AZ Family Campout Program

Family Campout at Lyman Lake State Park! Oh boy, the fish were hitting… Campers caught over 15 fish, a few so big they even snapped the lines. The exciting “fish filled” morning was followed by geocaching, kayaking, and our new inflatable StandUp Paddleboards! The wind challenged us at times, but campers came away with some fun experiences.
Special thanks to the awesome Lyman Lake Rangers for coming out to play!

Water fun in the sun! High temps turned this River Island Campout into a water party! Tubing, kayaking, and swimming were much needed to cool off in the Arizona heat. We did mix in a few land based activities - a visit from Bucky the tortoise, planting 3 century plants, getting artsy with survival bracelets, and a celebration for our newest Junior Rangers!

It is safe to say… We Beat The Heat!

Last weekend was the FIRST time we hosted a Family Campout at Rockin’ River Ranch State Park! A fun filled weekend tubing the Verde River, catching fish, and mountain biking & geocaching on the beautiful park trails. Campers even learned about the local animals, both predators and prey.
That river sure was ‘Rockin’ in a few spots… what an incredible experience!!

The Red Rock State Park Campout was full of exciting critters! Campers had the chance to experience many different lizards & snakes, an owl, activities, and arts & crafts at the Earth Day Celebrations. 🦎 🐍 🦉 🦌
The day concluded with deer sightings, a beautiful sunset, and views of Cathedral Rock. 🏜️

Fish, Lizards, and Bear Pelts. Oh my! Fool Hollow Lake State Park really gave our Family Campers quite the experiences! From fishing and geocaching to bone boxes, pelts, and historic clay pottery pieces. We had an all around incredible time.
Campers topped it off by collecting 72.6 Ibs of trash from the exposed lake bottom. Great work campers! 🎣🦎🐻

We had a great weekend camping at Patagonia Lake State Park! ⛺️🎣🛶

Families had an awesome time at Catalina State Park. If you camped with us, share your favorite campout moment! ⛺️

Ranger Richard's memorable moment on this campout: "There was a 9-year-old kiddo who was a little nervous about mountain biking. We talked through what he was scared about and decided to ride side by side for the 4.5 miles. He was then able to complete the optional (and challenging!) single track mountain bike path without stopping and with no problems. 🚲👏 By the end of the bike ride, he was rocking 100% on his own. His mom was all smiles when she saw him "tearin' in up" with confidence!"

Program Manager Jennifer's memorable moments on this campout: "All the 'firsts' like watching a mom teaching her daughter how to ride a bike. There was another girl who picked up archery so well. She nailed arrow after arrow into the target! 💪🏹 And of course, watching all the kids making new friends and playing with each other at camp, and hearing from parents about why they chose to camp with us was really special."

It was a great weekend at Catalina State Park! More photos from our second campout of the 2026 spring season coming soon. 🤩