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Freidlein Prairie Dispersed Camping

Beauty Privacy Spaciousness Quiet Security Cleanliness

KEY INFORMATION

CONTACT: 928-526-0866, tinyurl.com/freidleinprairie

OPEN: Year-round; sites 10–14 closed March 1–August 31

SITES: 14

EACH SITE HAS: Fire ring

ASSIGNMENT: First-come, first-served; no reservations

REGISTRATION: Not required

AMENITIES: None

PARKING: At campsites

FEE: None

ELEVATION: 7,900'–8,600'

RESTRICTIONS:

PETS: On leash only

FIRES: In fire rings only

ALCOHOL: Permitted

VEHICLES: RVs and trailers not recommended; motorized/mechanized vehicles not permitted in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness.

QUIET HOURS: Not specified

OTHER: 14-day stay limit; pack in/pack out; no drinking water available; bear-country food-storage restrictions

This campground borders a stand of aspens overlooking a grassy meadow.

Aspens lend a touch of fall gold to site 14.

Freidlein Prairie Road (Forest Road 522) climbs along the southern flank of the San Francisco Mountains above Flagstaff, through a dense mixed conifer–aspen forest dotted with small clearings. Freidlein Prairie itself (sometimes spelled Friedlein or even Friedlund) is an irregular patch of aspen-rimmed grassland that, especially in fall when the trees blaze with gold, can easily be seen from town. Wildflowers abound in season, and elk and mule deer graze here throughout the year. This beautiful spot in Coconino National Forest may have been named for an Arizona pioneer family: in 1894, the local newspaper mentioned the theft of a horse from the Friedlein brothers, as well as one Will Friedlein’s successful duck-hunting trip to Mormon Lake.

Dispersed camping is allowed through most of Arizona’s national forests, providing some of the state’s most beautiful and serene camping experiences. In areas of very heavy human impact, such as the Flagstaff wildland-urban interface, however, the U.S. Forest Service sometimes uses “designated dispersed” campsites to reduce fire risk and damage to the land. In 2001 an abandoned campfire off the Freidlein Prairie Road started the 1,300-acre Leroux Fire, spurring the creation of 14 designated sites, a change meant to protect both the fragile forest and your backwoods experience. A numbered fiberglass post by the road marks each site, and another sign, CAMP WITHIN 50' OF THIS POST, defines the campsite itself. While there are no picnic tables or portable toilets, you’ll find parking, a tent area, and a fire ring at every site. The beginning and end of the designated camping area are also signed.

The first two sites are fairly close to FR 516, also known as the Snowbowl Road. If you don’t want to go too far up the rugged road to get to the remaining sites, site 3 has a nice, open feeling. Sites 4 and 5 are neighborly, but not on top of each other; sites 6 and 7 should appeal to two groups camping together, since they’re just separated by a small mound of boulders. While Freidlein Prairie Road is definitely unimproved, passenger cars with good ground clearance should be able to make it at least as far as site 7 in dry weather.

Sites 8 and 9 sit off 9002W, a spur road to the south. Wildlife spotting should be terrific from site 8, which sits at the ferny border of a stand of aspens overlooking a grassy meadow. Site 9 is among ponderosa pines at the very edge of the designated camping area. It’s close to the road, but you’ll see more saucy Steller’s jays than passing vehicles on this dead end.

Back on the main road, the landscape gets rockier. Freidlein Prairie is actually a well-known bouldering spot, with at least one published guide to the best climbs. It’s a few minutes’ drive to reach shallow site 10. Site 11 is on a ledge below the road, surrounded by boulders. Sites 12 and 13 are nice, but our pick for beauty is site 14, a tight spot among lichen-covered boulders and bright-green ferns. Note that sites 10–14 are closed March 1–August 31, the nesting season of the Mexican spotted owl. Any traditional nesting area may be important to the survival of this endangered species, so please respect the closure.

With no services available in the Freidlein Prairie area, pack-in/pack-out and Leave No Trace practices are required. With any luck, the camper before you had good wilderness ethics, but if not, remember that an extra trash bag and five generous minutes on your part can transform a campsite for yourself and those who follow you. Keep in mind this is bear country, so be bear safe.

Elevation along the road ranges from 7,900 to 8,600 feet, with cool summer days and the possibility of cold nights. You’re near Arizona Snowbowl here, one of the state’s prime downhill-ski areas, as well as the Arizona Nordic Village, so expect wintry weather anytime from early fall to late spring. In the winter, Snowbowl maintains FR 516—the primary access to Freidlein Prairie Road—but the ski area’s personnel only plow when Snowbowl is open. If you’re truly hardy and ready to try winter camping here, check the Snowbowl and Coconino National Forest websites to assess conditions. You’ll need a free winter backcountry permit (available at the ski area if open or from the Flagstaff Ranger Station) for winter camping and snow play in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness area.

You can find summer fun at Snowbowl as well, with daily scenic lift rides up Agassiz Peak and ranger talks at the top. Have a deli-style lunch at the Agassiz Lodge Restaurant, then head out for a hike. You can use Snowbowl as the jumping-off point for some great hikes in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness, including a 4.5-mile, 3,300-foot climb to the top of Humphreys Peak (Arizona’s highest at 12,633') and the Kachina Trail, a more moderate 7-mile ramble across the slopes of the ancient volcano, which terminates at the end of FR 522.

For more information about Flagstaff’s charms and area attractions, see the next profile, Lockett Meadow Campground.

GETTING THERE

From Flagstaff, take US 180 northwest 7.4 miles to Snowbowl Road; then turn right and drive north 2.4 miles to FR 522. Turn right into the dispersed area.

GPS COORDINATES N35° 17.473' W111° 42.403'