Fort Tuthill Recreation Area

Won't stay here again. Tired of having to pick up dog poop from owners who think they can get away with not picking up after their pets.

We arrived without a reservation because we were traveling and not knowing when we would stop for the night. We went through a heavy rain between Page and Flagstaff, which caught up to us just after we finished our hookups. There was a full length Class A just across from us, so big rigs can be accommodated. If you own one I would definitely recommend that you call for reservations. We had 30 amp service. While walking through the campground I noticed a rv site with no hookups, if you are just passing through, and can dry camp, you might ask the desk about this. If you are passing through the area on I-40, or planning on seeing the Grand Canyon, this campground is easy to get to. I first used this campground in 1993 using the yurts, followed by tent camping. This was my first time in a RV. Luke AFB does put your money back into the campground. Trees have been thinned to widen the roads, but you still must proceed slowly and use a spotter to get situated on your site. The retail store was under construction while we were there. If you are tired of parking lot style RV parks come see this one.

If you are camping here in anything over 20 feet you need to go need to know that the sites are not level, many have only 20 amps (which I heard was going to be upgraded to 50 amp) and if it rains you will be in mud. The clerk at the lodge was very nice but I think they cater to those who will be using the lodge or yurts not campers/RVers. We had reservations but when we arrived our sites were axle deep in mud and only 20 amps...the clerk was very nice and recommended that we go either to the fairgrounds or to Pine Valley (just 13 miles away but so much nicer). We did get a full refund which I heard was not always done for other rvers.

H.S. left this review using the Directory software: WE HAD A GREAT TIME MOST SITES ARE IN THE PINE TREES. SOME SITES MAY BE HARD FOR BIG RIGS CALL FIRST AND THEY WILL TRY TO GET YOU TO A LARGE SITE.

Don't know anything about the hotel, but if you have an RV I would look elsewhere for a place to stay. Luke AFB should be ashamed to put there name on this.

It's 90 miles to the Grand Canyon. That's not a day trip. We were going to stay a couple of days but 90 miles each way is too much. Lots of tall pines, pretty area. Some sites are not well defined. I agree with previous writer, walk around if you can to find a spot where the water and electric can be reached. Not all spots have 30 amp service. The sign said campground closed but that was the county campground. Fort Tuthill and the county recreation area use the same entrance. Be aware and watch for the Luke AFB turn off.

I was nearly scared away from trying Ft. Tuthill by a fellow at nearby Camp Navajo. We had reserved a cabin for family and "had" to be here too. Anyway the RV parking/sites are dis-arranged.(like Arnold AFB used to be) Depending on your rig/size, it IS possible to drive into the wrong road in the campground & get in trouble. But it's not that difficult if you walk thru first. After learning which sites I was Ok to occupy (specific site reservations are not made) I walked thru & asked the guy in one of them how he managed driving in & backing up, etc. W/ his suggestions I made it fine. The sites' water & electric hook up are NOT in the standard place (or even together). So before you unhook- stretch out the electric cord & water hose and make sure you can reach the plug-ins. You might have to jockey your RV about some like I did. End of story- beautiful place, nice washroom/bathhouse. Wi-fi here in the hotel and close to lots to see & do.

We stayed at Ft. Tuthill in July 2010. Last year they charged $5 to use the dump station. This year it was free.

This is the second time I have stayed at this facility... both times in the main lodge. I would echo and agree with all the the previous comments shown below. The staff was very courteous and helpful. My queen room was standard hotel stuff, but a value at $65. The lodge and cabins are very popular in the summer as a cool escape from the heat in Phoenix and in the winter for winter sports and skiing. They are full most weekends so reserve early. I was here this time to visit old RV friends staying in the RV campground in their Class C. The water was turned off and this was the last weekend the campground would be open until next spring. The RV spaces are tight and certainly not friendly for large rigs in the 40ft+ range. Most of the spaces would not be adequate for my 30ft. Airstream trailer and you'd better be well practiced in your backing/parking skills because there are numerous trees. As one previous person commented, this Rec area seems to favor the Lodge, cabins, and Yurts over the RV camp which would be very difficult and expensive to upgrade. With only 15 and 30 amp service and the outlets oddly placed, this RV campground is suited best for smaller rigs, pop-ups and Class Cs. It is great for tent camping and closely located to Flagstaff, well known in the RV community for being ANTI-RV friendly. (You cannot over night at the Wal-Mart or any other open parking lot - they will even run you out of the Fairgrounds next to Ft. Tuthill if you plan to stop overnight.)

Nice shady park. Utilities are old and set up improperly with water on wrong side. Only standard 110V plugs for power. All sites are back in and tight squeeze for big rigs. Hosts run the lodging facilities for cabins and the park. Excellent shower facilities, clean and well maintained. Laundry room is small but clean. Semper Fi!

