Searching for the perfect place to pitch your tent near Bowie? Find the best information on tent camping near Bowie, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Bowie, Arizona's most popular destinations.
When early settlers ventured up Mount Graham, the Arcadia area was usually as far as they got on the first day. A little later in the history of the Pinaleños, Arcadia was the site of one of several Civilian Conservation Corps camps established in the 1930s to provide jobs for workers idled by the Great Depression. Today, Arcadia Campground, which has 19 campsites, is the first campground visitors encounter on their way up Mount Graham by way of the Swift Trail (AZ 366), which was built by those Depression-era workers. Arcadia Campground is shaded by stands of tall ponderosa pine interspersed with Gambel oaks and Arizona walnuts. Such a diverse habitat makes this an excellent area for bird watching. Watch for poison ivy. Note: Black bear area.
$20 / night
Located on the west side of the Chiricahuas, Sycamore Campground straddles the banks of West Turkey Creek, a small perennial stream that cascades into the campground down a series of small waterfalls and through a rocky cleft decorated with wildflowers. These sycamore- and oak-shaded sites are located near the end of Turkey Creek Road in an area that serves as a jumping off place into the Chiricahua Wilderness. A number of trails start in the vicinity of the campground and climb to destinations and connecting trails high in the mountains. If you’re a hiker or an equestrian, you’ll find this an excellent base of operations with enough nearby trail miles to keep you busy for quite a while. Note: Black bears in area.
Located in an oak woodland at an elevation of 5,200 feet, Round-the-Mountain campground is pleasant year-round. This campground includes 3 campsites, a restroom, horse corrals, and a trailhead.
Please follow LNT principles when dispersed camping
The Herb Martyr trailhead, located near Herb Martyr campgound, is one of the popular birdwatching and overall hiking areas in Cave Creek Canyon. Though South Fork is known for its trogons, there are plenty of other interesting and rare creatures to encounter here. Over 300 species of birds have been sighted in the Chiricahua Mountains, including the magnificent hummingbird, blue-throated hummingbird and Montezuma quail. Other interesting types of wildlife frequently sighted here include Apache fox squirrels, coatimundis and Coues white-tailed deer. The scenery is quite impressive in this area, too.
Scout
We love Roper Lake. Great sites with full hook ups, no sewer. Group camping and tent camping available. Hot springs hot tub. Great hiking. Very busy in the winter months and during holidays. Early reservations required.
Traveler
Everyone was super kind and sweet, restrooms/laundry center were very clean and well maintained. Tent camping spots are in front of the park, where the truck wash across the street can be heard prevalently. Cats everywhere are cute and sweet but I’m pretty sure they use the tent spots as their litter box.
LegendGreat camping experience! We were pleased with our camping experience. Good amenities. A couple camping areas/campgrounds to choose from within the park. Camping is designed for Rv's it seems but tent camping is easy to do as well. We had a small 'pavilion' type structure at our site over the picnic table which was a nice feature. Camping cabins were also a nice feature of the park we may utilize on our next trip :) We heard about people having issues with excessive partying/noise, but we were there during the week and didn't have an issue with this. Hot Springs were a nice attraction of the park as well.
Traveler
Thought I was going to see a crowd based on reviews. But nobody here but me. About 5 miles from I-10 to the South. Last 2 miles on dirt bit well maintained. Then you get to a bunch of connected dirt roads. At least 50 campsites off dirt roads. I met some cows on one dirt road and had a stare down. I lost and backed up. Expecting a super quiet night. Tucked into the boulders near the mountains. Very nice. Another clear moonlit night in southern AZ. I LOVE the desert. All sites are on loose dirt and there are many places for larger rigs. I tent camp so don’t need much room. I highly recommend this site. 3 hrs W of Las Cruces NM, 3 hrs from PHX.
Traveler
Beautiful and unexpected. The drive getting there is pretty disappointing however when you arrive the land scale completely changes. We have camped here twice. The first time tent camping in site 3 which was good but not a ton of privacy. The second time in our 23’ travel trailer In Site 11. Super cool very private spot (next to amphitheater but with COVID nothing was scheduled) may not be as private when people are attending amphitheater. but this site is NOT intended for trailers, the site is intended for tents however we had the reservation for so long they allowed us to attempt to stay and park the trailer. We did but other ground was very uneven. GREAT campground, quiet, cool hikes. They have blue birds that look like the angry birds and they are a nuisance dropping twigs in your food and coffee and tormenting your dog if you bring it. STILL AWESOME.
GuideRoper lake state park is a beautifully well kept state park. It's $20 a night for tent camping, $30 a night for full RV hookups. (which is kinda high for this area and amenities offered).
