Cockscomb Designated Dispersed Camping

This is by far my favorite camping experience in 7 years. So beautiful.

Keep driving north and views get better as well as cell service. The road can be bumpy but plenty wide.

It’s clear the forest service is cutting down on available dispersed camping around Sedona. All the smaller camping sites along the road are off limits and the few designated spots are dirt lots that become incredibly crowded as a result. If you can find a spot for camp, you’d have more space and privacy at any campground.

As it is still early in the season, we have been 1 of 3-4 units in this designated camping area. We still have 6 days left of our 14, but I wanted to get this review out for the information it includes. As the previous reviewer mentioned, basically a large, round area. Comfortable fit for perhaps 7-8 tents or RV's. Could probably accommodate 4 large rigs along with a few small. Currently there is a very large pile of dirt in the center that is being moved to OHV trails that connect to this area. The weekend hot air balloons landed very close the first weekend we were here. Low number of OHV's compared to a few weeks from now when the weather improves. We estimate about 1/4 of potential camp areas available compared to pre September 2022 vote. Large rocks are placed over previous available drives into camp areas, most fire rings are dismantled, as there are no wood fires allowed. We have seen several people move rocks and set up camp in NON OPEN areas. within 24 hours they had bright orange tickets on their vehicles. Not sure what the fine is, but likely steep. Not sure how the yearly spring break families will react to the reduced camp areas available...especially if they haven't kept up with the new Restrictions. Signs are well posted, VERY large digital sign at both entries to FR 525 with posted regulations & changes to the dispersed camping. Once you hit those, you simply can't claim you didn't know. I'm guessing Rangers will be out in force every weekend, enforcing the new rules. An even more beautiful area than it was previously. If you can get a spot, enjoy!!

This review is not just Cockscomb where I slept but the whole row from Angel Valley to Nolan because I scoped each.

In a state where you’re spoilt for camping options - Kofa, Marble Canyon, Vermillion cliffs etc - Sedona camping is not for solitude despite the incredible views and amazing night skies.

You’ll read about the severe reduction of camping areas with new rules and each site is basically a small round lot without designations and no hopes of spreading out, but you can still give your neighbor a good 10 ft of space and camp respectfully. It’s possible but it’s not how it was.

After slowly driving behind the screaming teenagers on Sedona Off Road Adventures vehicle and checking out each site, I found a spot at Cockscomb. Through sunset, it was respectful and we waved at each other in close proximity and everyone went about camp life.

At 8 pm I started to fall asleep with car windows down on a pleasant night because my dog runs hot at night. The stars were magnificent. A generator came on and it sounds like a white noise machine to me so I didn’t care and it was early.

Around midnight I woke up to my dog growling because someone was bumping into my car trying to set up their tent 2 feet from my car (see photo). Two trucks had squeezed in on either side of my site and someone was blowing up a mattress to cowboy camp outside my door. Their laughter rang through the night.

Next morning I maneuvered my car around the obstacle course of sleeping bodies on the ground, campchairs and beer bottles and got the hell out at first light. Many cars had shown up overnight to cramp existing campers. On my way out I noticed the same fate for campers at other campgrounds.

It is what it is. Mid April is peak season in a beautiful place, while Coconino forest campgrounds are still closed for season. Personally, I have found more peace at Walmarts and Interstate Rest Stops in the last 4 months of camping in the southwest.

I wish you a better experience than mine!

The views from this place are amazing. The location and proximity to Sedona are wonderful. But it’s jam packed with RVs parked every which way (and usually right up against someone else), all running their generators from sunup to sundown and/or tearing around the limited space in their ATVs kicking up the red dust everywhere. Or they’re taking off to town for the day, leaving their dogs locked up and barking (and their generator running). We didn’t have the best experience due to the weather (rain, hail, snow, wind), but a loud party of multiple (oblivious) RVs next door didn’t add to the atmosphere. As other reviewers have pointed out, it would be so much better to open up other spots so everyone is not all jammed together.