We love adventuring with our kids and finding ways to live creatively. In January 2021, we embarked on a RV road trip to Arizona where we stayed for 3 months with our 3 kids and our cat, Frankie. We left winter behind in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and drove into Oregon, through Utah and finally arrived in Arizona. We stayed in more than 15 places including RV campsites, national forests, state parks, and boondocking in the desert.
Whether your family is planning an RV adventure like ours or a fly-in trip with a hotel stay, this guide covers everything we discovered in the sunny land of cactus: where to camp, our favorite family hikes, and the best kids activities in Phoenix and Tucson. We’re happy to share our favorite museums, indoor play centers, parks, and more.
In this Arizona Travel Guide
- Planning Your Arizona Trip
- The Road Trip: Idaho to Arizona
- RV Camping & Boondocking in Arizona
- Phoenix with Kids
- Tucson with Kids
- Everyday Family Life on the Road
- FAQ
Video: RV Road Trip from Idaho to Arizona
We took homeschool on the road and went on a 3-month RV adventure in Arizona. 🌵🌄☀️ We discovered a lot of things to do along the way!
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Planning Your Arizona Family Trip
When to go: We visited from January through March, when the weather near Phoenix was 70 degrees and sunny. This was a nice change from our snowy weather in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho! Winter and early spring in Arizona are ideal for families: the desert trails are comfortable for hiking and rattlesnakes are not as active. (Summer temperatures regularly top 100°F, so plan indoor activities and early-morning hikes if you visit June–September.)
Where to base yourself: We split our trip between the Phoenix area (including Apache Junction and Mesa) and the Tucson area. Both cities have plenty for families, and the drive between them is under 2 hours.
Getting around: Arizona is a road trip state. Whether you’re in an RV or a rental car, most of the destinations in this guide are a 20–45 minute drive from central Phoenix or Tucson.
Our RV Road Trip from Idaho to Arizona
We took 4 days to drive from Idaho to Arizona and arrive at our first state park camp site. Our kids do pretty well on long driving days, so our drive went smoothly. We brought coloring books and colored pencils, several movies to watch in the truck and the kids’ Amazon Fire tablets. Even on road trips, we still limit screen time to 1-2 hours per day, plus an additional movie while driving at night. We also listened to music and read books.
Of course, our kids enjoyed passing the time by trying to get truck drivers to honk their horns as we passed them. On road trips with our kids, we typically have to stop every few hours for a bathroom break and to buy coffee and a few snacks.
Tip! We save a lot of money on road trips by stocking up on larger bags of snacks at Walmart, instead of frequently buying the smaller, more expensive snacks at gas stations.
Problem Solving on the Road
We’ve discovered that RV travel usually requires problem solving. Alongside fun rest stops, our family encountered several problems to solve on our Arizona RV road trip. At one gas station in Utah, a tire service technician noticed our RV toy hauler was bouncing a bit. He suggested that we have him rotate and replace a few of our RV tires. We had felt the bouncing ourselves while driving from North Idaho. It was a huge blessing to be able to fix our tires in advance, to avoid breaking down on the side of the road with 3 cranky kids. After a 1-hour pit stop (and Dairy Queen blizzards for the kids) we were all set, with several new RV tires and a fill-up on diesel and propane.*
*Our RV toy hauler uses propane to power the refrigerator, heat the living spaces and also heat water from our built-in 100 gallon water tank. We have to refill the propane tank every 6 to 10 days, due to regular use in colder weather.
Dry Camping on the Way South
During the first few nights of our January road trip to Arizona, we dry camped in our RV. We couldn’t use the RV water tank because we drove through freezing temperatures in the Northwestern states. We had to wait until we reached the warmer temperatures in Arizona to de-winterize the RV. Because of this, we brought along plenty of water in gallon jugs and water bottles for drinking. We often refilled the gallon jugs of water for washing hands and doing the dishes, as well as flushing the toilet.
The first night of our road trip, we camped at a small RV park in Oregon. We arrived after dark and quickly set up our RV so the kids could go to sleep. We also left first thing in the morning, after filling up our water jugs for the day.
A Perfect Road Trip Stop: Moqui Caverns in Kanab, Utah
On our way down to Arizona, we stopped by the Moqui Caverns in Kanab, Utah. These man-made sandstone caves were created in the 1970s by people who harvested sand for glass production. The hike up from the road was an adventure alone! We parked on the side of the road and helped the kids scramble up the rocky slope and sandy hiking trail that leads to the caves. Once inside, our kids enjoyed exploring the interior, which had many cavernous rooms and sun-lit openings overlooking the hillside below. Additionally, the caverns had a few drop-offs. We were careful to not let the kids get too close to the edge!
