Best Tent Camping near Benson, AZ

Tent Camping Reviews near Benson, AZ

600 Reviews of 18 Benson Campgrounds

• 

  Joel R.

  Legend

  Mar. 19, 2024

  Cochise Stronghold

  Secluded

  Cochise stronghold campground is a rugged campground in a deep canyon. The canyon was the refuge for the Chiricahua Apache leader, Cochise. This is a National Forest Service campground. There are Eleven campsites and two group campsites. All are shaded by scrub oaks and surrounded by towering rock formations. The sites have picnic tables and grills. There is no water available so bring your own. No electricity or other facilities. There is a bathroom with flush toilets. There are food storage lockers due to bear activities. It is dog friendly (on leash). This campground is a little hard to get to, with several water crossings. I would not recommend attempting to drive without a high clearance vehicle. Sites are first come first served. Limit 6 people per site. $8 per night.

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• 

  Ash C.

  Scout

  Oct. 13, 2021

  Spencer Canyon Campground

  Great campground clean bathrooms !

  While busy, this is a well ran and well managed campground. The hosts are diligent to touch base with everyone coming in (safety) and the campsites though somewhat close together, offer unique ways to capture some privacy. The mountain can get very cold and windy at night, so make sure you have a sleeping bag rated for freezing temps. This campground has some of the cleanest vault toilets I’ve ever seen! Seriously! I don’t know how they do it!

  The camp hosts have fire wood for sale as well, you just have to flag them down when they drive by. Each site has a fire ring and grill. I also found several fresh water pumps within walking distance from my camp. The site is very easily accessible but some of the dirt roads can get pretty rutty, so use caution with lower profile vehicles.

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• 

  Jered K.

  Scout

  Feb. 25, 2019

  Happy Valley Saddle Campground — Saguaro National Park

  Small & remote camp

  Happy Valley campground's name can be decieving.. its actually at 6,000' of elevation, 4.6 miles up the Miller Creek trail in the Rincon mountains east of Tucson. It lies within the Saguaro National Park so a permit is required ($8 fee). Up to 6 people per permit. There is 3 spots at the camp. Each spot has a fire ring, bear box, and some good size stumps to sit on around the fire. There is a vaulted toilet at the site as well. Water can be scarce in the Rincons so plan accordingly!

  Another 3.4 miles up the trail and you'll be at the summit of Rincon Peak (8,200'ish).

• 

  Dray S.

  Guide

  Sep. 8, 2019

  Spencer Canyon Campground

  Great, easy getaway if you don't mind company

  Spencer Canyon Campground is a nice campground approx. 20 miles from Tucson up the General Hitchcock Highway(often called the Catalina Highway or Mt. Lemmon Highway). It is located approximately 3 miles past the Palisades Visitor Center and the entrance is marked well by a big brown sign as you approach. Phill and Denise, the friendly campsite managers will give you advice and suggestions about campsites that suite your needs. The photos attached to this review are from campsite#6, which is close to the Phill& Denise’s camper location and the highway- yes, we did hear road noise. Most campers chose locations deeper in the campground, but we were there on a busy weekend so most of those“deeper” campsites were occupied. All sites have a large bear box, concrete picnic table, charcoal grill and an iron fire pit. The picnic area of the site is level but the whole campsite is NOT so pick your location carefully if you want to pitch your tent on a flat, level plot. We did find some firewood left over from prior campers but recommend bringing your own, dry wood if you have room in your rig. In my observation, there is a rather nice, vessel toilet house strategically located to serve 6- 7 campsites. There is also a water faucet to be shared by 6- 7 campsites. Campsite#6 has its own faucet so others might also. There are 60+ campsites throughout Spencer Canyon and I would suggest that those“deeper” in the campground are more desirable. It should be noted that most of the campsites are close together, that is, about 50-75 feet apart, hence, my“... if you don’t mind company” comment. It should also be noted that Phill& Denise are really nice and helpful, the campsites are well maintained and clean, it is only 22 miles from Tucson and less than 6 miles from the mountaintop hamlet of Summerhaven, and is situated at approximately 7,900 fee of elevation. Thus, Spencer Canyon Campground is a great getaway from the Arizona heat and close enough to Tucson for a 1- 2 night weekend.

