8 Off-The-Grid Arizona Towns For Nature Lovers

Summary

• Experience off-the-grid living in Arizona’s stunning natural landscapes and enjoy activities like hiking and camping.
• Discover hidden off-the-grid hidden gems in Arizona like Blue Canyon and Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness for a truly remote experience.
• Stay at unique off-the-grid retreats like Mescal Canyon Retreat for sustainable living, organic food, and peaceful surroundings.

The term “off-the-grid” traditionally refers to not being connected to the electrical grid but can include other utilities like water, gas, and sewer systems, allowing people to be self-sufficient while being closer to nature. As more people become interested in this way of life, more places around the world are offering off-the-grid experiences.

Even in the United States, living off the grid is becoming popular as a way of life, but it’s also becoming a trending vacation category in its own right; for example, Tordillo Mouintain Lodge in Alaska is an off-grid experience ideal for nature lovers looking to escape the hustle and bustle of civilization.

It’s not just Alaska offering this kind of experience, though; with its diverse landscapes and abundant sunshine, an off-the-grid experience in Arizona is an appealing and available prospect for many. For instance, there are plenty of spots to go off-the-grid in Sedona, Scottsdale, and Phoenix, as well as other popular vacation spots in Arizona. For travelers interested in experiencing this unique kind of retreat (or those hoping to relocate and make it a way of life), here are a number of off-grid towns in Arizona for nature lovers.

8 Prescott Valley, Yavapai County

Prescott National Forest and Fain Lake are perfect for off-the-grid hiking, camping, and fishing in Arizona

Approximately 8 miles from Prescott, Prescott Valley is nestled between the breathtaking Bradshaw Mountains to the south and the picturesque Mingus Mountains to the northeast. Formerly known as Lonesome Valley, Prescott Valley was incorporated in 1978, and in 1985, it became the first solar-powered FM radio station in the United States.

Prescott Valley is located in the high desert of central Arizona at an elevation of 5,100 feet and enjoys mild weather compared to the hotter temperatures in most other places in Arizona. For people looking to stay off-grid, the Prescott National Forest offers many camping options to choose from and is a scenic mix of desert and pine trees with over 450 miles of hiking trails.

Alternatively, there are beautiful hikes around pine-crested Goldwater Lake or the sapphire waters of Watson Lake, located 10–15 miles outside the town. Fain Lake is a reservoir located near town and is an excellent location for fishing, which requires an Arizona fishing license.

7 Safford, Graham County

Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area and Black Hills Rockhound area are ideal for off-grid stays in nature

The high desert town of Safford in Arizona is home to Mount Graham, the mountain for which the county is named. When completed, the Mount Graham International Observatory (MGIO) and the Large Binocular Telescope, or LBT, will be the largest binocular telescope in the world. Safford is known for its famous attractions, including Essence of Tranquility, Roper Lake State Park, and Black Hills Rockhound Area. Bonita Creek is home to frogs, javelinas, black bears, and over 140 birds.

The Black Hills Rockhound area makes a great day adventure for rock collectors who can hunt for fire agate gemstones. The site is open for digging by the public without fees or permits. Camping throughout the area is allowed for up to two weeks.

The 23,000-acre Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area is an excellent off-the-grid location of developed campgrounds, including the 13-unit Riverview Campground and the seven-unit Owl Creek Campground (both require a fee). Each has tables, shade structures, grills, bathrooms, and trash cans.

Primitive camping is also permitted on adjacent public lands, but no facilities are available, which makes for a truly off-the-grid experience in the middle of the area’s stunning nature.

6 Grand Canyon Village, Coconino County

The iconic Grand Canyon National Park has many unexplored and undeveloped camping and hiking areas that allow off-the-grid camping

No remote and disconnected areas list is complete without mentioning the Grand Canyon. This vast land has plenty of places left unexplored by humans. Located on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, the Grand Canyon Village is where most visitors head to visit the Canyon, and the village is primarily focused on accommodating tourists. The village is the most popular among the small towns in Arizona to stay in while visiting the Grand Canyon National Park.

Although the Canyon has many developed camping grounds, those who wish to do dispersed camping (primitive camping) overnight or hike elsewhere in the park for an off-the-grid experience other than in developed campgrounds on the North Rim or the South Rim must obtain a permit from the Backcountry Information Center. The Grand Canyon offers some of the most incredible trails for hiking in Arizona.

5 Tuba City, Coconino County

The breathtaking beauty and remote location of the Blue Canyon makes it a perfect off-the-grid experience

Located within the Painted Desert near the western edge of the Navajo Nation, Tuba City is approximately 50 miles from the eastern entrance to Grand Canyon National Park. It is also 35 miles from the Blue Canyon, a hidden gem found on the Hopi Reservation but has yet to be visited or heard of by many.