This is my local state park so I visit almost every weekend and kayak the lake. There is a lot of fishing, swimming, and hiking available. There are also some really nice cabins available to rent!
The camp sights are a small size but offer some privacy from other sites. There are fire rings in every site, as well as a Covered pick-nick tables!!!
They also offer some full hookup sites, as well as sewage dump and potable water.
There is a group sized hot tub available for public use that is filled with natural hot springs water as well as a swimming beach and day use area.
Legend
The Cave Creek Canyon on the western edge of the Chiricahua Mountains is a spectacular area that will completely take you by surprise. This cute campground tucked into the trees will charm your socks off!
Each site has the standard picnic table, bear locker, fire ring and lots of shade. The bathroom is a vault toilet, kept clean by the volunteer camp host, staying at Sandy Flat. This campground is rather small with just a couple small RV sites and lots of shade. Perfect for tent camping though. Great for warmer months, not so great for solar charging due to the shade, so we moved up the road to Sunny Flat campground. There are two small cabins available for rent near the forest visitor’s center, check with the Coronado National Forest, Douglas District office.
The area is a birder’s paradise and at certain times of year can get very busy. Great opportunities for hiking, biking and wildlife viewing throughout the entire mountain range. All the campgrounds are first-come, first-served.
There's not much in the area for food and gas, so come prepared. There is one small grill/basic grocery store down the mountain, but if you are looking for real groceries, shop before you come.
Legend
My husband, myself and our 2 small dogs live in Tucson, AZ. We recently acquired a roof top tent and we’ve been trying out various campgrounds across the Southwest.
The drive up scenic highway 366 is worth a trip regardless. There are some amazing views of the Pinaleños. Since it’s still February, the road to the top of the mountain was closed to us so we decided to stay at Arcadia since it’s open year round.
We were the only people staying overnight, which surprised us since it was a holiday weekend. We did see a group picnicking when we first arrived though. Also, we could hear sports cars on the highway at night. Probably racing down the tight switchbacks.
No water, so make sure to bring your own. Toilets were clean, pit toilets and there were 2 sets. Campsites are pretty spread out. Some were 30-50 feet from the main road and wouldn’t really suit our needs as RTT campers. Lots of trash cans and a few bear boxes. Each site has a fire pit with a cooking grate and a cement picnic table. For camping in AZ, it is well suited for tent camping. We stayed in site 12. Most other sites wouldn’t not be ideal for RTTs.
I would definitely return to the Pineleños, but I’m going to wait until April, when we can access the sites at the top of the mountains.
Overall, it’s a nice wooded area, but with only 1 hiking trail (to Shannon Campground, 10mi r/t) and no vista views from the site, I don’t think it’s worth $20 a night. We decided to only spend 1 night here.
GuideIf approved by congress, Chiricahua National Monument will become Arizona's fourth National Park. While the current monument is a compact area geographically, it definitely has the uniqueness of a national park and warrants the added protections. It will however make a very special place more popular, so you might want to visit sooner than later.
If you camp in a tent, van, micro-camper, or small travel trailer you will find Bonita Canyon Campground to be a memorable and wonderful place. Don't try to bring any big rigs as they simply won't fit. Reservations are a must.
The campground is small, beautiful, shaded and right in the middle of some incredible scenery providing easy access to the fantastic hiking and wildlife viewing that is all around you. Hosts were professional and friendly, bathhouse small but super clean, and the site boundaries were mostly marked with fences which is somewhat unique. This is an old CCC built campground. From the campground you can easily walk to the foundations of the original camp located nearby.
Pay attention to fire regulations and status. If permitted, campfires are limited to the raised grills (no rings) but you can bring your own solo type camp stove. You will need to bring your own wood and ice. Pay attention to your fuel levels in your vehicle as this is a remote place.
This is premier birdwatching country. If you can, I would highly recommend taking one of the guided walks provided by the rangers and park biologists. We learned a bunch and I am not even "a birder" and enjoyed it. The nearby visitor center will have the details.
The Arizona Coatimundi's are a very unique mammal and frequently visit the campground. Deer, turkeys, quail, and other wildlife are in abundance and easy to see from the hikes. The views of the night sky are unparalleled.
A short drive away provides access to some incredible trails for hiking or simply viewing the surrounding Wilderness areas. The rock features found in this area make it unique.
This continues to be one of our favorite places in Arizona to camp and hike.
