From on top of the van, I watch the golden light creep over the red cliffs, awaken the sleeping landscape, and fill the Sedona desert with warmth. Parked in the dispersed camping areas of Sedona, you can see, in the distance, hot air balloons filling and some floating high in the sky almost every morning. Out here, you can breath, reconnect with nature while camping, and take a slow day without that guilty feeling. Not all dispersed camping feels like this.
While some cities and towns have struggled to create a space for transient adventure travelers, Sedona has done it well. Carving out a variety of sites throughout the desert, equipped with portable toilets, Sedona's dispersed camping is one of the best in the country, and here's why.
Sedona's Dispersed Camping Is Free, For Now
A few years back, Sedona was overrun by adventure travelers sleeping at trailheads in their vans and the locals were having a tough time accessing the place they loved. Hearing this pain, Sedona acted quickly and established several dispersed camping areas on the outskirts of town.
These areas are free to stay for 14 days, after that you'll need to move to another spot. The convenient part of the dispersed camping zones is their location and access to adventures.
Quick Access To Trails
Tucked away from town, the dispersed camping is located close to the multi-use trails. Within five minutes of driving, from the dispersed camping areas to the west of Sedona, you can be hiking, mountain biking, or zooming down trails in your side-by-side.
Toilets And Spaces
For dispersed camping, the Sedona sites come equipped with amenities that you don't find elsewhere. From clean portapotties to cleared out, semi-flat spaces to park, the Sedona dispersed camping is a pleasure to stay.
Also, having the spaces zoned out and portable toilets builds into the dispersed camping atmosphere a sense of cleanliness. So, you don't find trash all over the place or feces scattered under rocks like most other dispersed camping areas throughout the US.
As Sedona continues to develop the dispersed camping scene, I am not sure if the stays will remain free, but if they do, come and hang out. Enjoy the access and amenities. Keep the area clean and enjoy the sunrise from your campsite.