The Moqui Caverns are really fun to explore. The floor of the caves is covered with soft sand and many portions of the interior are fairly sun-lit. These caves are really cool! Unfortunately, lots of people have carved messages and names into the side of the caves. The only thing we left behind after our visit was our sandy footprints.
The hike to Moqui Caverns was just challenging enough for our family and a great break from sitting in the truck. Our kids are growing up to be little adventurers. They are often enthusiastic to discover something new around each corner!
RV Camping & Boondocking in Arizona
We stayed at a combination of campgrounds, boondocking spots and an occasional RV park during our 3 months in Arizona. Here’s where we camped and what each spot was like for families. (Not traveling by RV? Skip ahead to the Phoenix and Tucson kids activities sections — everything there works for any family.)
What Is Boondocking?
Boondocking is essentially camping on public or private land, without the usual RV park amenities and hook-ups. We often boondock on open public land or on someone’s private property with permission, using the website Boondockers Welcome. Often, property owners allow boondockers to hook up to power overnight and fill up on water, for a small fee of $10 to $15.
We spent our first few days in Phoenix boondocking on someone’s well-maintained gravel driveway for 3 nights. Boondockers Welcome makes it really easy to arrange a place to stay in your RV, on private property in locations all over the United States. We’ve really enjoyed our boondocking experiences and we’ve met a variety of welcoming people!
When boondocking on someone’s property, we often have plenty of our own space. In Phoenix, our RV door was facing a fence along the driveway, which added some privacy. We even rolled out our patio mat between the RV and the fence. This was a perfect space for our kids to play with Legos out in the sunshine.
We also brought our cat, Frankie, on our Arizona RV adventure. We hooked him up with a harness, leash and tether system. He was uncertain about the new surroundings at first. However, he slowly gained confidence and an interest in exploring. Although our cat is not likely to run away, we didn’t want to lose track of him. Also, it was important to keep our RV cat safe from the local hawks and owls.
Our cat Frankie especially liked this lemon tree in the front yard of one of our boondocking hosts!
Lost Dutchman State Park (Apache Junction)
Just outside of Phoenix, we boondocked for a few days at Lost Dutchman State Park. This location was one of our favorite campgrounds in Arizona. We had lots of space and great views of the Superstition Mountains. Because we did not have water or power hook-ups, we used our 100-gallon water tank sparingly. The campground also had bathrooms and showers, which we used several times to conserve our water tank. We also made sure to charge our phones and computers during the campground’s limited generator hours.
The Superstition Mountains are a dramatic backdrop to the spacious campground, which includes 134 camp sites. Our kids had a blast exploring the prickly landscape around our camp site. Also, the sunsets were gorgeous!
RV camping is often considered “glamping”. However, we’ve encountered many circumstances when we’ve had to limit our power and water usage. If nothing else, our RV provides us with comfortable beds to sleep in at night after a day of exploring!
Arizona sunset at Lost Dutchman State Park
Usery Mountain Regional Park (Mesa)
Next, we camped at Usery Mountain Regional Park. Here also, our spacious camp site was surrounded by many spiky desert plants, including saguaro cacti and jumping cholla plants. We even experienced a hail storm and snow storm in the desert! We went on hikes and the kids rode bikes and broke open geodes.
Gilbert Ray Campground (Tucson)
Our first night in Tucson we camped at Gilbert Ray Campground. My husband Andy backed up our RV toy hauler next to a towering saguaro cactus and a jumping cholla tree. Our kids quickly learned on this trip to give cacti plenty of space and to wear good shoes while walking in the desert.
Around the campground we explored the many desert trails. We didn’t see many wild animals, but on our hikes we often looked for scorpions, hawks, kangaroo rats, and rattlesnakes. At most, we saw a few mice and squirrels.
Catalina State Park (Tucson)
Additionally, we loved our stay at Catalina State Park! We stayed at several camp sites at Catalina. My husband Andy reserved our spots in advance and we often could only get a few days at a time. We had to move to a different camp site at least twice. The spacious Catalina campground was a change of scene from the cactus-filled desert state parks. Our RV was surrounded by flat ground with sparse patches of grass and pretty desert trees. Our kids had plenty of space to ride their bikes and scooters, and our cat Frankie enjoyed exploring. We attached him to a 30 ft. leash so he could observe the ground squirrels.
Catalina State Park is located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Even when we went to Walmart and out for ice cream, we could see these beautiful mountains towering nearby. The campground offers 120 camp sites with electric and water hook-ups. While camping, we got into a family routine of doing homeschool in the morning, followed by afternoon walks and bike rides. We occasionally did laundry in our RV and hung the clean clothes out to dry in the warm air.
The Santa Catalina Mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for the spacious camp sites at Catalina State Park.
