River Island State Park

Located in Parker, AZ near the California border

AZ State Park Link

View from the tent sites

River Island State Park is a campground and recreation area along the Colorado River, about 2.5 hours northwest of Phoenix. It's the little brother to nearby Buckskin Mountain State Park. A link to the park map can be found here.

This trip was taken the first weekend in May. Since the campground is in a canyon, there were constant winds, but mild weather the whole time.

At $28 per night, this is one of the more expensive campgrounds around, but it does have great features. There are 30 sites and 2 bathrooms with showers and a dishwashing area. All sites also have power, including the tent sites. For tent camping, the 8 sites on the grass along the river can't be beat. The view is wonderful, and there's easy access to the beach area and the hiking path. The showers are cleaned daily, but the set near the water can get pretty sandy. 

The tent sites extend back from the assigned parking space, so they all blend together. It's a bit close to neighbors, and, since the park is often full, loud music and parties can be a problem.

The water is beautiful and calm.. There were fisherman and plenty of people using the dock. Although it was chilly in the water, there were lots of kids wading in it. It's quite rocky, so water shoes are a must. It would be perfect for swimming on a hot day.

To the east of the boat dock is a short trail along the coast. It climbs high enough to offer great views of the Colorado River. There's a faux mine shaft that the kids loved too. The whole trail can be completed in less than an hour, even for little hikers.

View of  the Colorado River

View of the mine and branching trails

We took a short trip to check out the facilities at Buckskin Mountain State Park, about 5 minutes away. There is a tourist shop and a restaurant/ bar located there. We had a pizza and watched boats race along the river. It was interesting to check out, but I doubt we'd go back. There is also a small cactus garden and a trailhead located at the front of the park. There's the short scenic Lightening Bolt Trail and Buckskin Trail, which actually crosses the freeway. Once across, there's a scenic trail and one that visits abandoned mines. Unfortunately, the sun was setting, so those will have to wait.

Buckskin Trail freeway crossing

Beautiful mountain views

Powell Springs Campground

Approximately 45 minutes from Prescott, AZ

National Forest Service Link

Powell Springs is a free campground set in the Ponderosa pines of the Prescott National Forest. Near Dewey-Humboldt, it's about a 1.5 hour drive from Phoenix.

The campground is located near the "ghost town" of Cherry, which, although small, is a populated retirement community. The area is popular for quads and dirt bikes, and there are springs, mines and ruins in the area to explore.

Overall, I loved this campground. It's an easy way to escape the extreme heat of Phoenix for even an overnight. It was still 92 in July though, too hot for long hikes or anything without shade, especially for the kids. Nights were in the high 50's and very comfortable.

There are 11 campsites of varying quality at Powell Springs. The best sites are 2,3 and 10. All 3 are in good condition and have plenty of shade. All sites feature a large fire ring and concrete picnic table, but some tables are broken and some sites overgrown with vegetation. Most sites have room for a tent, and we had no trouble pitching our 6 person tent and had room for a sun canopy too. 

Site 3

Site 10

Restroom Facility

There is no water or trash service, but there is a vault toilet. It was in great condition and surprisingly clean. Along with packing out trash, it and food have to be bear-proofed. We noticed fresh bear scat in the area, so make sure to use bear sense.

Trail leading from campground

Since the stay was midweek, we were expecting it to be pretty quiet. There was one couple and a car camper the first night and the same car camper the second. We were completely alone during the day and it was wonderfully peaceful. Considering most other campgrounds in the area were packed at the time, this is definitely a low use campground.

There are some nice, although mostly poorly marked, trails leading from the campground. There is also an interesting forest walk along FR 372A from the back of the campground. A GPS or good map skills are needed. There are also lots of  Forest Roads around to explore. I didn't prepare a detailed enough map to find many features in the area, but that will be a must-have next time back.

Located just north of the campground along Cherry Creek Road, the town of Cherry is also a worthwhile drive. We enjoyed checking out the historic cemetery, which shares a parking lot with the volunteer fire station. There are some historic buildings and town wood carvings to spot also. 

Cabin ruins near campground

Old farm shack

Volunteer Fire Station