After a week of camping & birding in Arizona, it was time to move on. But, oh, the fun in this great state. Yes, there’s sun. And lot’s of it! Just what these Michiganders need in the spring. Blue skies, warm sunny days and cool nights to sleep under the big skies.
If you’re considering a camping and/or birding Arizona trip, take me with you! Seriously, we’re sharing our camping adventure and RV experiences in our nuCamp Tab 400 across Arizona. This includes using Harvest Hosts, Sierra Vista and Madera Canyon while traveling and camping through the state.
Camping & Birding in Arizona: Sierra Vista
This was our third birding trip here but first time as a camper. Mountain View RV Park was just north of Sierra Vista with easy access to multiple drives, trails and birding destinations. Quiet and tucked in behind an RV retailer at the foothills, a great site for a few days offering electric, water and sewer hookups. Dog friendly with a fenced in park for our fur kids too. The enclosed dog run area was also very clean and open.
For birding, hiking and seeing the sites, this vast area includes riparian forests, plains, prairies, mountains and hiking trails. If you love the outdoors you won’t be disappointed. In a few days we covered mountain drives, hikes with views that spanned to Mexico and saw many birds species. See below for a listing of hot spots.
Here’s a few areas for birding, hiking and photography.
- Ramsey Canyon and Ramsey Canyon road – At the end of the road, the Ramsey Canyon Nature Conservancy’s trail takes you through an area rich with birds, flowers, trees and old cabins. Check in advance for trail opening times. The parking lot is tight, arriving early is suggested! Ramsey Canyon road has a running and walking trail that takes you alongside the road with birds flitting all around too. Warblers, woodpeckers, buntings, sparrows, jays, hummingbirds are in abundance. Find a spot and watch. Plenty of birders along the trails too!
- Carr Canyon – The drive is slow, steep and curvy. Once you’re at the picnic area, the pale knuckle drive is long forgotten. Warblers, juncos, flycatchers, phoebes and many more birds make their presence known to those who watch, wait, listen and enjoy.
- Miller Canyon – With riparian forests, a trail winds up into the canyon. Along the walk? Birds, flowers and a forest that offers much shade in the Arizona sun. Warblers, woodpeckers, songbirds, deer and other wildlife dart in and out.
- San Pedro House – The San Pedro House is an anchor spot for parking with close up views of birds, flowers and trees. An easy to walk trail takes you across open fields to reach the dense, riparian forest. Gila woodpeckers, Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon towhees, Lark and White-crowned sparrows, hummingbirds and many others dart in and out.
- Battiste Bed, Breakfast and Birds – While we didn’t make it here this trip, we met Tony on our previous trip here. To see the precious, tiny, Elf owl, reservations are needed. Tony minimizes too many people to ensure the owls a safe home while allowing birders to visit and watch them leave the nest. Too cute!
A Personal Favorite in Sierra Vista:
Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary – When visiting this location, reviewing their website for current information is highly recommended! Parking, access and instructions – while simple – should be reviewed prior to going. The back story is the late Mary Jo Ballator’s residence was acquired by the Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory in November 2019.
I met Mary Jo a few years ago. She loved her birds, loved people who cherished the birds and was a sweetheart. Her legacy and passion continues to grow through the care by the observatory and their volunteers. All you need to do is sit, wait and the birds are simply everywhere. Warblers, buntings, orioles, raptors, woodpeckers, hummingbirds and songbirds flit about natural habitat and bird feeders. Mary Jo is smiling.
Landscape Viewing
- East and west highways at sunset – For a beautiful sunset drive, Highway 82 between Huachuca City and Tombstone, AZ is a 20 mile drive through rolling hills and desert. The evening light floats across the terrain. To enjoy, there are many pull-offs to stop and take in the day’s last light.
- Coronado National Monument – The views and more views. The drive in, through and up the mountain was worth every sharp turn. At the top, the trails go for miles. We hiked a few miles up the trail enjoying the fresh, clean air and nature all around us.
- Sierra Vista Visitor Center – website – suggest visiting their website for the latest updates and additions. Great information source.
Sonoita Vineyards – Harvest Host
From there, we starting venturing through the state with a camping stopover at a Harvest Hosts winery before going to Madera Canyon. Sonoita Vineyards is located in Elgin, Arizona. Elgin boasts a population of 161 people.
This winery, located in the middle of big lands and roads that lead as far as the eye can see, is a hot spot. Weddings, motor cycle groups all stopped in the afternoon for a tasting with their friends. The spacious RV area on top of the hill hosted a few RVs without feeling crowded or too close. The atmosphere was quiet, remote with big, open skies.
Views!
The wine tasting views spanned blue sky views of land, more land and mountains. Sitting on a picnic table, enjoying a refreshing afternoon beverage and snack, I think we said “ahhhh” multiple times under a canopy of sunshine.
With Harvest Hosts, the experiences of wineries, farms and other venues offer so much. We met local owners, ventured off the beaten path and saw sights that you’ll never see on an interstate.
We’re RVers!
One thing is for sure, we’re not in a rush to get from point A to point B. Traveling on state and local highways, through towns across the states, beats the hustle of interstate travel any day!
sheen watkins
That’s the beauty of Harvest Hosts, these special stopover locations are free with a $99 yearly membership. It’s more than a free stopover though. These locations offer experiences that make your RV travels more enriching. There are locations that even feel more like camping than some campgrounds.
Madera Canyon
Our next destination was a bit of hope, planning and timing as a strategy. We headed for Bog Springs Campground in Madera Canyon. The big question mark? Campsites are on a first come basis. If that doesn’t work, then there’s always dispersed camping too. But we really, really wanted to be in the middle of the park, close to birding activiy.
Bog Springs is in the middle of mountain hiking trails, birding hot spots while offering a true camping experience. We researched checkout times and started driving though about five minutes after checkout.
And, yes, we scored.
The last spot on the loop with views and birds right outside our windows. I didn’t have to go far to see the Yellow-eyed junco or the Bridled titmouse. Just raise the window and start snapping!
For four days, we camped in our nuCamp Tab 400 Boondock here. The solar panel kept our battery charging, the propane ran the refrigerator and the Aldi system kept us warm on the cool nights.
Birding, hiking and exploring with Dave and the fur kids in Madera Canyon is a great escape into calming wilderness and wildlife. A single main road takes you through the canyon with several designated parking areas.
Explore Old and New
As much as we love exploring new places, returning to previously traveled locations has its benefits too. You know your way around and cover more ground. Time is spent doing things you know you want to do again while exploring new sites too.
Camping & birding Arizona? Let’s go back and soon!
