the slow speeds necessary while hauling a camper. If you're staying the night in a car, I'd highly recommend you stop at one of the first three sites. Those are close to the highway and Forest Road 525 is still in decent condition. If there are rainy conditions, a 4x4 vehicle would be necessary to traverse farther. The views were excellent and we lucked out by having the entire lot to ourselves. We visited in mid-July, which is obviously not the peak season. We do a lot of dispersed camping and are well-versed in researching options. Unfortunately, Sedona has limited dispersed camping opportunities compared to other areas. The only fires allowed here are from propane cooking devices; wood fires are banned. We observed a few homeless folks staying in cars in nearby sites, but they did not cause any issues. With these factors in mind and expectations in check, this area can be a pleasant stay.