Given our good friends and only granddaughter live in northern Phoenix (just north of Scottsdale), anytime we have the opportunity to pass through the area, we do!
We typically stay with them on weekends but like to stay close on weekdays for the occasional dinner or to facilitate any other opportunities to visit with them so being less than 2 hours away is really helpful.
Here are few suggestions on places to park your RV near the greater/north Phoenix area.
#1 CAVE CREEK AND
#2 LAKE PLEASANT REGIONAL PARKS
We’ve found these Maricopa County parks to be outstanding! They’re clean, everything works, they have full amenities (including water and electrical connections), they are reasonably priced and they’re easily within 60 minutes of Cave Creek / Scottsdale area. One caveat is that they’re also very popular so it can be very difficult to get a spot without reserving well in advance – particularly at Cave Creek.
Cave Creek Regional Park has the added benefit horse rides in the area and some great hiking or MTB riding on the trails in the park adjacent to the campground.
Lake Pleasant Regional Park is great for all of the water sports (we even saw someone hydro surfing) and we’ve enjoyed using both the pack-raft and the SUP on our visits. Strangely, the park is also a great location for watching (and hearing during the wee hours) the local herd of wild donkeys as they stroll past or through your campsite!
Lake Pleasant
#3 BARTLETT FLATS CAMPGROUND
Bartlett Flats Campground is dispersed dry camping (in this case a nearly-free boondocking location) along the shore of the Bartlett Lake in Tonto National Forest about a 30 minute drive to the east of Cave Creek. Bartlett Flats provides scenic mountain views and direct access to boating and other activities.
The locals on Saturday night were a little loud, but weekdays are nice and quiet.
Doug…2:20pm! 
#4 ROOSEVELT LAKE
This campground is a little further out, but the drive to Roosevelt Lake along Highways 87 and 188 is really pretty. There are plenty of pull outs for photos and the spectacular Roosevelt Lake Bridge that spans 1000ft across a cove near the outlet of the lake. Roosevelt Lake has several primitive and semi-developed campgrounds all around its shoreline from which to choose.
The other thing that’s nice about the area is there are ancient cliff dwellings within a 10 minute drive of the campground and within 40 minutes the town of Globe. Globe is a charming, old-west feeling town with numerous retro storefronts, historic buildings, and low-key eateries.
Roosevelt Bridge
Globe
