Dry Camping In The Arizona Desert

Chaotic beginning to our Desert Adventure

After very little planning, Daniel and I, along with our the four kiddos and two dogs threw caution to the wind, and decided to LIVE ON THE ROAD! (But just for 2 weeks lol)
Our only real plan was to “wing it” in order to find warmer weather and escape the many “snow storm warnings” near our home.  So we packed up and set our sights on Arizona, even though we had NO idea where we’d end up.  But how hard could dry camping in the Arizona desert be?

The journey to the Arizona Desert was a wild one!
Starting with Roman vomiting the entire night before we left 🙈

Then Harley had the unfortunate honor of being the one to christen the (brand new) SUV with her own special blend of nausea.  And oh yeah, the carbon monoxide alarm going off in the middle of the night along with a visit from the fire department. 🙈

🐶 Later the dogs got car sick and let it out all over the trunk!  As if we didn’t have enough smells in the Tahoe, Roman then had a massive poop explosion in his carseat. It basically felt like Murphy’s Law was against us. Nevertheless, with every twist and turn, we grew closer as a family and our sense of adventure flourished.  But once we arrived in Arizona, things fortunately took a turn for the better….but only after our trailer was invaded by bees! 🐝

Discovering the beauty dry camping in the desert

We were so blessed to find the PERFECT place to dry camp.  I had no idea Arizona was so beautiful!  There are wild flowers EVERYWHERE, and Saguaros (those cacti that you think only exist in movies lol) dotted across the landscape everywhere you look.  My favorite feature are the dozens of free range cows frequently wandering through our camp.  I’m also blown away by the majestic sunrises and sunsets here, it’s like stepping into a charming western film.  The Magnificent Seven theme has become the theme song of our trip, and has been played over and over lol.

How we are dry camping for FREE for 2 weeks, in 4 different locations

We opted to boondock through our entire trip, which has allowed us to save a significant amount of money. Both Daniel and I found some great resources that helped us:

• Campendium & IOverlander apps: These show all types of sites (commercial campgrounds, dry camping, etc.)

• Harvest Hosts: A membership through which you stay overnight on private land such as farms, wineries, and churches etc.

• Boondockers Welcome: Similar to Harvest Hosts, but with larger pieces of property and no need to make a purchase to stay.

• Talking to people! We found this place because Daniel approached a “cool” couple with a Schooly at a Costco Gas station.  That, in addition to talking with my friend is how we ended up where we did.

• BLM Land and State Trust Land: Which are both free for camping.

Embrace the Chaos! ❤️

So far, two weeks going from place to place proved it’s not just a romantic notion but a real possibility. Despite the bumpy start, and occasional choas along the way, Daniel and I are finding that we can handle anything together. Every day brings about a new adventure, and we’ve already grown significantly closer as a family. Here’s to more of the “open road!”