Tucked within a forest of Ponderosa Pines, Village Camp in Bellemont is one of Arizona’s best-kept secrets.
Children on bikes swerve around guests walking to the luxury clubhouse. Families hang out on RV party decks, giggling and listening to music. Boutique cabins surround lots with red snow shovels on the patios and electric grills ideal for burgers.
Village Camp — about 7 to 10 miles west/northwest of Flagstaff off I-40 — successfully accomplishes its mission of building community, according to Ashley Jacobs, Village Camp Flagstaff’s general manager.
“Village Camp is a brand-new concept,” Jacobs said. “I think he took the best of all the other communities that we have within Roberts Resorts; things that he and his family experienced. He brought it all here into one location, which is so cool.”
Guests can choose between cozy, turnkey cabin rentals and elevated RV sites, all paired with resort-style comforts, such as the Basecamp Clubhouse, Bistro & Bar, outdoor pool and year-round hot tub, and event lawn hosting seasonal events like the Village Camp Gravel Race, Campfire Music & Brewfest and property milestone celebrations.
About 7,000 feet above sea level, Village Camp also has a bathhouse, playground, pickleball and basketball courts, and lawn games.
The Aspen is among the choice of cabins. The 399-square-foot cabin sleeps up to six “adventurers” with one king bed, two twin beds in a tiny loft, and one sleeper sofa. The loft is made for children. Adults: Don’t try — unless it’s for a laugh.
The cozy living space features a kitchenette, a stone shower in the full private bathroom, and a dining/work table. Guests can relax on the front porch or gather around their fire pit to stare at the starry sky.
Cabins are also available for ownership. So far, 73 folks have taken advantage of that.
“Village Camp cabins are their second home,” she said. “We get a lot of people from Phoenix or Vegas who want to escape the heat. It’s fun to see the owners meet each other and make friends.”
Families make the trek up to Bellemont, sometimes with 15 RVs for reunions, bachelor or bachelorette parties, or birthday celebrations. Nature enthusiasts explore the surrounding forests.
Roberts Resorts also owns 55-and-older mobile home communities and other RV parks in the Valley. Village Camp also has locations in Truckee, California, and Moab, Utah. Park City, Utah, and Durango, California, are in the works.
“It’s so cool to be able to meet people and see where they’re coming from — especially for me being relatively new here,” Jacobs said. Village Camp’s staff has been making improvements to the already highly rated basecamp.
“People are saying, ‘I’ve seen such a change. We loved it before, but this is outstanding. It’s really awesome to get that feedback. They have such fun on the waterslide, doing arts and crafts projects, listening to live music to watching movies.”
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Recently, Village Camp added Wednesday night bingo, Thursday night dancing at the amphitheater, and other “weekday activations.” Jacobs called Memorial Day to Labor Day the busy season.
Upcoming events include Village Camp’s third anniversary party from Friday, Sept. 4, to Monday, Sept. 7; the Around the Campfire Oktoberfest on Saturday, Sept. 26; Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31; Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 26, to Sunday, Nov. 29, and A Mountain Christmas Celebration on Saturday, Dec. 19.
“We want to celebrate every single type of holiday that’s going on,” she said. “When we’re in the off season, we’re always going to celebrate. What’s really great, though, is the local community comes here to eat dinner, have drinks in the clubhouse and enjoy the firepits.
“You’ll see the trees covered in snow. Our maintenance team is out there early in the morning plowing everything. We’re clearing driveways for people. We bring the five-star resort hospitality and customer service to Village Camp to make people happy. This is a home away from home.”
