Camping Confidential: Distant Drums RV Resort

After spending the holidays in a very, very chilly Park City, Utah, we decided to head south a bit to thaw out for the month of February. We set our sights on the Phoenix/Scottsdale area and made plans to meet up with a few other families who also travel the country full-time. Unbeknownst to us, Phoenix is a hot spot, similar to Florida, for snowbirds escaping the cold Northern weather. Many of the campgrounds we researched were completely booked, had a three-month minimum stay or were a 55+ community. So, we broadened our search to Sedona and surrounding areas and landed on Distant Drums RV Resort in Camp Verde, Arizona.

Because we had only been traveling the country for six months at that time, Distant Drums RV Resort completely surpassed our expectations. And to this day, it remains one of our favorite camping resorts that we plan to visit again. Its location is quite convenient, being only 30 minutes from Sedona, an hour from Flagstaff and roughly 1.5 hours from the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. It was also near some other really cool places to visit, like Jerome and Watson Lake. Places like these make it so much fun to explore new areas and find adventures you’ve never heard of!

The campground itself offers campsites with concrete pads, which makes leveling your rig a breeze, as well as paved roads throughout, perfect for bike riding, walking or running. They offer full hookups and reasonable overnight, weekly and monthly rates. Additional amenities include a heated pool and hot tub (a personal favorite), dog run, laundry facility, fitness center, community room, complimentary cable and Wi-Fi, private showers, trash pickup and nightly security. And a nice, unexpected bonus was that they brought in food trucks to the resort multiple times a week, giving us an opportunity to try some local cuisine without having to leave the resort. Or, after a long day of hiking, we didn’t have to cook a meal, and often it was a great place to meet other campers while waiting for our food.

If a more adventurous activity is more your style, across the street and adjacent to the campground was hilly to mountainous terrain, which made for great exploring. We often spent time in these areas trail running, hiking and going for evening walks. We even found a few unique spots for a family photo session documenting our son’s fourth birthday.

Speaking of that, our son turned 4 on the road, and it was his first celebration away from hometown family and friends. We knew we wanted to do something special and were able to work with the incredible and very helpful staff at Distant Drums to throw him a birthday party. We used an open space on the side of the campground and brought in a bounce house to host a few new family friends for a really special day for Kade. This was one of those things that really sets a campground apart from others. We wouldn’t have been able to do this at most places we have stayed, and Distant Drums was more than happy to accommodate our request.

Thankfully, we had great weather during our stay. The February days were warm and the nights were chilly, so we took full advantage of the heated pool and hot tub. The kids loved riding their bikes around the resort and exploring the nearby terrain. Staying at the resort with other folks made it even more fun, and we were able to host a Super Bowl party and Valentine’s Day brunch at our campsite, in addition to Kade’s birthday party.

Since it was so close, we drove into Sedona for hiking adventures quite a few times during our stay. We hiked several of the recommended trails, like The Birthing Cave, Devil’s Bridge, Cathedral Rock and Seven Sacred Pools. We also took our Jeep off-road for the first time and tackled the Broken Arrow Trail. What a blast that was! We were technically visiting in the off-season but still found the trails and town of Sedona to be bustling with people. We truly enjoyed staying in Camp Verde because it was relaxing and seemed a bit quieter. Plus, the drive into Sedona never disappoints. Spencer kept saying, “The best part about staying outside of Sedona is having to drive into Sedona!” Coming around the corner that brings the red rock vistas into view is always amazing. On days when we wanted to stay a little closer to Distant Drums, we would hike the neighboring terrain or venture out to Out of Africa, an immersive wildlife zoo with lions, tigers and bears.

We absolutely loved our stay at Distant Drums and highly recommend staying there. A few things to know prior to booking is that they do tend to book up fast for April through October, so if you plan to visit during those months, book in advance. Additionally, wood-burning fires are prohibited; however, you are welcome to have propane fires at your site if you have your own. And the campground does not have a playground on-site, but there is still lots to do on-site and in surrounding areas. The rocks and trails nearby make for great jungle gyms for kids!

We truly can’t recommend visiting the Camp Verde/Sedona area enough, and Distant Drum was certainly a great find in the area. We plan to visit again, and maybe we’ll see you there!