Traveler
Alaskan RV Park is conveniently located off of I-10 at Exit 366 near Bowie. The park features affordable RV sites at $20/night. The sites are all spacious pull-throughs. There is a dump station on site($10), and water refill available (based on tank size, but not more than $20). The park is handicap accessible and pet friendly. No breed restrictions. Tenting is also available. There are showers and laundry available. Alaskan RV Park is Bowie's best kept secret as it was the site of the Sideman Jamboree each year and featured music from country stars. The park hopes to bring music back to the stage in the future.
LegendThis is a wonderful place to boondock if you are driving the I-10 or visiting Fort Bowie Nation Historic Park. The dirt road is easily passable for most vehicles. Ver quiet. Decent cell signal with T-Mobile.
GuideA beautiful, serene location not too far from I-10 and Fort Bowie. We arrived at around 10pm in our Sprinter van and found a quiet location. The campsites are far apart and you travel on compacted dirt road to get there. The father you go, the more space you have. It will be quite bumpy if you do not have an AWD or 4x4.
GuideThis area has five to ten campsites suitable for small rigs (we pull a 17-ft trailer, wouldn't go much past 20ft). From the almost-ghost town of Bowie, AZ, take the Apache Pass Rd until you reach the Happy Camp Rd. This is a good gravel/dirt road that goes up to a public picnic area (no camping). Here take the turn-off to the right to continue on Happy Camp Road. Soon you will see turn-offs and side roads. We didn't explore the side roads but we did see a couple of small rigs a hundred yards or more from the road, so it is possible to find sites there. As you continue along the road it gets worse and you'll need decent clearance (there are also sites before the road gets a little dicey, closer to the picnic area. About a mile from the picnic area we backed into a site right below the rocks with a grand view of the plains below. We camped for two nights, saw no-one. In late September, 90s during the day and 60s at night.
This site is on the *other* side of the hills from the Chiricahua Monument. To get to the monument, you can either go back to Bowie, and then to Willcox, and back to the Chiricahuas, or you can take the Apache Pass Road (the one you turned off from to get to the campsite) over the hills, past the ruins of Fort Bowie (you will have to hike 1.5 miles to the actual ruins). Total time is probably the same either way.
We drove past the campgrounds near Portal AZ as we were exploring. In late September, they were all full and there were lots of ATVs buzzing around. Compare and contrast to our empty, quiet campground with neat-looking rocks and a fine view.
We had two bars of Verizon coverage and it was fast.
GuidePopular boondocking site 8 miles south of I-10 ar Bowie. Easy to find, level dirt road with only a bit of washboard in places. Pit toiletat the day use area. Beautiful views of the giant bolders that are prevalent in this area. There were 12-15 RVs of all types spread out widely along a single dirt road. I had 3 solid bars of AT&T. Very quiet at night. There is no light pollution so stargazing would have been awesome if not for the waxing moon. Enjoyed hiking around the area. Be careful as some of the cactus will scratch you badly if you're not careful. Only con was there was no toilet paper in the pit toilet. Recommend!
LegendThis site is relatively easy to get to, considering how remote and alone and quiet it feels once here. We found a nice spot at 32.2437301, -109.5120963 in our 26 ft class C. Some sketchy parts of the road, rocky and narrow with some dips, but it can be done if you're careful.
BLM ranger and other law enforcement drove up the road about once per day, which was nice.
Drive through Bowie to get to Apache Pass Rd then a left on Happy Camp Canyon dirt road which is wide and flat but washboarded. Once you get to the recreation area, there is a picnic spot with tables and toilet but no camping is allowed in that area, you'll have to keep driving a bit further. There were a lot of campers when we stayed but we found a nice spot right off the dirt road with amazing views. Heard some gun shooting going on the first day but none following that. There are open range cattle roaming around so give them space and keep your animals leashed. On a hike one was walking right up to us so be aware.There were times on our hikes where you turn a corner and there are a few just standing there. The brush is high enough to hide some too so keep an eye out. This is BLM so the camping is FREE there is however a private property further up the dirt road (property is gated and fenced off). Spots are adequate for tents, smaller RVs or trailers.
Good place to hike, scramble up the rocks or mountain bike.
Good verizon and AT&T reception.
Legend
Various Oaks and Alligator Junipers abound at this cute little National Forest campground tucked in the Dragoon Mountains, another of Arizona’s beautiful “Islands in the Sky.” Named for the late Apache leader, Chief Cochise, this campground sits at the base of a few absolutely gorgeous hiking trails and rock climbing areas.
Each site has a good amount of space but oddly a small amount of space for tents and RV’s longer than 24 feet won’t fit in most of the sites. There is no privacy in between sites, but each site has good tree coverage (almost too much for our solar suitcase on an extension cord). Each site has a huge cement picnic table, fire ring, and grill and there are a couple composting toilets. There was no drinking water available at the campground (the website says there is water), but there is a creek you can pull water from for filtering, so come prepared.
