A 60th birthday camping trip for Mary Haller turned into a celebration she will not forget, after heavy rains blocked a bridge out of Cave Springs Campground in Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, trapping campers until the road was cleared.
Haller and her husband, visiting from San Diego, had taken their motor home to Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde before stopping for the night at Cave Springs to stay the night on October 11. The two planned to leave the morning of October 12, but as they were packing up, a worker from the campground said the road was blocked and no one could leave until it was clear.
Despite being stuck, Haller said the campground is the nicest she has ever stayed at, and the stranded campers have come together to help
one another while they are stuck.
All the campers have been safe, she said, and there was no danger of flooding reaching the actual campsites.
Officials from the Coconino County Sheriff's Office and the Arizona Department of Public Safety completed a supply drop by helicopter on Oct. 13, leaving extra food and supplies for the campers. The helicopter left about two days’ worth of food and water for stranded campers, and a deputy that was on the helicopter went through the camp to make sure no one needed a medical evacuation, according to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Jon Paxton.
About 65 people were stuck in the campground, and Paxton said there was no estimate for when they will be able to leave.
“Everyone has been very patient, very calm,” he said.
Tanja Hooper and her husband were camping in a tent at the campground for the long weekend and took down their tent the morning of Oct. 12, when a campground employee told them they would not be able to leave.
Before they got stuck at the campground, Hooper said they had a great time hiking over the weekend and enjoying cooler weather. The two are avid hikers and are aware of potential danger, she said.
Hooper and her husband are from Apache Junction and like to camp often. The two ate the last meal they packed the evening of Oct. 12 but still had plenty of snacks before the supply drop, she said.
She is a little stressed about missing work, but Hooper said she and the other campers are generally in good spirits.
“There is definitely some trauma bonding going on,” she said.
Corina Vanek covers development for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X @CorinaVanek.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 65 campers can't leave Sedona area campground after road washout
