Scottsdale Arizona 2023

[Eric H.]

The wife and I are starting early on planning a trip to Scottsdale for SF Giants Spring Training in 2023 in our 39' 5ver TH. Does anyone have any personal recommendations for a mid week stay around the last week of March? We've never been so we're not familiar with how close all the different Stadiums are. We would like to catch a couple games during the week and we're not against driving a little to get to different stadiums depending on the schedule and proximity to Scottsdale Stadium. 55+ is OK and we'll have 1 dog with us. We don't need much as far as amenities and even dry camping is OK provided it's clean and safe. Thanks for any suggestions you might have.

[OldGal3]

Don't know how far in advance you can make reservations, but West World in Scottsdale has spaces they rent. Certainly nothing fancy but maybe worth looking into.
https://www.westworldaz.com/rv-camping-1

[Wayfaring Stranger]

We lived in Phoenix for eight years. My wife worked in North Scottsdale. Last year we sold our home and live full time in a 5th wheel. We rent a space at Pioneer RV resort in North Phoenix. It's closer to the ball fields in Surprise than the ones in Scottsdale, which are a 30 minute drive. If you do a search for Pioneer RV resort and look at an overhead satellite view, and zoom out a little, you will see dozens of campers dry camping about a mile or two away, just off Highway 74 near Lake Pleasant. It's free and in March, the weather is close to perfect.

Wherever you decide to stay, its a good idea to get your reservations in early.

[Eric H.]

Originally Posted by Wayfaring Stranger

We lived in Phoenix for eight years. My wife worked in North Scottsdale. Last year we sold our home and live full time in a 5th wheel. We rent a space at Pioneer RV resort in North Phoenix. It's closer to the ball fields in Surprise than the ones in Scottsdale, which are a 30 minute drive. If you do a search for Pioneer RV resort and look at an overhead satellite view, and zoom out a little, you will see dozens of campers dry camping about a mile or two away, just off Highway 74 near Lake Pleasant. It's free and in March, the weather is close to perfect.

Wherever you decide to stay, its a good idea to get your reservations in early.

Thanks for the info. As far as dry camping, I only see the Regional Park/Campground at the lake. I see the RV park also but that's probably not dry camping?

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by Eric H.

Thanks for the info. As far as dry camping, I only see the Regional Park/Campground at the lake. I see the RV park also but that's probably not dry camping?

Go back to google earth and zoom in until you can see the intersection of New River Road and W State Route 74. You should see a couple of campers now far from the road. You will also see a web of dirt roads created by campers as they leave the pavement and seek out a level spot to set up their campsite.

I don't know how old the satellite picture is but times have changed and many more people are seeking out free campsites, so the number of campers we saw just a couple months ago within a mile of that location was over 100. More than double the year before. From there, you can get to I-17 in five minutes and then take the 101 freeway to the various baseball stadiums. There is a grocery store and a Home Depot and numerous restaurants less than ten minutes away.

[Eric H.]

Originally Posted by Wayfaring Stranger

Go back to google earth and zoom in until you can see the intersection of New River Road and W State Route 74. You should see a couple of campers now far from the road. You will also see a web of dirt roads created by campers as they leave the pavement and seek out a level spot to set up their campsite.

I don't know how old the satellite picture is but times have changed and many more people are seeking out free campsites, so the number of campers we saw just a couple months ago within a mile of that location was over 100. More than double the year before. From there, you can get to I-17 in five minutes and then take the 101 freeway to the various baseball stadiums. There is a grocery store and a Home Depot and numerous restaurants less than ten minutes away.

Thanks for the clarification and I found them just across from the airport. If it was just a couple months ago, I wonder if it was related to Spring Training?

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by Eric H.

Thanks for the clarification and I found them just across from the airport. If it was just a couple months ago, I wonder if it was related to Spring Training?

Spring training always brings in more people and more campers. But this is a phenomenon related to the downturn in the economy and steep rise in housing prices. I don't expect them to stick around during the summer heat. Instead they will drive north towards Flagstaff, where it is usually 30 degrees cooler than in Phoenix.

If you have issues with your generator or want to have a back-up plan, I would recommend Pioneer RV Resort, just one mile north of Highway 74, off the I-17. We love the place and they have the lowest rates in Phoenix. We pay about $13.50 per day plus electricity. But we are now year-rounders and get a discount. When we paid monthly, it cost us $600 plus electricity. I don't know what their weekly or daily rates are. They do offer Good Sam discount.

[Eric H.]

Originally Posted by Wayfaring Stranger

Spring training always brings in more people and more campers. But this is a phenomenon related to the downturn in the economy and steep rise in housing prices. I don't expect them to stick around during the summer heat. Instead they will drive north towards Flagstaff, where it is usually 30 degrees cooler than in Phoenix.

If you have issues with your generator or want to have a back-up plan, I would recommend Pioneer RV Resort, just one mile north of Highway 74, off the I-17. We love the place and they have the lowest rates in Phoenix. We pay about $13.50 per day plus electricity. But we are now year-rounders and get a discount. When we paid monthly, it cost us $600 plus electricity. I don't know what their weekly or daily rates are. They do offer Good Sam discount.

Great info thanks. We have enough solar to not need the generator but I'm not so sure about leaving the trailer for several hours at a time in an area filled with people living there out of desperation. The Pioneer Resort sounds like a good option though.

[Wayfaring Stranger]

Originally Posted by Eric H.

Great info thanks. We have enough solar to not need the generator but I'm not so sure about leaving the trailer for several hours at a time in an area filled with people living there out of desperation. The Pioneer Resort sounds like a good option though.

I didn't mean to spook you. I've driven by and most of the nicer trailers and motorhomes tend to group together. The few people in run down campers or living out of cars are usually set-up along the side of the road. I think there is a sort of natural separation that takes place. The concern I'd have is possible noise coming from all the off-road vehicles. So I'd try to avoid setting up near big toy haulers.