Patagonia Lake State Park
After Catalina, we headed to Patagonia Lake State Park. Our camp site here was less private and it was situated in a loop of other camp sites. The nearby campers often commented they enjoyed watching our kids run around and play together. We took the kids on several walks (they rode their bikes) down to the lake and around the campground. One of our favorite things about camping is just enjoying simple family time together. One night Andy made ribs over the fire. Occasionally we had a family movie night in our RV or watched a BBC nature episode.
Phoenix, Arizona with Kids
We found so many things to do near Phoenix, Arizona! Whether you’re camping like we did or staying in a hotel in the city, these hikes, parks, museums and indoor play centers are great for any family.
Video! Phoenix, Arizona Family RV Adventure
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We had a blast exploring Phoenix, AZ with our three kids. We camped in our RV at several awesome desert campgrounds and did homeschool on the go. See the highlights of our Phoenix, Arizona family adventure!
Hole in the Rock Trail
One morning we took our kids on a short hike to Hole in the Rock in Phoenix, Arizona. This 0.3 mile trail is ideal for families and hikers of all skill levels. It’s next to the Phoenix Zoo. From the top of the Hole in the Rock summit, you can enjoy a great view of Phoenix and watch airplanes land at the Phoenix Airport.
Siphon Draw Trail in the Superstition Mountains
At Lost Dutchman State Park, we went on several easy hikes along cactus-lined trails around the campground. We also took the kids on a longer hike up the Siphon Draw trail. We hiked as far as we could before the trail became too steep and rocky for our young kids. Once we turned back, we took a detour down the mountain along a dried-up water route with lots of rock scrambling. It was great to explore these Arizona trails in January, when rattlesnakes are not as active.
We made sure to wear good hiking shoes and bring water bottles on this adventurous family hike!
The views were beautiful along Siphon Draw trail! Legend has it, the nearby Superstition Mountains are home to a lost ore-rich mine and caches of gold hidden by two miners in the 1870s. The location of the mine was lost and no one has been able to locate it or the gold since. Treasure or not, Lost Dutchman State Park is a great place for adventure-seeking families to wander and explore!
Parks & Playgrounds
Cactus Park in Scottsdale: Our kids had a lot of fun playing on the spacious playground at Cactus Park and riding their scooters around the paved walking trails. Going to parks and playgrounds is a great activity while traveling with kids. Our kids often just enjoy the simplicity of playing and running around outside, or swinging on the swing set.
Pioneer Park in Mesa: Pioneer Park on Main Street in Mesa, Arizona has an awesome slide and plenty of jungle gym pathways for kids to explore! See us all go down the twisty slide in our Phoenix adventure video!
Indoor Play Centers
We took the kids to two indoor play centers — perfect for hot afternoons or a break from the trails:
Uptown Jungle in Mesa: Our kids really enjoyed scaling the climbing walls at Uptown Jungle in Mesa, Arizona. They also explored the huge kids jungle gym, obstacle courses and ball pits.
Rush Fun Park: Rush Fun Park is another great indoor kids activity center with climbing walls, slides, play structures, obstacle courses, trampolines and foam pits.
Museums Near Phoenix
Arizona Museum of Natural History (Mesa): At the Arizona Museum of Natural History, we learned about Arizona’s natural and cultural history. Our kids panned for gold and even visited the cells of the old Mesa territory jail. Our favorite exhibit was all about dinosaurs and local excavations!
Superstition Mountain Museum (Apache Junction): We also enjoyed an afternoon at Superstition Mountain Museum. We learned about the Lost Dutchman gold mine and learned a little about Arizona’s wild west history. Our kids really enjoyed seeing the large electric train display and sitting in a stage coach.
More Phoenix Kids Activities
We also visited a nature center and saw some desert snakes, a gila monster, tarantulas and scorpions, stopped by a few local playgrounds, went shopping, and explored a mall near Phoenix. You can find our whole list of kids activities in Phoenix, Arizona here.
Tucson, Arizona with Kids
Tucson, Arizona is home to tall Saguaro cacti, beautiful sunsets and lots of desert trails. At almost every campground, we were surrounded by prickly plants. Our young family of 5 found plenty of things to do during our stay, and just like in Phoenix, these activities work whether or not you’re traveling by RV.
Video: Tucson Family Adventure
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Hikes at Saguaro National Park
The trail at Saguaro National Park was one of our favorite family hikes. We headed over there one afternoon with our 3 kids. Of course, we brought several water bottles and wore good hiking shoes for this adventure.
We saw so many cool desert plants along the trail at Saguaro National Park! In the Pacific Northwest, we don’t have anything like these prickly plants. We thought all the cholla, cacti, and prickly bushes were really unique.
