Roy Purcell Murals

  Technically this could be considered graffiti and would probably be a finable offense today but when Ray Purcell, an art student working in an area mine, painted the rocks in 1966 it must have been okay. Putting the graffiti issue aside, these are really cool murals! There are also Native America petroglyphs alongside the paintings and on the rocks on the opposite side of the canyon.

Because of the very rocky terrain wheelchair users will not be able to view the entire mural.

  The road to the murals is dirt, narrow and rough in places. After about 1 1/2 miles it ends at a small parking area. We drove there in our little 25’ motorhome and just barely fit. Passenger cars made the trip without any problems but ask in town about the condition of the road if you have any doubts.   Murals

Mohave Museum

  This nicely done little museum focuses on the Native Americans who lived and hunted near Kingman, the conflicts that arose from prospectors seeking gold and the growth of mining and ranching in the area.

  The interior of the museum is accessible. A few small buildings and a caboose are located in the outside display. Most of these are not accessible. The ramp to get back inside does not have a flat landing and the door opens outward, making it very difficult to use without help.

   The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Museum

           

          

Route 66 Museum

  Kingman, Arizona was one of the last cities to be bypassed when I-40 was completed in the 1980s. Route 66, the “Mother Road”, ran through downtown and even now the 52 mile section from Topnock to Kingman is one of the longest intact portions. The museum follows the history of the road from Indian trails, to wagon road, to paved highway. The dust bowl refugee display is especially interesting.

  Everything is accessible. A museum employee must unlock a door to provide wheelchair access to a section on the second floor.

  The parking lot is big enough for any RV.  Museum

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Casinos

  The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Tribes owns two casinos on the eastside of Phoenix. Both are fairly small, very busy and both allow 3 days of overnight RV parking but for RVers the Casino Arizona (pictured above) is much better than the Talking Stick Casino (below).Talking Stick has 6 long, narrow RV spaces. Overnight stays are limited to these spaces which are so narrow that it’s very hard to fit one RV next to another. We arrived in late afternoon and didn’t park in one of the RV spaces. Security didn’t ask us to move until the next morning but we probably would not risk it again.

   Casino Arizona, on the other hand, has a large lot for oversized vehicles with no restrictions plus it’s very convenient to Hwy 101 and the attractions in the city.  Use the fourth entrance off of 92nd Street to get to the oversized parking lot.

  Because of the small size and crowded conditions of the casinos neither is very accessible. Both require a hike to get from the RV parking to the casino entrance.

Phoenix Art Museum

   Phoenix is the six largest city in the US and home to some very wealthy people so we were surprised that the art museum isn’t very big and doesn’t have a wide variety of artwork. It’s still worth a visit though.

  The museum is accessible. A few of the cases have information cards that are not propped up so they’re hard to read. The north and south wing have a connecting hallway on the first level only and two separate elevators must be used to see the upper levels.

  Smaller RVs will fit in the lot by parking through two spaces. If the museum is not busy large RVs may be able to park across the spaces. The museum entrance is not well marked. Exit the lot and walk to the right, towards Central Ave, to get to the main entrance.   Museum

Arizona Capitol Museum & Bolin Memorial Park

  Arizona does not have a state history museum in it’s capital city however the old state capitol building has been refurbished and has a few exhibits. Most of the exhibits deal with the state government but there’s also a brief history of Arizona’s path to statehood and an exhibit about the USS Arizona, the battleship that exploded and sank during the attack on Pearl Harbor, killing 1,177 officers and crewmen.
         
  Bolin Memorial Park, which is located directly across the street from the museum, has a memorial to the men who died on the Arizona along with a couple dozen memorials and monuments to groups and individuals who served in the armed forces or helped shape the state.

  The museum and the park are accessible. Smooth paved paths lead past all of the monuments.

  Two public parking lots are located in Bolin Park. Small RVs will fit parked to overhang the grass. Larger RVs can park across several spaces. We visited on Saturday and the parking lots were almost empty.   Museum

Phoenix Zoo

  Like most zoos some of the animal enclosures at the Phoenix Zoo could use improvement but overall the animals seem to be well cared for and have enough room. The zoo is spread out over a large area so expect to do some walking.

   Although the main trails are paved very few sections are flat so pushing around without help would be very tiring. The Desert Lives trail is sandy and climbs a small hill. The small Forest of Uco section also has sandy trails. We did not participate in any of the additional activities however I did notice that the tram which makes a loop around the zoo (no stops other than initial boarding) does have a wheelchair lift. Most of the animals are easy to view but many of the small reptile enclosures are too high for wheelchair users.

  The parking lot is large enough for any RV. Zoo

        

        

Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park

  Pueblo Grande Archaeological Park preserves a small part of the ruins of a village, one of  many that were built by the Hohokam culture who also lived and farmed at Casa Grande near Tucson. The Hohokam live at Pueblo Grande from A.D. 450 to 1450. They utilized canals to irrigate their fields and may have abandoned the village when a series of floods lowered the Salt River level and destroyed the irrigation system.The site includes a paved trail that allows visitors to view the preserved walls of the village buildings along with several recreated houses and a nicely done museum with a short film about the Hohokam culture and the archeological site.

  Everything along the trail and in the museum is accessible.

  The parking lot is large enough for any RV.   Park

Vulture Peak Road Boondocking

  Large flat camping areas and a short drive to Wickenburg makes this a very popular spot. Large RVs are a common sight and many spots are roomy enough for a small group. The road is sandy dirt and may get muddy when it rains. It becomes narrow and steep after the 1 mile marker. The last clearing is very large but is used by horse campers and may be a bit messy.

  This is state trust land and a permit is required to camp here but it adjoins BLM land so check this map for more camping opportunities.   Boondocking

Hassayampa River Preserve

   For most of it’s 113 miles the Hassayampa River flows underground. The preserve is one of the few places where the water reaches the surface making a lush oasis and providing a home for numerous animals and birds. Displays in the visitor center cover the history, geology, plant and animal life of the preserve. Several short trails travel through different habitats.

  The visitor center is accessible. The  half mile Palm Lake Loop trail which circles a small man-made lake is accessible but most wheelchair users will need some help due to soft and steep sections. The other trails have loose sand and are not accessible.

  The parking lot is large enough for short RVs only.   Preserve