Desert Ranger plans 2026

 Little Rangers need to get their kits out at least once a month. They need to explore outside, learn valuable skills like tracking, stamina, waking at dawn, building fires, watching the stars....they need SKILLS and they are only going to get said skills by going out and roughing it in the wilderness.

Alas, one skill for a ranger mom trapped in the valley of the Sun, is to reserve campsites far in advance. 6-5 months in advance....

If we were really cool, we'd figure out how to make camp in the site-less wilderness...preferably under bracken where the Crebain of Dunland cannot sight us....but we aren't at that awesome yet. So we'll stick with reserved sites, until our skills are much much better. Dispersed Camping is far far more epic. This year, research dispersed camping and how it works, also scout out places for dispersed camping near our favorite sites.

UPDATE:  IT seems that contrary to my impression, Payson is actually COOLER than Sedona in the summer....So next year we are going to check Payson first for June, July, Aug. Sedona is more for April, May, Sept

UPDATE UPDATE: Driving up towards Heber from Payson gives you 2000+ ft of elevation, and its a little cooler, at the cost of 20 more min driving.

UPDATE: [I need to reserve the Spring reservations by Nov/Dec, and Summer reservations by Feb/March]

October and March really focus on my own little piece of earth, gardening, etc.

Feb --Really this is time to get the summer garden started. AZ Desert dawn hikes, Stay in Lost Dutchman campsite. 

• Lost Dutchman for Isaiah, to hear the coyotes
• Feb-March I really focus on my own little piece of earth, gardening, etc. 
• October/Nov is put the winter garden in. 
• February/March is put the summer garden in. 
• July--Sept you kinda pull the plug on the garden [grow yams and basil?], focus on keeping the trees alive

March--AZ Desert dawn hikes Stay home and focus on yardwork etc.

April -- AZ Rim-country/Sedona Oak Creek--- AZ desert Dawn Hikes 

• THE MINE Morenci, AZ
• Yavapai, White Spar (Prescott) is open [but terrible bathrooms] not alot of trees 
• Sedona/Oak Creek stuff is Open
• [too hot to camp in AZ desert]
• [Mingus Mountain and Mogollan Campground and Aspen AZ not open till May]
• Maybe....Payson IS ALL FF IN APRIL [Christopher Creek] and Ponderosea (AZ)... kinda cold
•  Houston Mesa [Payson near Water Wheel, Flowing Springs] are FF in April...  kinda cold

May --  Prescott, Payson, Sedona/Oak Creek stuff is Open  (Payson is open)

• Cave Spring! in Sedona/Oak Creek stuff is Open(Pine Flatts) [We had a great time at Cave Spring Sedona in May] Manzanita campground?
• Mingus Mountain! 
• Ponderosa AZ ??
• Christopher creek has a little flowing stream in it. See Canyon glorious. 75-90 day, 45-50 at night
• Houston Mesa Campground NEAR Water Wheel Falls (Payson) 

June  or the Water Wheel at 4am daytrip plan. [leave for home by 10am]

• Lay low, plan out of state trips and just do the leave-for-Water-Wheel-at-4am routine
• past Payson towards Heber, up on the rim, elevation 7000 ft higher on the Rim near Woods Canyon Lakes---Sinkhole Campground (7560 ft), Spillway campground(7500 ft), Aspen AZ (7000 ft)Mogollon campground (7700 ft)
• Houston Mesa Campground (5200 ft) NEAR Water Wheel Falls (Payson) NEAR Flowing Springs (too hot?)
• Maybe Sedona & Oak Creek Canyon Too Hot
• Payson--Christopher Creek [bit too hot only 5640 ft elevation]

July--Mountains or Creeks OR JUST PLAN TO VISIT OUT OF STATE RELATIVES HERE, and do the Water Wheel at 4am daytrip plan. [leave for home by 10am]

• Lay low, plan out of state trips and just do the leave-for-Water-Wheel-at-4am routine
• past Payson towards Heber, up on the rim, elevation 7000 ft higher on the Rim near Woods Canyon Lakes---Sinkhole Campground (7560 ft), Spillway campground (7400), Aspen AZ (7000 ft) or Mogollon campground (7700 ft) 
• Houston Mesa Campground NEAR Water Wheel Falls (Payson) NEAR Flowing Springs (too hot?)
• CHRISTOPHER CREEK IN PAYSON (no water in the campsite creek yet, too hot at 5640 ft)
• Maybe Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona [bc of Oak creek. Also Manzanita is COOLER they say, Pine Flats, Bootlegger, Cave Spring], 
• Maybe Mogollon Campground is 2mi from a lake....  Too Hot
• DREAM: THE ROCKIES, GORE CREEK

Aug--Mountains or Creeks, PAYSON,OR THE ROCKIES GORE CREEK

DREAM: THE ROCKIES, GORE CREEK

CHRISTOPHER CREEK IN PAYSON 

Payson-ish Houston Mesa Campground NEAR Water Wheel Falls (Payson) NEAR Flowing Springs

•  Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona... Too Hot 

 

Sept--Mountains or Creeks, PAYSON, OR 2nd half of Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona [Finally Cool Enough!...]

• CHRISTOPHER CREEK IN PAYSON  EARLY SEPTEMBER is PERFECTION
• !!! Houston Mesa Campground NEAR Water Wheel Falls (Payson) NEAR Flowing Springs [fIrst half september 87/57, SECOND HALF OF SEPTEMBER 82/52 sweet spot.

Oct -- Really this is the time to stay home and get the winter garden started. IF you go camping...Prescott, Mingus [may-oct] OR Oak Creek Canyon/Sedona...

• Last chance for Mingus !!!!
• Cave Springs, Sedona
• ??Houston Mesa near water wheel 72/42 range

Nov--Dawntrips Hike the AZ Desert 

• AZ desert dawn hikes,  
• Hidden Valley, 
• Fat Man's pass
• Sears-Kay Ruin (Hohokam)
• Check out Alltrails
• ??Montezuma's well [3 hr drive]
• Pioneer Museum? 
• Lost Dutchman campsite

Dec & Jan--Dawntrips Hike the AZ Desert [Hidden Valley, Pioneer Museum? Fat Man's pass, Sears-Kay Ruin (Hohokam)] Have back-yard fires and toast marshmallows.

So camping season is really May--October 

And how to homestead...when we are in a little quarter-acre lot in a desert, and may move in the near-ish future?

Homestead, but not as the homestead being the goal---as we may need to sell, and later owners destroy it. Plant fruit trees, for the future if owners keep it. And always garden with the kids. Involve my little rangers as much as possible...because its about the memories being forged WITH them, and the skills being forged IN them, and not about the physical garden or home so much. We are traveling, but we can make these way-stations along the way as beautiful as we can. As green as we can. As productive as we can. 

But it should always be about the little Rangers, and not the way-station.

So let's get out there, and go Rangering....