The hotel lobby is very comfortable and offers free coffee and free Wi-Fi. There is even a computer to use if you don't have your own. About half the sites have gotten upgraded electric service to 30 amp. They have added a $5.00 fee to use the dump station even if you are a registered camper, $10 if you are not staying at the park. They take reservations based on the size of your rig. (If a 40ft site is empty and you have a 30ft rig, they will not make a reservation for you for that site.)

You state: "Winter rates valid October through April". We were there and wanted to stay in October but the campground was closed Oct - Apr yearly. Has this changed?

This was our fourth visit, starting from 1993. We can see the improvements over that period. The campground is set in a forest of pine trees, three miles from a shopping center and several restaurants. The placement of utilities are made difficult because of the trees and their root structure. Some sites are pull throughs, most are back ins. The key to keeping your RV undamaged is to honor the 5 MPH speed limit and to practice backing. This facility has free coffee at all times, WiFi in the comfortable lodge living room. There is a computer available in the conference room for those needing it. The showers are clean and comfortable. There are now many porta-potties spread out through the campground. No more walking all of the way to the showers just to use the bathroom. The facility has many organized activities to get you out of your rig. Every staff member that we dealt with were friendly and helpful.

The "good" first... An excellent play ground for kids, and even a few arcade games in the community room. Great woods for the kids to mess around in, and EXCELLENT showers and laundry; clean with a lot of pressure. There is also recycling (no glass) right at the CG, and the CG is near the south end of Flagstaff where there is a health food store, and other great shops, only a few miles away. Nice lodge-store and helpful staff. And, the closeness to many local sites is wonderful; Grand Canyon, Monteczuma's Castle, and Petrified Forest. Now, the "not-so-good"; I had made reservations, and it's a good thing I did, because "big rig" sites are a premium; maybe 5 total in the CG. ALL sites are tight between trees, dirt road very rutted, most sites unlevel, and there are strange hookup placements and electrical is varied in each site. The fairgrounds nextdoor is unkept and unsightly; the chain link fence barrier only adds to the "messiness." A very outdated and not cared about RV park.

We arrived about 4:30pm this date, and realized that the campground was closed until May 1 (it's a seasonal place). So, I got on the cell phone and called the lodge. The clerk told me unequivocally, that there was NO ROOM available in the lodge. I asked about the cabins and chalets--same answer. So when I showed up at the desk a few minutes later, asking hard questions like why there was no room when the parking lot was practically empty. Suddenly, he was tapdancing and backfilling and said he might be able to find an available cabin. We took it. Next morning at 0530 I looked at the parking lot and found a total of ten cars, including ours. I asked the morning clerk if there had been rooms available in the lodge last night and he assured me that there had been plenty, and that there was room if I wanted to stay another night. I filed a formal complaint with Luke AFB MWR about the night clerk, and his blatant lies. The lodge and cabins were nice, but there was an anomaly that I couldn't reconcile. The MWR policy for cabin renters is that they must take out their garbage before checking out. The cabins are $65 per night. The lodge rooms are $55 per night and have no such policy. The cabins are only about 100 feet from the lodge, and easily accessible by sidewalks. I didn't understand why the same people who clean the lodge and the cabins couldn't perform ALL the same services for both. When I pay $65 a night for a room, I expect a certain level of service--this was not that level, nor was it acceptable. That was a separate formal complaint to Luke AFB MWR. Luke MWR has a rather good online form for reporting customer satisfaction and/or problems. In fairness, this bad clerk was probably an anomaly, because the rest of the staff I came in contact with was competent and helpful.

The park has lots of trees making sites very hard to fit into. Fort Tuthill Management turns away many RVs because their rigs will not fit in the small sites. When ask the management stated they do not record the many that are turned away. If the campground is never reported as full or turning away RVs then the campground will never be improved with larger sites.

Cabins are fantastic. All are maintained well. Staff at this location is very helpful. I stayed once in the RV section of the park. This area needs lots of improvement. Not many hook ups, and its very difficult to maneauver large RV's around. Overall an excellent park.

I liked it -- wife loved it. Too many trees for me and it interferred with the sat dish. Also, the trees made for some tight maneuvering for some of the larger rigs. Can get cold around Oct -- the low when we left was 28 degrees. Showers and laundry are a bit of a hike from the rv park, but not too bad. The park is right next to the county fairgrounds, seperated only by a fence. Fair time is Labor Day weekend, so traffic could be congested. Very nice staff! The RV portion of the campground closed on 15Oct. This is new this year and may not be permanent.

Campground just OK. Dirt roads, NO campfires allowed. Sites not well maintained. Primary focus of Fort Tuthill is hotel and cabins. FamCamp would be a jewel if some improvements were made. Would stay again.

A pleasant location, but RV sites are a bit rustic. Electric is minimal, with hookups located in various locations. Plenty of pine trees on slight hills, which can make parking difficult. The emphasis appears to be on the lodging and not the RV sites, which is very nice. Not big rig friendly. Although, we didn't have much problems with our 36' Class A.