Dead Horse Ranch State Park – Cottonwood, Arizona

Verde Valley

Verde Valley – Snow covered San Francisco Peaks

Heading North out of Phoenix up to Cottonwood provided us some terrific views as we drove  into the Verde Valley. Phoenix was fogged in but soon the fog burned off and even the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff were visible and covered with snow.

Cottonwood

Entrance to State Park

Quetta Pine Forest at entrance to park

This lovely state park is in Cottonwood, Arizona about 15 miles off I-17 and 20 miles southwest of Sedona. It has four campground loops, three for RVs with electric and water, and one for tenters only (Black Hawk Loop).

Black Hawk Loop (Tenters Only)

Quail Loop (43 Sites)

Quail Loop Campground offers a number of both large and small sites (smaller than the other campground loops) with picnic areas.  We found the sites to be a bit close together for our liking.  Most sites have a number of trees around them so you might want to check out the site if you have large slides before committing.  There is still lots of space for big rigs in many of the sites. There were both pull-thrus and back-ins. None of the sites offer views of the surrounding countryside. We thought this loop offered the most charm and maybe some protection from the wind and hot sun if necessary.

Site 3 – pull-thru

Site 17 – back-in

Site 31 – back-in

A bit further up the hill is Red Tail Hawk Loop and Cooper’s Hawk Loop which are right next to each other and both offer big rig sites of similar size and feel and many offer nice views of the surrounding countryside. Most sites are in the open with very little trees compared to Quail Loop and all sites are a bit close together. Sites are paved with campfire pits and picnic tables. Some have grilles and some don’t have grilles. The picnic areas are smaller than we like but there are a few which are a bit larger than others. Red Tail Hawk Loop had mainly back-ins whereas Cooper’s Hawk Loop had both back-ins and pull-thrus.  Restrooms and showers are nicely maintained.

Cooper’s Hawk Loop (27 Sites)

View of Cooper’s Hawk Loop from above

Cooper’s Hawk Loop – Site 92

Cooper’s Hawk Loop – Site 93

Cooper’s Hawk Loop – Site 95

Cooper’s Hawk Loop – ite 106

Cooper’s Hawk Loop – Site 110

Site 61 – seemed to have a bigger picnic area than other sites

Site 62

Site 64

Site 76

Site 79

Site 80

Site 82 – One of the few sites with a tree

There is a nice double dump station at the entrance and plenty of parking space to hook/unhook your tow vehicle.

Campground: Red Tail Hawk Loop
Location: Cottonwood, Arizona
Site: 63
Cost: $30
Services: W/E (50AMP)
Comments: A lovely, peaceful campground. Site 63 had some nice privacy and views overlooking the city of Cottonwood in the distance. The picnic area was smaller than we like and there was no grille at our site unlike most of the other sites. We were at the end of the loop which provided a bit more privacy than other sties. This was a back-in site with plenty of room for the tow vehicle.

Our site – 63

Our Site 63

All in all, this is a lovely state park with lots of trails,  nice campsites, and easy access to Cottonwood. In addition, it is a short drive to Clarkdale, Jerome, and Sedona. A lovely area.