Pop-Up Camping
Pop-Up Cottonwood 2025–2026
November 10, 2025 – January 20, 2026
Cottonwood, Arizona
Recap Available
When
November 10, 2025 – January 20, 2026
Where
Cottonwood, Arizona
Cost
Approximately $10/night, split equally among campers
About This Event
Pop-Up Cottonwood 2025–2026 was the first Pop-Up Nomads camp and our first extended experiment with creating a shared home base for independent people living on the road.
From November 10 through January 20, we rented a private group space in Cottonwood, Arizona — the same property we would later return to for another six-week Pop-Up and eventually plan our five-month Pop-Up Cottonwood winter season.
The group changed throughout the stay, generally ranging from about three to eight campers at a time. We divided the cost equally among whoever was staying with us, which worked out to roughly $10 per night on average.
The property provided water, trash disposal, and a portable toilet, while we brought many of the communal elements ourselves. We travel with shade structures, gathering spaces, lawn and outdoor games, and other pieces that let us temporarily turn an open group site into a comfortable shared camp.
Life at the Pop-Up included game nights, shared dinners, campfires, hikes, disc golf rounds, co-working, Kitty City, and plenty of time doing our own things.
The first Cottonwood Pop-Up established much of what would eventually become the Pop-Up Nomads model: an affordable shared place to land, optional opportunities to connect, and enough individual space for everyone to continue living their own lives.
What’s Planned
Game nights, shared dinners, campfires, hikes, disc golf rounds, co-working, lawn and outdoor games, Kitty City, and everyday shared camp life.
Joining This Event
How to Participate
This Pop-Up was available to Pop-Up Nomads Discord members who we had already met in person.
Event Recap
Our first Cottonwood Pop-Up worked well enough that the property quickly became more than a one-time stop. The combination of a private group space, affordable shared cost, Verde River access, walkability to downtown Cottonwood, nearby disc golf, useful amenities, and a great relationship with the landowner made it unusually hard to beat. It became the foundation for returning Pop-Ups and eventually a recurring winter home base.
Request to Join the Pop-Up Nomads Discord
Always invited, never expected.
The year-round home for Pop-Up Nomads: our group chat. It's where you can stay connected between camps, hear about upcoming events, coordinate travel, and keep crossing paths with other nomads & outdoor enthusiasts.