About Childs Dispersed Camping Area
In 1908 the Arizona Power Company began construction of the Childs Power Plant. For more than 90 years, the water of Fossil Creek had been diverted by a system of pipes and flumes from its natural course to power the turbines of the Childs and Irving hydroelectric plants. During this time, Fossil Creek had been reduced to a mere trickle, compared with the normal one million gallons per hour flow once witnessed by early inhabitants of the region. In 2004, APS, the current owner of the plants, agreed to decommission them and restore the creek to its natural flow. (From "[Pine-Strawberry Archeological and Historical Society](http://www.pinestrawhs.org/childsirving.htm)") The area is now a very popular dispersed camping area. It sits below the remnants of the old power plant buildings on the edge of the Verde River. A short hike upstream and some wading will get you to the ruins of the…
- Season: Year-round
- Managed by: USFS - Coconino National Forest Recreation
- Where: 11 mi west of Strawberry, AZ · 34.34803, -111.69737
Things to do:
Official page for this camp (fees, closures, booking)
Weather by month
Typical daily highs and lows (°F), 1991–2020 NOAA normals. Best months: Feb–Apr & Oct–Nov (comfortable days, mild nights, little rain). Nights below freezing: Dec–Jan.
Fly over it in 3D, check today's weather and fire news, plan the drive and print a trip plan.
Trails near camp
| Trail | Open to | From camp | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR 9206Y | ATV road | at camp | 0.2 mi |
| Childs | ATV road | 0.1 mi | 6.2 mi |
| Deadman Mesa | Hiking | 2.4 mi | 5.3 mi |
Straight-line distance from camp, from Forest Service, BLM, state and OpenStreetMap trail data.
Good to know
Verizon 5G · AT&T 4G
From the carriers' FCC coverage maps, which tend to be generous.The Milky Way is bright, with a little glow low on the horizon.
Class 3 of 9, from NASA/NOAA night-light data.Stargazing nearby: Camp Verde (Dark Sky Community), 17 mi.
Dump station: 22.3 mi
Nearest of each within 25 miles, straight-line.