Kehl Springs Campground, near Payson, Arizona, is a peaceful spot tucked away in the Coconino National Forest. This place is perfect for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle, with well-treed sites and grassy fields that provide a cool retreat during the hot summer months.

The campground offers clean facilities, including bathrooms that visitors rave about. Many campers appreciate the friendly camp host, who is always ready to share local knowledge and tips. As one reviewer noted, “The camp host was friendly, respectful, and knowledgeable,” which adds a nice touch to the experience.

For outdoor lovers, there are great hiking trails nearby, and you’re just a short drive from scenic views overlooking the Mogollon Rim. While some sites are close to the road, the overall atmosphere remains tranquil, making it a great base for exploring the beautiful forest surroundings. Just remember to stock up on water, as there are no hookups or drinking water available on-site.

Whether you're pitching a tent or parking your RV, Kehl Springs Campground offers a solid camping experience with a friendly vibe and access to nature's beauty.

Kehl Springs Camp is located in a stand of ponderosa pines right at the brink of one of Arizona's most awesome geologic features, the Mogollon Rim. Just a short distance from these shady campsites the rim brings the Colorado Plateau to an endwith a precipitous drop-off that plunges two thousand feet from forested highland to Sonoran desert. From this high perspective you can enjoy spectacular views of Four Peaks, the Sierra Anchas, and the Mazatzals. At night, the lights of Payson wink up from 2,000 feet down and 15 miles away. Other recreation activities to enjoy nearby include hiking, mountain biking, fishing and boating. The General Crook Historic Trail and the Rim Country Scenic Drive pass right by the campground.

Kehl Springs Campground

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Pine, AZ is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Pine and user-submitted reviews.

Pine

The Best Camping Near Pine, Arizona

Peaceful and quiet campground. Bit of a trek up 300/Rim Road, but well worth it. Just ten minutes past the campground are great views over looking Mogollon Rim. Decent bathrooms, no water so stock up. No cell service at the campground but up at the Rim you'll get a tad of service. Over all great place if you kinda want to be off grid.

Kehl Springs was great! 

Beautiful forest and close to the cute towns of Pine and Strawberry. It's also close to Tonto Natural Bridge. May have to drive some rough roads to get there.

Nice area 

A lot of traffic on 300 but it never bothered me.  Small but very very nice campground.  Love the area for Boondocking too.  

Great little campground 

Kehl is on top of the rim not below.  Great campground.  

Wrong spot

Enjoyable site! Despite evidence nearby of past burning (plenty of dead trees), Kehl Springs campground is situated in a healthy stand of mature ponderosa next to a small meadow, which is fed by the slightly stagnant spring (bonus: I spotted a western tanager there during our visit). Each camping site has a small gravel horseshoe"driveway" for your car, with a picnic table and metal fire pit. Keep in mind there's no concrete pad for an RV, if you have one, and no running water onsite. The onsite vault toilets were the cleanest I've ever seen, anywhere, and the campground was pretty quiet, despite being almost totally full.  
Here's the link to the Forest Service's informational page on the campground: [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=54916](https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=54916)  
The informational page currently notes that no fees are required at this site, but in the "on" season, it's actually $8, cash only.

Nice site

We're from Phoenix so it was good to be nestled among the trees and feel the spirits of the woods. The road is difficult depending on your vehicle and narrow so you have to pull over for passing vehicles. Also work trucks were constantly going back and forth when we were there. A number of people just pulled their campers off the roads rather than being in official sites. We weren't able to have a fire due to restrictions sadly, though other campers ignored the signs, but otherwise the facilities were adequate and the environment lovely. We camped mid-week hoping to avoid people, but there were still a family or two and more coming in as we were leaving. 

Busy for a back road

Bathrooms were super clean. Host was very knowledgeable and friendly. Some spots are pretty close to the road. Great hiking trails around. Close to potato lake 

Great tenting spot!

Nice sites for individual or group camping. Well maintained and cleaned bathrooms. Well-groomed sites with fire rings and picnic table. Easy access to surrounding areas. 
Only problem is the proximity to the road with a lot of ATV/UTV and general traffic who seldom follow the speed restrictions. This leads to a lot of dust and the potential for it being blown across your site. Many of these riders stop to use the vault toilets on the site but typically not much of an issue

Great sites but dusty

A bit far off the main road, but green and cool for a hot July.  The site was immaculate and the bathrooms actually smelled good. The camp host, John,  was friendly, respectful and knowledgeable.  The area was peaceful except for a few passing vehicles that did slow as directed by the main road.  We had such a great experience.

Photos of Kehl Springs Campground

Real photos from real campers