Phoenix, Arizona RV Camping & Activities | Part 2

Our family loves going on adventures and exploring new places! In January 2021, we went on a 3-month RV trip in Arizona with our three kids and our cat, Frankie. We stayed in more than 15 places in Arizona including RV campsites, national forests, state parks and boondocking in the desert. Here are some of the highlights of our RV trip while exploring the sunny land of cactus!

We found so many things to do near Phoenix, Arizona! Most days we kept a daily routine while camping and boondocking. Our schedule included doing homeschool on the road and working remotely. We also enjoyed hiking, exploring nearby towns, and doing fun activities with our kids.

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!

Phoenix, Arizona RV Trip Highlights

Camping & Hiking: We camped in our RV at Lost Dutchman State Park and went on lots of family hikes on the nearby hiking trails, including Siphon Draw Trail in the Superstition Mountains.

Boondocking: We boondocked near Phoenix on someone’s property, by booking our reservation through the website Boondockers Welcome.

Fun Kids Activities: We discovered a lot of great kids activities in Phoenix, Arizona! We took the kids to two indoor play centers; Uptown Jungle and Rush Fun Park. We also visited a nature center and saw some desert snakes, a gila monster, tarantulas and scorpions. Finally, we stopped by a few local playgrounds and went shopping.

Exploring the Desert: We camped at Usery Mountain Regional park among lots of desert plants, jumping cholla and saguaro cactus. We went on hikes and the kids rode bikes and broke open geodes.

Museums: Near Phoenix, we visited the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, and the Superstition Mountain Museum.

We made a lot of great memories during our RV trip near Phoenix, Arizona.

Lost Dutchman State Park

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.

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!

Siphon Draw Trail Hike

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!

We discovered lots of family-friendly hiking trails and beautiful desert views at Lost Dutchman State Park! The Superstition Mountains are a dramatic backdrop to the spacious campground, which includes 134 camp sites.

Usery Mountain Regional Park

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!

Fun Kids Activities near Phoenix, Arizona

We also tried out some fun kids activities during our stay near Phoenix, Arizona. You can find our whole list of Phoenix, AZ kids activities here.

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.

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!

At Arizona Museum of National 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!

Rush Fun Park is another great indoor kids activity center with climbing walls, slides, play structures, obstacle courses, trampolines and foam pits.

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.

Everyday RV Family Life

Finally, 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.

Next on our RV adventure, our family headed to Tucson, Arizona. We camped near Saguaro National Park and Catalina State Park and discovered many places to explore along the way!

See where we went next! Tucson, Arizona RV Camping & Activities | Part 3 »

Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!