Introduction:
We found this place to be overpriced, over-managed, and somewhat soul sucking. While the location is certainly convenient for exploring Sedona, the overall experience left us happy to exit.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Price per night / Discounts: $68 / 10% off with AAA and GS
Campground website: Rancho Sedona
Our Site #: 59
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
3.5/5: This is a typical commercial park with RVs lined up one next to another. The sites had decent site separation with a cement patio and a strip of grass. It was certainly not the worst we've seen, and the trees throughout the park offer some additional sense of separation. It's not a state park, but overall, it's not terrible.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
5/5: This campground's location is fantastic. The park is located just about a 10 minute walk from a central shopping area and within a 10 to 30 minute drive of all of Sedona's most iconic hiking trails and scenic viewing areas. In fact, if you drive past the campground, you'll end up on Shnebley Hill Road which is one of the area's most scenic (and adventurous) drives. We didn't get to do it because of snow while we were there, but we'd love to check it out some other time. Sedona itself is a great town with everything you could need close at hand.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
3.75/5: This is not a particularly huge park and there are some low hanging branches to watch out for, but it's not terrible. Big rig drivers just need to take things slowly and carefully. As for site quality, they all appeared to be nicely level and the utilities were conveniently placed.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
1/5: If you read other reviews, you'll see that the people who work at the front desk are known for their brusque demeanor. While we didn't find them to be particularly difficult, they weren't overly warm either. For the high prices they charge, guests shouldn't have to worry about anyone being less than friendly and welcoming. It's just not acceptable.
More irritating were the pervasive rules that this place is known for. It's not just that they have a lot of rules and policies, and it's not just that they plaster those rules and policies on signs covering every inch of the place. It's that the overall tone of all these rules and signs is extremely condescending. They treat their (very high paying) customers like juvenile delinquents who needs to be admonished about every single thing all day long. Frankly, it's a bit insulting.
Additionally, while we were there, there was a huge snow storm that overtook the area, dumping some 12-18 inches of heavy wet snow on the park. The park is known for having a huge staff of landscape guys constantly working in the park, and we saw them working away the day before the storm hit. Yet, when we were buried in snow, no one came around to offer any assistance. While they plowed the main driveway into the park, they made no effort to remove the snow in the camping loops, they didn't put salt or sand down to help make walking safer (each day there would be significant melting followed by a hard freeze each night, so walking in the mornings was treacherous), and while they eventually cleared off the patios at sites for incoming guests, they made no effort to dig out those of us who were already there. I don't know of any RVers traveling around with snow shovels and not everyone carries a ladder with them (we offered our neighbor our ladder and help clearing his slides). For the exorbitant prices this place charges, they could have made some effort to help their guests handle a pretty significant snowstorm. At the very least, they should have made an effort to keep the roads and walkways passable and safe.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
4/5: Wifi was ok as was our AT&T hotspot
Summary:
We were pretty unimpressed with this campground. Other than its excellent location in Sedona, there was nothing particularly special about it and certainly nothing to justify the exorbitant prices they charge (most sites cost between $60 and $80 per night). It is a standard commercial campground in a very convenient location. What was most memorable for us was the park's pervasive rules; rules that made us feel like we were being treated like children. Furthermore, for the high prices they charge, we expected some level of customer service when a serious winter storm hit, especially considering there were very few RVs in the park. But instead of offering their guests help, they did nothing. They did not attempt to clear the interior roads of snow, they did not drop any salt or sand to create safe walking paths, and they made no effort to help their customers clear their RVs or ensure they could enter and exit the park. Most RVers don't drive around with snow shovels on hand. It would have been nice if management at least offered some assistance to their customers.
