Cottonwood, AZ Walmart

[pigman1]

For those who keep a listing of the Walmarts that allow or don't allow overnighting, you may need to change your Cottonwood, AZ listing from ALLOW to DOES NOT ALLOW. Last year there was an altercation in the parking lot that resulted in the murder of a homeless individual that had been living in a car and panhandling patrons. The Cottonwood city council passed an ordinance prohibiting overnighting in parking lots and it's being enforced. For those looking for a place for an overnight or up to 2 weeks stay, 4.2 miles south of the WM on state route 260 there is a road called Thousand Trails road. This road goes through the Prescott National Forest land and allows boondocking for up to 2 weeks. No facilities though. Just pull off the road in a vacant area.

[pigman1]

Regardless of the signs in the parking lot, we ALWAYS ask inside before planning to stay overnight. In a number of cases, we've been told it's OK if we park in a certain area, identify our coach by make, model, type, give them a phone contact, or give them other info. We have never had a problem with anything the store asked for and have stayed in WM's all over the US and Canada. When we've asked the reasons for the signs, or the contact/identity info we've been told it's so they can remove those RV's that are loud, making a mess, or otherwise are causing problems for the stores. I have had no problems with that at all. As a matter of fact, when we had a propane leak in a Can Not Stay WM (we were just shopping), and explained our problem to the manager that we'd rather not travel with the leak, the manager told us to stay until the leak was fixed.

[NinerBikes]

Blazing Zippers wrote:
The squatters were FROM Idaho! It gets cold up here and we don't have many free programs for folks to take from. This stance by local governments hold down some of the problems.
It is disheartening to see and hear about free loaders camping in box store lots for days. As much as I enjoy having a place to slip into for the night, I understand the laws being upheld.

Sounds like I should consider moving to Idaho. Last time I was in Boise, there were some very pissed off Canuckistaners in 40 ft plus diesel pusher RV's that got kicked out of one of the WalMarts, despite signs being posted everywhere for no over nighting.

One thing for certain, if I overnight, you can bet come daybreak, if I pulled in late at night, I'll be going inside and be a paying customer for something, to make myself a valuable customer, and thank the manager of the store with a few bags of groceries and other needs in my cart on my way out.

All it takes is the abuse of the few to spoil it for many.

[Blazing_Zippers]

The squatters were FROM Idaho! It gets cold up here and we don't have many free programs for folks to take from. This stance by local governments hold down some of the problems.
It is disheartening to see and hear about free loaders camping in box store lots for days. As much as I enjoy having a place to slip into for the night, I understand the laws being upheld.

[NinerBikes]

We have squatters camping underneath freeway underpasses in Los Angeles, near downtown. Doesn't even feel safe in a car with locked doors waiting in traffic to get on the freeway on ramp, with them there. Police does nothing.

Parasites.

[RGar974417]

There is a very nice state park nearby.Dead Horse Ranch has water and electric hookups and as nice views of Tuzigoot and Jerome.Both of those place are worth visiting.We also visited Ft Verde,an old cavalry post from the 1880's.

[MrWizard]

This century's homeless encampment
Was last century's hobo jungle

Difference... More people of both sexes and even families
And it's now in town, instead of outside of town

[jake2250]

Well I can tell you I just looked up the Wal Marts in my area and I noticed they are all a no camp area. Reason here is, the homeless population has caused havoc in the region, with the constant and aggressive panhandling and the large homeless encampments trashing the area!
Neighbor hoods have called on the Counties to do something about it and they did. It was addressed that the local Wal Mart was a large homeless target area and that Wal Mart was doing nothing about it! Community leaders and local law enforcement pressured these big box stores to do something!!
The large Wal Mart Super store within a few miles of where I live had an on going problem with a Large homeless encampment that us locals referred to as "King of the Hill", A large empty lot to the rear of two big box stores and bordered by the railroad tracks. A large dirt mound was over taken by homeless campers, First with tents and then by Motor Homes, Eye sore motor homes and a truck camper!
These were in extremely poor condition and not registered. Laundry lines were strung up and large trash piles formed! Dumping of sewage and vehicle maintenance being performed (oils changes just being dumped). One urban camper actually changed the engine in his truck camper and left the old motor in the field!!
Aggressive Panhandling and drug dealing were common occurrences! It became a very unstable area for a while, After constant pressure from the community, Southern Pacific and home Depot teamed up along with local Sheriffs to clear the area out and declare it a non encampment zone!!
The homeless were pushed towards the river areas of the City and it all began over again, The city stepped in and cleared them out!! Now the Homeless are demonstrating Downtown for there right to "Rest"!!

It out of hand! So I am not upset that Wal Mart and other large stores do not allow camping or long term stopping! We have been to kind and it has come back to bite us in the rear!! I do not have a long term fix, but we have come to see changes in society now a days, Nothing is for free!!

[Camreal]

Was in Cottonwood last summer and stayed at the county fairgrounds. Full hookups for $15 and very nice. Limited amount of spaces.

[Acampingwewillg]

We were staying at the Thousand Trails Park when that incident occurred in Cottonwood. If you watched the camera footage you can see that the Police had there hands full with this family of "squatter's". Back up for the Police with this altercation was NOT close by.

[Old-Biscuit]

And none too soon....!

City Council did a great service to the community as a whole.

[TucsonJim]

aguablanco wrote:
more info here. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/family-arrested-ariz-walmart-brawl-lived-store-lot-article-1.2160262 Just don't want people to get the wrong impression.
RichH

Thanks for the link. Here's a clickable version:

Clicky

[aguablanco]

more info here. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/family-arrested-ariz-walmart-brawl-lived-store-lot-article-1.2160262 Just don't want people to get the wrong impression.
RichH

[aguablanco]

pigman1 wrote:
For those who keep a listing of the Walmarts that allow or don't allow overnighting, you may need to change your Cottonwood, AZ listing from ALLOW to DOES NOT ALLOW. Last year there was an altercation in the parking lot that resulted in the murder of a homeless individual that had been living in a car and panhandling patrons. The Cottonwood city council passed an ordinance prohibiting overnighting in parking lots and it's being enforced. For those looking for a place for an overnight or up to 2 weeks stay, 4.2 miles south of the WM on state route 260 there is a road called Thousand Trails road. This road goes through the Prescott National Forest land and allows boondocking for up to 2 weeks. No facilities though. Just pull off the road in a vacant area.

It wasn't actually a murder. The police went to Walmart to investigate a family living in the parking lot. The family members attacked the police and the police killed one person and, I believe, shot another. The whole family, from Idaho, was arrested.
RichH

[gbopp]

I think most of us assumed this would be the result of the shooting incident.
It's too bad for RVers but, I understand the actions of Walmart and the community.