North Ranch

[Cliff E]

Sitting here getting over the virus and contemplating spending the winter in Az. Was wondering  if any one here has spent a winter at the North Ranch in Congress.Checking the annual climate for the area  I am not real sure how good of a location that would be. 

 

Can any one provide some insight on the winters in that area and how good of a choice would that be. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[agesilaus]

We spent a week there, after the winter rush, late April maybe, and were not impressed with the park. It's mostly permanent sites. I think they have a lot more activities in the main season but nothing was going on when we were there.

Not much to do and no major shopping in the area either. Prescott is a long drive.

I'd look further south there are a couple of Escapee parks down there.

[Darryl&Rita]

We've only stopped for a 3 night stay. Onsite pay-per-day Wi-Fi only covers the main building, and a few adjacent sites. The weather is just barely cooler than Phoenix, due to the slightly higher elevation. Wickenburg is only about 10 miles away, for shopping, while Congress is like, 2 miles. Good territory to sit a spell. The Pickle ball courts were in hot use, and there seemed to be other personal activities going on. We weren't in the mood to participate, so we didn't look for invites, just walking the dog.

[2gypsies]

We like North Ranch and also Benson Co-op.  Neither will be super warm in winter.  Even Phoenix and Tucson have some cool days and cold nights. It's the desert.  The cooler time is December/January.  By February it's starting to warm up.  Benson has a lot more activities going on than North Ranch and they really welcome visitors.  It's a great place to be during the Christmas holidays.

[D&J]

We spent a month there a few years back in the late fall and the night sky is brilliant but that's about it and remember it's the desert at 3000 ft so it will be cold at night and cool during the day in the winter. There's a Escapees park in Yuma that you may try, we stay in a park in the foothills of Yuma and love the area and the weather.

Denny

[Cliff E]

Thanks for all of the help. To be honest, the reason was looking at North Ranch is because it is central to both friends and fammily we have in arizona. That and our first choice in goodyear is booked solid. I know I proably should have staarted lookingsooner but since we are not sold on the idea of aarizona I just thought I would find out all I can about the ranch.

D&J, I will look into the park in Yuma and possibly some closer to Phoenix/Casa Grande.

[Vladimir]

Yuma has the best weather and WATER.  The lower Colorado River has lots of cool places to explore.  The SKP park is small and crowded, though friends of ours really like it.  The park is close to town and fairly light polluted.

North Ranch has nice places for camping.  Not sure if the adjacent lands are still open for walking dogs.  It also has Pickleball!!!   The eastern night sky is pretty light polluted from Phoenix.  It is close enough to Phoenix that you get all the TV stations over the air.

Benson SKP has the best night sky, but the packrat panic has lights under RV's  and is ruining the night sky.  The lights do NOT meet the guidelines for the park, but no one seems to want to enforce the rules.  No pickleball.  You have to drive to Sierra Vista or Tucson.  The park is by far the nicest SKP park in Arizona.  Lots of public land in the area.  The San Pedro River area, managed by BLM is outstanding.  It can get cold in Benson, our first night the low was 10 degrees.

Casa Grande is close to Phoenix, but the park is similar to Yuma.  Light pollution is awful.  You are close to Phoenix.  March 1st and if baseball is NOT on strike will give you access to MLB games if you can afford it.

In the end for us, Arizona is all about the winter weather and dark skies.

 

[Kirk W]

Don't overlook Rover's Roost, at Casa Grande, AZ.