Blue Canyon is an uninhabited region spanning the border between the Navajo and Hopi reservations. It is remote, rugged, mystical, and is unknown to most landscape photographers and the multitude of tourists visiting the famous Grand Canyon. It has become well-known owing to the incredible array of badlands and eroded rock formations.

It is a place where cell phone access is limited, allowing a genuinely off-the-grid Arizona experience just by being here. An incredible canyon with hoodoos, spires, arches, and many other landforms in shades of red and white are the striking features of this nature’s spectacle.

The area is part of Tribal lands, so access here is restricted. Visitors need a permit and an authorized guide to explore the area. The legal and respectful way to visit Blue Canyon is with a Hopi guide, and one can be arranged at the tribal government center in Kykotsmovi Village or the Hopi Cultural Center near Shungopavi. The Blue Canyon Trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime.

4 Winkleman, Gila & Pinal Counties

Limited access to the unique Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness allows an amazing off-the-grid experience

The Aravaipa Canyon Trail is a must-do on every off-the-grid bucket list. The canyon in the Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness sits in a landscape of soaring cliffs with a beautiful creek flowing through it year-round, an unusual phenomenon in the Arizona desert. Winkleman, a small town in Arizona with limited staying options, is the closest town, about 24 miles away.

The Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness is a southern Arizona treasure that sees remarkably few people walk through its land daily. The Bureau of Land Management limits access to 50 visitors daily, so it feels like being practically alone in this vast wilderness. No designated trails, campsites, signs, or facilities are within the wilderness boundaries. The land is rugged, and hikers/campers are advised to be in good condition to pass through dense riparian vegetation.

3 Clarkdale, Yavapai County

Go off-the-grid at Mescal Canyon Retreat near Sedona’s Red Rock formations

Spanish Colonial style architecture lines the town center and business district in Clarkdake, a small town 23 miles from Sedona and primarily a retirement and arts community. Less than six miles away, the Mescal Canyon Retreat is an excellent example of how charming sustainable living can be.

Tucked away in Mescal Canyon’s rugged high desert landscape, this off-grid retreat in Arizona is the perfect opportunity to rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit. Organic food from a vegetable garden, unplugged living without a TV or phone, rustic fireplaces, hot tubs, outdoor showers, meditation, and trained massages feature a stay in this off-the-grid getaway. Guests are also allowed to prepare their meals in a sustainable kitchen. Panoramic views of Mescal Canyon and Mingus Mountain are omnipresent and are genuinely therapeutic in this environment.

The Mescal Mountain trail is a popular but moderately challenging trail in the area, perfect for those visiting for an off-the-grid experience.

2 Quartzsite, La Paz County

Remote tranquility near Quartzsite has fantastic off-the-grid and hidden spots in the vast desert landscape of Arizona

The rugged desert terrain around Quartzsite is a hidden treasure for the off-grid camper. The off-grid areas of this area offer an untouched beauty that is both rare and intense.

As RVers and adventurers converge on this high desert town, the importance of leave-no-trace camping practices is critical, so future campers can revel in the area’s natural splendor while again adhering to principles that protect it.

There are both paid and unpaid off-grid spots in this Quartzsite area. The La Posa Long-Term Visitor Area (LTVA) was created to fulfill winter visitors’ needs and protect the local desert ecosystem from overuse. Dispersed camping Quartzsite areas are a magnet for travelers seeking a raw and authentic camping experience and these vast public lands, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

1 Concho, Apache County

Visit the unique and sustainable off-the-grid Tiny Town Arizona resort that overlooks the White Mountains

The small town of Concho was the original site of the state capital due to its prosperous farming. Today, it has a population of 38. Rich in tradition and folklore, each year, the townfolk enjoy the San Rafael Fiestas, when residents and relatives gather for joyful celebration and reminiscing. Concho also celebrates Memorial Day with the only Memorial Day parade and town picnic in Arizona that takes place on Memorial Day.

Twenty-six miles from Concho, and 20 miles from Show Low, Tiny Town Arizona is a 100-acre sustainable glamping resort that overlooks the White Mountains. With many places on the property for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, horse-riding, and skiing, Tiny Town Arizona is a fully functioning ranch facility and off-grid retreat center. Additionally, the land is dotted with over 270 crystals placed around the property to create a positive energy vortex.

Foot-bell tents, fresh linen, flushing toilets, hot showers, gas ovens and grills, extra coolers, firewood, towels, and a dedicated solar panel make this a truly luxurious yet sustainable off-the-grid stay.