Bixler Mountain and Bill Williams Mountain, Arizona | Camping
There’s plenty of adventure to be found at Bixler Mountain and Bill Williams Mountain in the Kaibab National Forest southwest of Williams, Arizona. And there are dozens of great RV campsites along the forest roads that loop around these mountains. You’ll find some excellent hiking trails on the mountain and some fun mountain biking routes along quiet forest roads. If you want to get away from the summer crowds that swarm around Flagstaff, this is a great place to camp.
We’re reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Where in The World?
Camping Elevation: 6,650 feet
GPS Coordinates: 35°12’00.4″N 112°15’57.6″W
Directions to Camping Area: From Williams, Arizona take I-40 west about 5 1/2 miles to Devil Dog Road, exit 157. Go south on Devil Dog Road (FR 108) for about 1/2 mile then turn left (east) staying on FR 108. The road soon curves right, heading southeast. Continue uphill until you reach a large meadow and the road levels out. Once the road meets the forest again you will begin to see many excellent campsites suitable for RV camping.
You’ll find many campsites along FR 108 and the Bill Williams Loop around Bill Williams Mountain. I only saw a few others out camping while here during late spring. Due to the shear number of campsites found, summer weekends and holidays could be busy.
Bixler Mountain Camping Area Map
Bixler Mountain RV Camping Journal
May 29, 2012
I’m camped in a beautiful meadow spotted with juniper trees and a few ponderosa pines. Beyond the meadow it’s tall ponderosa pine forest. The campsite has an excellent view of Bill Williams Mountain and Bixler Mountain. The site is rather close to FR 108, a medium travelled road, so privacy is not the best.
Recreation: There is Bixler Saddle Trail, which goes up Bill Williams Mountain, and makes an enjoyable hike. It eventually reaches a road that goes to the very top of Bill Williams Mountain. Taking the road to the very top is not worth it, in my opinion. The peak is riddled with towers and there isn’t much of a view. It’s best to turn around or take Bill Williams Mountain Trail north.
There’s also a nice little mountain bike ride called Devil Dog Loop that follows Historic Route 66. Further south is the Stage Station Loop Bike Ride which I did not do. I took a hike east of camp along the rough forest roads heading up the mountain. The meadow is good for hiking too, just watch out for the occasional prickly pear cactus – which can be hard to spot in the grass.
Weather: One word: wind. I heard it was windy everywhere in Arizona at the time I was here in late May, and windy over much of the southwest. But it may have been worse here, along an open meadow, and on a bit of a westward facing slope. Besides the gusty winds, temperatures were nice – in the 70s and 80s mostly. It was a bit chilly at night, down into the 40s, even 30s on a few nights. Almost every day has been mostly sunny; a few clouds on some days, and a few sprinkles one morning.
Wildlife: I saw several deer in the meadow and there are lots of deer and elk tracks in the meadow, easily visible on the small road that starts just south of this campsite and heads west. There are lots and lots of ravens, even more once you get further up Bill Williams Mountain. It’s fun to watch their aerobatic maneuvers – they do lots of rolls – and it looks like they have a lot of fun doing it! I also saw a few hummingbirds, turkey vultures, an eagle, several other varieties of birds, jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, and squirrels. On my wildlife cam (motion sensor camera) I caught whitetail deer, jackrabbit, and 3 elk!
Insects: No problems. The sound of crickets can be heard at night – something I don’t hear often in Arizona.
Cell Signal: Verizon cell phone service is good. Verizon mobile broadband internet is not too fast most of the time. All bars are green, but it’s still slow. Service is very unpredictable. One minute it would be fairly fast, the next minute it would be very, very slow. It’s slow most of the time.
RV Campsite Rating: 7 out of 10. There’s great hiking and biking in this area and it’s a lovely meadow to camp in. However, the campsite is close to the road, so it’s not too private.
