Bonito Campground, near Flagstaff, Arizona, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in nature while being close to the stunning Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. With spacious campsites nestled among tall pine trees, you'll find plenty of room to set up your tent or RV and enjoy the great outdoors.

This campground is known for its clean facilities, including well-maintained bathrooms with flush toilets. Visitors rave about the friendly campground hosts and the peaceful atmosphere, making it a great place to unwind after a day of hiking or biking. One camper noted, “The campsites are very generously spaced so that you feel like you have a place to yourself.”

For adventure seekers, Bonito Campground is perfectly situated for exploring the surrounding area. You can hike through the unique lava fields or take a short drive to Flagstaff for more urban activities. Many campers appreciate the proximity to both Wupatki National Park and the breathtaking views of Humphreys Peak.

While there are no showers or electric hookups, the campground allows fires and pets, making it a cozy spot for families and friends. As one happy camper put it, “This place is great for hiking and biking.” Whether you're just passing through or planning a longer stay, Bonito Campground offers a serene escape into nature.

## Overview

 Bonito Campground is located 18 miles northeast of Flagstaff, near Sunset Crater/Wupatki National Monument. Elevation is 6,900 feet. Bonito Campground is named for the Bonito Lava Flow which oozed across this high desert plain some 900 years ago. That river of liquid rock, now frozen forever, is just one of the many remnants of volcanic activity which lend an otherwordly appearance to this starkly beautiful place. 
## Recreation

 Hiking, sightseeing, wildlife viewing are popular activities. 
## Facilities

 The campground has 44 single campsites with 1 ADA accessible site. 22 sites are reservable and 22 sites are dedicated as first-come-first-served sites. Each site has provided picnic tables, fire rings and cooking grills. The campground has paved roads and spurs, drinking water and flush toilets. Bonito campground is pet friendly. Pets must always be restrained or on a leash. 
## Natural Features

 Beautiful tall Ponderosa pines are abundant throughout the campground and across nearby ravines and hillsides. Bonito is a restful place to simply relax and enjoy nature. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (928) 774-9671. 
## Nearby Attractions

 Also nearby is Wupatki National Monument. The centerpiece of this area is a four story masterpiece of Native American stone masonry. Construction of that stone-age condominium began in about 1120 A.D. At one time it contained as many as 100 rooms and housed as many as 125 people. Both Sunset Crater and Wupatki have visitor centers and feature self-guided as well as interpreter guided. The entrance to Sunset Crater National Park is adjacent to the campground. The Visitor's Center provides much information on the geological history of the area. You can enjoy learning about the Native Americans who populated the area as you wander through the nearby Walnut Canyon National Monument. The historic downtown section in nearby Flagstaff will provide a glimpse into the early days of the city's past.

Bonito Campground — Sunset Crater National Monument

Flagstaff, Arizona is surrounded by national forest land, with Walnut Canyon and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments taking up small swatches of space within them. Northern Arizona is a popular ski destination, but it holds up as a solid outdoor town year-round.

The best camping near Flagstaff is in the surrounding national forests, though you can get to the Grand Canyon in less than two hours. Granted, if you’re looking to spend significant time at the Grand Canyon, you’re better off getting a campsite there or staying near Tusayan, AZ. The Flagstaff area has more than enough in the way of outdoor activities, with tent and RV camping options being plentiful. If you’re looking to take full advantage of the Flagstaff area, find a campground near the mountain you plan to climb and wake up near the trailhead rested and ready to go.

Flagstaff

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Flagstaff, AZ is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Flagstaff. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Flagstaff camping trip.

The Best Flagstaff Camping | Arizona Campgrounds

We have camped here often. Large sites in a developed campground under ponderosa pines. Always clean and quiet. Firewood is available onsite from host. Higher elevation just northeast of Flagstaff means cooler temperatures during the warm Arizona summers!

Bonito-sunset crater

I’ve stayed here a number of times and it has been very pleasant. Flies can be a problem, probably due to people dumping dishwater at the sites. Generators can be run any time except 10 pm to 6 am &amp; there are always a couple of generators going and spoiling the tranquility. It is $24 a night, a bit pricey for the facilities but Senior &amp; Access passes get you a 50% discount. No reservations, dry camping, flush toilets. Rigs up to 42’ fit and it is very nice for tent camping. All the details can be found here:[https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=55072&amp;actid=29](https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=55072&amp;actid=29)

Cool temps, big trees in seasonal (May-Oct) campground

Thoroughly enjoyed our weekend at Bonito.

The sites were huge and the bathrooms were the nicest/cleanest I’ve seen at any campground.

We brought our two dogs and they loved it but the volcanic rock did start to bother their paws a few days in so I recommend booties.

