For Immediate Release

JoAnn Mickelson
Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
928.526.1829
ar*********@ao*.com
www.GoCampingInArizona.com

Desert Dwellers are heading into Arizona’s mountains to escape the mid-summer heat

FOREST LAKES, Ariz., July 2015 – Lyn Murto and her husband, Don, love living in Bullhead City – except during the summertime.

“It was 126°F there a few weeks ago,” she said.

But the Murto’s aren’t putting up with the desert heat this summer.  The retired couple found temporary summer jobs running Mogollon RV Park, a forested campground at the 7,700-foot level in northern Arizona.

Lyn runs the front desk, while Don takes care of maintenance.  “We wanted to get away from the heat of the valley and do ‘workamper’ jobs,” Lyn said, referring to the part-time campground jobs that usually include a free place to stay as part of the compensation package.

The Murtos, of course, aren’t the only ones fleeing the mid-summer heat.  Desert dwellers from Bullhead City to Yuma and throughout Arizona’s hot, cactus covered lowlands are filling up the high elevation campgrounds in the central and northern parts of the state to escape the heat.

“There’s only a few people here during the week.  But every single weekend our campground fills up with people fleeing Phoenix and other areas.  They come up to get out of the heat,” Lyn Murto said.

Most people leave their RVs at the campground and use them as summer vacation cottages.  Many of Murto’s summer guests build decks around their trailers, which they decorate with colorful potted flowers that can’t survive the desert heat.

Families with children also enjoy the parks’ onsite amenities, which include a playground and recreation hall.

The weather in Arizona’s northern mountains is so pleasant that Mogollon RV Park bans the use of air conditioning units because they make too much noise.

“Our hottest days are only 85 degrees and by 4 or 5 at night it cools down,” she said, adding that the campground also has lots of shade and pine trees.

Several northern Arizona campgrounds also have park model RVs that they rent out during the summer months.  The 400-square foot factory-built units offer the comfort of home, complete with kitchens and bathrooms.

Mogollon RV Park offers a single park model cabin, which keeps busy during the summer months.

Other northern Arizona campgrounds with park models or other rental accommodations include:

  • Arizona High Country Campground, Clay Springs: This park has a park model and a 32-foot Durango fifth wheel for rent.
  • Flagstaff / Grand Canyon KOA, Flagstaff: This campground’s rental accommodations include cabins and tipis.
  • Kaibab Camper Village, Jacob Lake: This park, which is located near the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, has a cabin room for rent.
  • Mabbs Ranch, Clay Springs: This park has travel trailer rentals.

All of these parks are affiliated with the Arizona Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, which hosts a statewide travel planning website at www.GoCampinginArizona.com.  The association also publishes a printed campground directory.

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