This fishhook barrel cactus was really pretty, with its bright yellow fruit. We saw many desert plants like this at Saguaro National Park. Needless to say, it’s much better to look at it and not touch!
International Wildlife Museum
Another afternoon, we visited the International Wildlife Museum in Pima County, Arizona. This museum is full of amazing specimens of taxidermy animals. We really enjoyed seeing life-like displays of beautiful birds, insects and reptiles and learning about each species. My kids also saw huge wolves and bears up close in the Predators and Prey exhibit.
We thought each of the rooms at the International Wildlife Museum were amazing. One particular room was packed with all sorts of deer, elk, moose and caribou. We also saw a taxidermy bear, tiger, mountain lion and crocodile. This museum visit was the first time my kids had seen a lot of these animals up close. Sadly, since the time of our visit this museum has closed.
Catalina Highway Overlook
Not far from our camp site, one day we went on a scenic drive along the Catalina Highway. We stopped at a scenic overlook, and our kids had a chance to do some rock scrambling. We made sure they stayed close to us and understood their limits, to not get close to an edge. Rocks like the one below jut out all over the place, with maybe a 3-foot drop beneath at most. Our kids had a blast climbing, being adventurous, and discovering awesome views!
We discovered this pretty view through the rocks, of more rocks and mountains at the Catalina Highway Overlook.
Family Horseback Riding in the Desert
One afternoon during our time in Tucson, Arizona, we took the kids on a horseback ride. We found this company by searching for local trail riding services in the area. My kids were excited to ride their own horses and hold the reins.
Horseback riding was a fun family activity for our crew of inexperienced riders. The trail ride took us through the desert just before sunset. The horses were very gentle with our kids and they followed the well-traveled path at a slow pace.
My 8-year-old daughter Kiera handled her horse like a pro! On the trail, we passed by all sorts of desert plants, dry creek beds and scraggly brush. Horseback riding was an interesting way for us to experience the desert up close.
Day Trip: Echo Canyon Grottoes
Last but not least, about 2 hours away from Tucson we checked out the Echo Canyon Grottoes hike. Sadly the weather this day was not great, but we still enjoyed seeing the amazing stacked rocks and interesting wind-carved grottoes. You can find our full video of this cool Arizona hiking experience here!
Everyday RV Family Life
Overall, we enjoyed plenty of regular days on the road. Our family did homeschool in the mornings and went on family hikes in the afternoons. We tried to space out paid activities with free family adventures and scenic drives. We lived a simple RV family life, homeschooled our kids, worked virtually and explored Arizona in our free time. My husband Andy worked virtually from his “office” in the toy hauler garage. Every day we were excited to see what adventures lay ahead!
We went on a lot of adventures in Arizona and made great memories with our kids! Our family lived regular life on the go and didn’t feel too hindered by our mobile lifestyle. We would definitely like to do an extended RV trip like this again!
Arizona with Kids FAQ
When is the best time to visit Arizona with kids? Winter and early spring (January through March) offer 70-degree days near Phoenix, comfortable hiking weather, and less rattlesnake activity on the trails. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F.
Is Arizona good for RV camping with kids? Yes! We stayed in more than 15 places over 3 months, including state parks like Lost Dutchman and Catalina with spacious family-friendly campsites, plus boondocking spots we arranged through Boondockers Welcome.
What are the best family hikes near Phoenix? Hole in the Rock is a short 0.3-mile trail next to the Phoenix Zoo that’s ideal for all skill levels. For a bigger adventure, the Siphon Draw Trail at Lost Dutchman State Park offers dramatic Superstition Mountains views. You can hike as far as your kids can manage.
What indoor activities are there for kids in Phoenix? Uptown Jungle and Rush Fun Park are indoor play centers with climbing walls, trampolines and obstacle courses. The Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa has a fantastic dinosaur exhibit, gold panning and an old territory jail.
What should kids know about the desert? Give cacti plenty of space (especially jumping cholla!), wear closed-toe shoes, and always carry water bottles — even on short hikes.
Do you need an RV to enjoy these activities? Not at all! The hikes, museums, parks, playgrounds, indoor play centers and horseback riding in this guide work just as well for families staying in hotels or vacation rentals.
Hi, I’m Katie! I’m a homeschool mom who’s traveling the world with my husband and 4 kids. We raised our family in North Idaho and currently live in Mérida, Mexico. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I hope you enjoy our creative ideas and family adventures!
This post was so informative! It sounds like you had a wonderful RV trip to Phoenix with your family. Lost Dutchman State Park looks like a beautiful place to camp, and I especially enjoyed reading about your experience with boondocking. We’re planning an RV trip to Phoenix later this year and are looking for kid-friendly activities.