The rangers came by each day to invite us to whatever program they were running that evening. Nice touch.

Star watching was excellent, even with some light pollution from nearby Flagstaff.

Will definitely be back.

Cleanest Campground Ever!

We wanted to visit Sunset Crater and we found this campground just across the street from the crater. 

  

In addition to being able to see this beautiful sunset cone, there are underground lava flows everywhere in this area. We were able to chat with a ranger and explore one (wear layers, it is COLD in them). 

  

The campsites are large enough for a group of people (8 people) and they have wheelchair accessible camping and picnic tables. 

  

There is water on site and they have flush toilets in clean bathrooms. We didn't spend much time at the campground itself due to all the exploring we wanted to do, but it worked great and was very quiet for our crew.

Lava Flow Gallery

Tucked right in off the 89 20 miles from Flagstff - you're in a great place with being right by both Wupatki National Park and you can hike right there and also up to O'Leary's Peak. Also have amazing views of the massive peaks of Humphreys peak right in view to the West.

This place is great for hiking and biking.

Deep in the trees always seeing wildlife.  Also as a bonus you see lava feilds everywhere from the volcano activty that occured hundreds of years ago.

Bathrooms are very clean - you obtain a spot on a first come basis - cannot reserve.  

All in all we've camped in this place several times over the summer for the last 8 years.  The grounds support all types of camping and does provide water.  It's a VERY special way to enjoy the pure beauty that the summertime in Flag brings out..!

Possibly our most favorite place in AZ!

This first come first serve campsite was $27 per night (Cash, no cards) and had about 6 spots open out of 44 as we pulled up 3 pm on a Sunday.  Hosts were kind and accommodating.  Every site had a concrete table, fire pit and grill and all sites are close to a real bathroom, no pit toilets.  Very quiet and peaceful just a short drive from Flagstaff, we will be back!

Quiet camping next door to Sunset Crater 

Large well dispersed campground covered in pine trees with no undergrowth. Excellent road biking and off-road biking options. 
Really cool volcanic formations.

Pine Tree Delight

This is a beautiful place right across the street from Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The campsites are very generously spaced so that you feel like you have a place to yourself. The campground host is very friendly and helpful, bathrooms have flush toilets and are very clean. Plenty of shade under lots tall pine trees￼￼￼. I arrived at about 1 PM on a Saturday afternoon and there were plenty of spaces to choose from. Sites 1- through 22 are reservable and 23 through 44 are first come first serve.￼

Relaxing!

Clean restrooms, well spaced paved spots. Convenient to the highway but no road noise. Several generators running when we pulled in, but shut off at a reasonable hour.

Great for a one night stopover

This campsite is a gem! It’s located about 2 hours from the Grand Canyon, and only about 15-20 minutes away from Flagstaff! Campsites were very clean and had lots of tree coverage. Costs about $30 a night here. The campground managers were extremely kind and very friendly. Awesome staff here! No showers but there are clean bathrooms. However please note that there is NO CELL SERVICE here until you leave the park (if you needed any at all). Other than that it was a great campsite! 

Great place to stay!

Looks like a great place, very pretty.  It is closed when we came through mid-February.  

Closed in the winter!

I reserved this spot last minute as I changed my route from Page to I-40 and I'm so very glad I did. Breathtakingly beautiful. There is a charge to enter the Monument as it's separate from the campground, but it's totally worth it. Lovely visitor's center and kind staff. Be sure to take some of the hikes through the lava fields. The camp itself was clean with well-spaced lots. No fires allowed when I was there, but that was not a problem. It was cold even in May, so come prepared. One of my favorite campsites.

Wonderful surprise!

This site is a real find, a great place to take in the sights around Flagstaff. Sites are roomy, some back right up on the Bonito Lava Flow.

Lovely and convenient

This is a roomy and quiet campground just outside Sunset Crater. Some sites back right up to the Bonito Lava Flow.

Quiet and close to Flagstaff

I was able to book this campground in advance on recreation.gov.  My pass is on file and I received the appropriate discount at the time of booking.  The hosts are pretty on top of things.  I had my trailer and my site was a back in site.  The driveway was plenty long and decently wide.  Between car and trailer I need about 30'.  The sites were well separated so there was a fair amount of privacy.  There were plenty of pines but they were not overwhelming, meaning there was open space for chairs, sun and night sky viewing.  This open space provided a perfect spot for my solar panel, enabling me to easily keep my battery charged.  There were hiking trails right out of camp; the visitors center was right across the street and the Wupatki NM was about 45 minutes north.  This campground has all the standard amenities-no showers.  Restrooms were clean.

Photos of Bonito Campground — Sunset Crater National Monument

Real photos from real campers