Camping near Oakcreek Canyon (The Waterfall)

Any recommendations for camping near this area?

There is tons of USFS Robert up and down the road. Manzanita is the closest (tents only) to the Waterfall I suppose. But the others are close enough. Even though it is USFS, they are expensive, $20, and it is hard pressed to get by with free camping on this road (89). Free camping can be had west of town (towards Prescott) and south of town, but Sedona is well regulated and patrolled. Oak Creek is narrow with tons of private homes up and down it. As far as availability, the City of Phoenix shows up in force on holiday weekends. I would not be looking to get a campsite, particularly in Manzanita, on a Friday night. If you are going to get into the towers as well, then camping south of town is the best wilderness camping. Good luck with your trip.

We typically camp above the canyon, just north of the overlook. It's usually pretty easy to find dispersed camping along FR535, just off the 89A:
goo.gl/maps/ZWrXH

How is camping along FR535 in November?  

In particular I'm trying to find out:
1) Do you feel safe leaving items unattended during the day?  table, chairs, stove, nothing 'valuable'
2) Do you have to drive really far back to get at least 50 feet from your neighbor?

Trying to get a feel if this is our best free option if we're visiting in November and plan on spending most of our time in Oak Creek Canyon.

535 and it’s neighbor roads can be crowded during the summer months, but I doubt there will be much competition for the best sites in November. As far as theft goes, I am sure it happens on occasion, but there are often camps left for the day that seem to remain intact and unbothered. A bigger problem is Valley folk abandoning thier Walmart camping gear after a one time use. This is where I would camp if I was visiting the area. The Waterfall is a fifteen to twenty minute drive from the FR 535/ Hwy 89 junction.