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• 

  Amelio S.

  Scout

  Jun. 30, 2021

  Rose Canyon Campground

  Gorgeous mountain top site

  Got here on a Sunday evening and were incredibly lucky to get a site close to the lake! The drive up to the campground is gorgeous and the campground is great as well. Spots are drive up with picnic tables, bear boxes, and space to set up a tent or two. There’s a camp store and public pit toilets. We arrived in the evening and left early so we didn’t use the camp store. Would definitely come again, not sure if we’ll get so lucky w our site again tho

• R

  Rick I.

  Traveler

  Jun. 30, 2024

  Shootout Arena RV Park

  A Gem of a Campground

  This place is perfect for dry camping a short distance from historic Main Street Tombstone. There were no amenities, so be prepared! You cannot beat the price! For car/tent camping there are some private spaces with a little shade and evidence of past campfires. Be sure to stay to the left of the sign to go into the lower camping area. Pay your 10 bucks at the drop box.

• 

  Candy P.

  Legend

  Jun. 29, 2021

  Spencer Canyon Campground

  Large campground in Mt Lemmon

  Spencer Canyon campground in Mt Lemmon is nestled under the pine trees and boasts a 15-20 degree drop in temperature from nearby Tucson. Bear boxes are provided as are vaulted toilets. I’ve seen trailers travel down the canyon, but I wouldn’t try it. The roads are steep and narrow. Perfect for tent camping

• 

  Lisa S.

  Ranger

  Jan. 15, 2021

  Bog Springs Campground

  A Favorite

  What this campground lacks in amenities, it makes up for in its’ superb environment. Long grass, Mountain mahogany, pinion, oak,sycamore and juniper trees create a habitat for over 100 bird varieties and species. Deer roam around inside the campground perimeter and hiking trails lead directly out to miles of Mountain trails including to the top of 9427’ Mt. Wrightson.

  There are only seven back in or curb side sites, and five walk in tent sites. All have water, picnic tables and fire rings. There is a building with pít toilets.

  This is not a place for big rigs or glampers.

  There is a lodgings nearby where an array of feeders attracts dozens of birds for Public viewing and where there is also a gift shop.

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• 

  Crystal C.

  Legend

  Jul. 15, 2018

  Tucson - Lazydays KOA

  Best Campsites for Snowbirds In Arizona

  When spending time on the road many times you will find campsite after campsite that is welcoming but not quite like home away from home. But when you drive through Tucson, there is a mecca filled with winter bird campers and long term campers which create a home away from home.

  With only tent sites available on the facility, we were fortunate to find a site, however when we arrived we were so excited by the facilities we extended our stay by a day.

  Office staff immediately greeted us and let us know about the facilities, which happened to feature a mini golf course, an indoor events facility, 2 swimming pools and hot tubs, an indoor recreation area and multiple on camp fire chinineas. In addition there was a fishing pond and dog park area.

  Each of the 4 campsites were considered to be regular campsites instead of upgrade sites but when we arrived it was the most delux sites we had encountered along the way.

  Pad sites were large and the first to actually accommodate our large tent and the ground was u like any we had seen before at a site. The soft mulch was similar to that of a modern day playground and made for a much more comfortable sleep over the two days we were there.

  In addition to the standard picnic table of most facilities, this campground offered a kitchen facility at each campsite including a large copper sink and food storage as well as electricity and overhead lighting in the pergola designed to allow shade from the harsh Arizona sun.

  It was the closest thing to glamping we had encountered by far!

  Then as an added bonus, fresh fruit trees abounded ready for the picking. The front desk informed us of the allowance to pick what you want as everything was in season! An amazing treat on the road!

  We spent many hours at the pool facility, enjoyed amazing neighbors, used the wifi and even did a load of laundry while in Tucson. The facility really was like a home away from home on the road.

  🐰🐰🐰🐰🐰

  If the scale went higher we would rank it more Bunnies. There were no real areas we could see for improvement. Staff was very accommodating, long term and short term residents of the facility were amazing and this was a desert oasis like no other!

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