Arizona's Peaceful Campground Is A Shaded Creekside Jewel Near Sedona With Clear Swimming Holes

Between Flagstaff and Sedona in Arizona's Coconino National Forest is Oak Creek Canyon, with its beautiful mix of red rock vistas and dense forest. While you can drive through the canyon on Highway 89A, if you stop and stay the night, you'll be able to really immerse yourself in the natural beauty of this special place. If you're a car or tent camper, check out Manzanita Campground. This small campground is right next to Oak Creek, and it's a delightfully scenic spot that's popular for fishing and swimming.

Manzanita Campground has 19 campsites, and each one comes with a picnic table, grill, and a fire pit. There are also vault toilets and drinking water, so you're not entirely without creature comforts. The highlight of camping here is the access to the tree-lined Oak Creek; it's just steps away from many of the campsites.

The creek is stocked with trout, which can make for fun fishing right from the shore. There's a swimming hole in the creek where you can take a dip, or you can just lounge next to the water and relax. It's open year-round, and each season brings its own particular charms. In fall, the trees turn yellow and orange. Winter can bring snow and chilly temperatures, but often with more solitude. Spring and summer bring warm weather and a lush green to the forest.

Some things to keep in mind. Manzanita Campground is not a backcountry experience, so it can make for a quick and easy camping retreat. It's also designed to be a tranquil retreat. RVs and campers are not allowed, and you can't play amplified music, adding to the peaceful feel. However, it can get busy, and the campsites aren't very spread apart. So if you're looking for true solitude, this may not be the place for you.

Weekends are particularly popular, so book ahead of time at Recreation.gov; you can book up to six months in advance. If you don't get a reservation, there are four first-come, first-served sites, but that can be a bit of a gamble as they also fill up quickly. As one TripAdvisor reviewer noted, the water can run fast and be cold with the spring snow melts, and there's just enough space for one car per site.

It's less than a mile south of Slide Rock State Park, which also has great swimming holes as well as a natural waterslide. And while the campground is definitely a canyon escape, you still have easy access to civilization. You can be strolling through Tlaquepaque, a delightful Sedona shopping district in about 15 minutes, and in the heart of downtown Sedona in just 20.