Do You Need A Permit To Boondock In Arizona?

Above, The Beast at the dispersed camping area at Ashurst Lake in Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As I am only 40 miles from the Arizona border, I have camped several times in Arizona since I moved to New Mexico three years ago.

Naturally, there are public, private, national and state park campgrounds. But there are plenty of places in Arizona to boondock (or dry camp).

But do you need a permit to do so?

Thankfully, Do It Yourself RV has an article on just this topic. In it, there's a photo of Monument Valley with the caption, "You can go boondocking in Monument Valley, Arizona." But they don't elaborate. I find this interesting since Monument Valley is a Navajo Tribal Park. I'll do some searching and if I find anything on this, I'll post it.

The article starts with:

It’s that time of year again when RVers flock to boondock and camp in beautiful Arizona. Some things might be different this year, but permitting for boondocking in Arizona is the same. Here is what you need to know before you head out to boondock.

The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management manages a whopping 12.2 million acres of public land in the state of Arizona.

Maintaining all of that land costs money. 100% of the revenue collected from recreation fees goes to maintain, improve, and provide visitor services at the site or area in which it was collected. So at least you can feel good that your money is staying in the area!

To read more, go here.