Important note: If there is rain in the forecast, be aware that you may get stuck in this campground for a couple of days, as you have to cross numerous washes on the road to/from the campground. We were there for 3 days before it was safe to pull a small camper across the “death wash” that grew to 6 feet high and 20 feet wide during a 24-hour rain event!
TravelerCan't beat $10 for a tent. We slept under 2 pistachio trees with fresh nuts. Showers included, very friendly staff. Would recommend.
LegendSuper underrated and amazing national monument on the south eastern border of Arizona. Definitely worth a stop in!
LegendMy husband, myself and our 2 small dogs live in Tucson, AZ. We recently acquired a roof top tent and we’ve been trying out various campgrounds across the Southwest.
This is still one of our favorite National Parks to stay at. The sites were “pull though” so it’s perfect for our Roof Top Tent set up. Plenty of trees and hiking opportunities. Honestly, it’s worth the trip just to see the coatimundis. They are ADORABLE!
Pros: Coatis! Scenery. Easy to access. Water. Bear boxes.
Cons: As typical in National Parks, the majority of hiking trails are not dog friendly. No showers. no fire pits, just BBQ that can be used for cooking with fire.
LegendThe campground is beautiful and the national monument feels very spiritual. If you have not explored this southeast corner of Arizona, you are missing out!
Traveler
Small campground best suited for tents or small trailers. Ours is 24 and we just fit. Toilets and great tasting water are the amenities. The hiking and views were amazing as you walked thru the hoodos.
GuideAs long as you go when it's not snowing! There's hundreds of beautiful, well maintained and overgrown trails throughout the mountain range. Tons of wildlife and big trees. It's a forest wonderland compared to the surrounding Arizona desert.
TravelerThe only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that the Male showers/restroom was under construction and not usable.
Gravel drive-through and back-in spots for RVs with 30 or 50 amp connections, water and sewer. Two tent spots. North of Willcox, but the city is small enough that the whole town is within walking distance (we walked to the center of town in about 15 minutes).
This is basically an old trailer park that has been upgraded to accommodate RVs around the perimeter and a couple of tents near the park/restroom area.
The shower/restroom area also has laundry facilities.
We didn't go into the rec room, but were told it has a pool table and a book/video exchange-type library.
The Rodeo grounds are a short drive across the freeway (don't follow your GPS if it tells you to use airport road - take the route that uses Rex Allen Drive) at Quail park (about 2 miles away - straight shot). This is a very convenient park to the Rodeo Grounds.
This park, as was all of Willcox (even though it was Rex Allen Days weekend) is VERY QUIET. Didn't see anyone other than a couple of dog walkers in the morning and the staff when we checked in.
Traveler
Moderately rough road out for non 4x4 vehicle road, but fine going slow. Good spots off the road, fairly private and not too many other campers nearby. Lots of animals nearby very loud waking up and ants on the ground, we were glad we were in a roof tent not on the ground.
GuideI love it here. The campsites are fairly small and there's not much room for tents, but you don't go to the Stronghold to spend much time at camp anyway. The climbing here is rugged and relatively undeveloped and the views are pretty amazing. The rock that's formed here is unlike anything else in the area and just spending time here far from civilization makes you feel like an Apache warrior hiding out in the mountains.
ScoutThis State Park is very well cared for and a pleasure to stay in. It has three campgrounds, with sites for tents and RV's, as well as eight camping cabins for rent. The lake has fishing, swimming, and is perfect for kayaks and SUP's ... no gas powered motors allowed. The restrooms are nice and clean, with showers. There is also a dump station for RV's to use. There are several miles of walking paths - the wildlife and bird-watching is good. There is also a charming spring-fed natural stone hot tub!
GuideWe found the ranger to be very helpful in terms of outdoor activities (hiking, fishing, etc.) The park has great spaces for tent campers and big rigs, with electricity for 30 and 50 amp campers. They also have several cabins right on the lake.
Our spot had a picnic table and was right beside the beach. There is a great hike only minutes from the campground where you can see Mt. Graham.
The bathrooms, showers, and sinks were all well maintained. Also, the spot is great for stargazing.
We are looking forward to returning. The town of Safford is charming and has some nice restaurants too.
Tent camping near Bowie, Arizona offers a unique blend of serene landscapes and outdoor adventures, perfect for nature enthusiasts looking to escape the hustle and bustle.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bowie, AZ is Happy Camp Trail with a 4.6-star rating from 22 reviews.
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