A great new campground recently opened in our local mountains that I have to tell you about! Verde Ranch RV Resort opened in August, 2019. We watched it being built as we drove on I-17 on our way to Flagstaff and beyond. We told each other each time we passed it that we needed to check it out when it opened.
Our first visit was in late March at the beginning of the longest Twilight Zone episode ever, aka the pandemic. Our stay at home directives weren’t as strict as some states and we desperately wanted a change of scenery. We moved food from the house to the RV and headed up the mountain. I am so glad we did. The air was cool and crisp, the campground was lovely and we had hiking trails all to ourselves. This was social distancing at it’s best.
We liked it so much we’ve been back two more times!
The sites are huge and laid out well. The back-in sites are 52 feet long and 30 feet wide, enough room to deploy all of your slides and still have ample space for a picnic table. The super-sized pull through sites are 75 feet long and 30 feet wide. Many of the pull-through sites provide awning side shade in the afternoon. Most importantly, the water and power posts are set up slightly back from the middle which services motorhomes and trailers perfectly.
The first time we stayed in the lower area and our site backed up to the Verde River. Not right up to the riverbank, there were a few trees between us and the water. The site was huge and since we were on the end, it felt even bigger. The other times we opted for a pull-through in the upper section of the resort because our group wanted a pull-through site.
If you want to camp in almost complete shade, then under the solar panels is for you! There are 27 large back-in sites on the bluff with beautiful views.
One thing Verde Ranch has that not many other do is camping cabins. These are just like the tiny houses seen on TV. We peeked in the window of an empty one and these are outfitted quite nicely. Some even have a loft sleeping area.
The clubhouse is beautiful. The pandemic has kept it closed for each of our visits but a peek in the windows show a commercial kitchen with several tables, a meeting room, what looks like a study room or computer room and two giant gathering places with a dual fireplace in between. There is also a pool table and shuffleboard table inside as well as a fitness center. The covered back patio has a ping pong table and two large couches for lounging conversation. The pool area is large and just reopened with restrictions. It’s long enough for lap swimming and has a lift for swimmers that need help getting in and out. There are two jacuzzi’s, large fire pit area and a splash pad for the kiddos.
Just down from the clubhouse sit three pickle ball courts, a horseshoe pit, bocce ball court and a playground. We are new to pickle ball and watched people play during our first visit. It looked fun and we bought paddles and balls right then and there. We’ve played on our return visits and are hooked. It is a lot of fun!
We get most of our exercise running or knocking out 20 miles on our bikes. Most RV Parks are in more remote areas that aren’t conducive to either so we walk the campground in the mornings instead. Walking the perimeter of Verde Ranch is 1.2 miles with 60 feet of elevation gain and makes for a nice start to the day and is a great way to check out the wildflowers.
As a dog mom, I’m happy to share the park designers have seven designated places, complete with poopie bags and trash cans. We walked our Marlee girl to many of these and they were clean every single time.
We haven’t been inside the main office or the store because of the pandemic. Check in online has been a breeze and we proceed directly to our space upon arrival. The store will deliver right to your campsite, we haven’t used it though.
Verde Ranch has quickly become our close getaway spot and we look forward to our next visit. Give us a wave when you see us walking in the morning, we’d love to meet you.