[JohnDoe]

A couple of friends and I are looking for a place to car camp for a couple days, normally I'd cruise up to the rim and camp near the lakes but I'd like to be someplace warmer.

So does anyone know of an area/forest road that has:
Seclusion
Trees
Nice weather this time of year
Accessible by truck (I might consider a 4wd only trail)
Bonus points it there's water or even a creek bed nearby!

Distance really isn't a concern since we'll be camping for a few days.

[chumley]

When are you planning on going? There's a storm coming through this weekend that will have snow levels dropping pretty low. All the roads on the rim are closed, and will remain that way until the snow melts sometime this spring. There are lower-elevation spots near Payson, Young, Sedona, Prescott, and Globe, but you have to pay attention the the weather as some of them can be cold at this time of year. When you get to lower elevations than that, finding trees is a bit more difficult. And if there's trees then seclusion is tough (Seven Springs area is a good example).

[VVebb]

Not to be a "Debbie-Downer," but I would reinforce chumley's storm concern, and venture to say that ANYWHERE in northern or eastern AZ that is high enough to have trees may well be getting 6-12" of snow this weekend. I just checked the weather for Flagstaff (because I live there), and it shows 70-100% chance of snow this Sat and Sun, plus 30-60% chance next Weds-Sun. Perhaps the oak woodlands of the sky islands down south would be your best bet for trees if you want to go one of the next two weekends and avoid most of the snow? In any case, check the forecasts and Doppler thoroughly to be as prepared as possible.

[JohnDoe]

Thanks for the quick responses! Even without shade it'd still be fun.

I forgot to mention that we're going somewhere in between March 13-20, if that changes anything.

[chumley]

Those dates would be totally weather dependent. But I've camped near Young in March before. There's plenty of options that get you into scrub brush, and even ponderosa at that elevation (around 5k).

Otherwise, there's a lot of open forest in the desert near 4 Peaks (solitude is more difficult to find on weekends here). There's also plenty of open country north of Carefree, toward Bartlett and Horseshoe Lakes, 7 Springs, Bloody Basin, and west toward I-17. I rarely camp in the low country, so I wouldn't be able to give you any personal pointers other than to say that the rougher the road and farther the drive, the fewer people you are likely to encounter.

[JohnDoe]

I started looking at the area around Horseshoe Lake, campgrounds like Mesquite and Catfish Point. Anyone know anything about that area?