Manzanita Campground

Just came back from a three day camping trip and my wife and I stayed at Manzanita. It was one of the best campsites we've visited. Dennis, one of the camp hosts, was available and friendly, and made us feel at home. This is a tent-only campsite and it gave the campgrounds a cozier vibe. We reserved Site 18, and we had a lot of space to move around and we were very close to the creek. There is drinking water available from a pump and although the vault toilets are a bit smelly, I saw Dennis and crew cleaning the restrooms frequently. Lots of people there, but thankfully everyone was really kind and everyone was following distancing measures and wearing masks when appropriate. All-in-all, it was amazing and we would definitely return!

Take a dip down in Oak Creek located right beside the campground.

Great campground along Oak Creek. Reservations are needed pretty much all year. The campground is along 89A a pretty busy road with traffic between Sedona and Flagstaff. Great hikes across the road.

Try to get a spot close to the water to listen to the water of the creek - helps those ZZZZ's

This campground was such a good basecamp for a couple of days of adventuring in Sedona. It's super small... only 20 sites or so. Half are reservation, and from what we can tell, they get booked pretty far in advance. We snagged the last of the first come sites when we arrived. The hosts, Brian and Moon, are the best. Brian makes a point to chat with everyone staying there, knows when you are leaving, and makes sure that you have everything you need. Campsites are all raked and cleaned up as soon as you leave. The bathrooms were the cleanest pit toilets I have ever seen. If you wander down past the hosts a bit, there is a great swimming hole to cool off in after a dusty mountain bike ride.

A nearly hidden turn off about 10 minutes north of Sedona.

Crickets nearly drown out the sound of the water flowing down Oak Creek.

Incredibly lush and well shaded, very welcome after travelling through the AZ and CA deserts most of the day.

Berry bushes line the creek and small trail that lead to a rock outcropping above a nearby swimming hole.

No RVs, no generators, simple pit toilets. Everything is clean and well maintained. Firewood is available onsite for about 7 bucks per bundle.

Located halfway between Sedona and Slide Rock, there are plenty of options on how to spend your day. Or just relax in a hammock next to the creek.

This was a real gem to find, and I look very forward to returning to Manzanita.