Best Tent Camping near Cibecue, AZ

Tent camping near Cibecue, Arizona provides access to rugged backcountry experiences on Apache tribal lands and surrounding wilderness areas. Second Campground and Salt River Canyon - Apache Tribe offer tent-only camping options within the Salt River Canyon region. These primitive tent campsites provide access to Cibecue Falls and the surrounding canyon landscape, with Second Campground included as part of the permit to hike the falls. Additional tent campgrounds like Airplane Flat and Alderwood are located within driving distance, offering more established facilities while maintaining a wilderness feel.

Most tent campgrounds in the Cibecue area require permits, particularly those on Apache tribal lands. No potable water is available at most sites, requiring campers to bring their own supplies. Second Campground features basic vault toilets but limited other amenities. Salt River Canyon - Apache Tribe campground offers picnic tables and toilets with hike-in access. Fire restrictions are common, with many sites prohibiting open flames. The dirt access roads can be challenging, with one camper noting the approach to Second Campground as "a dirt road with a cliff on one side." Summer temperatures can be extreme, while spring and fall offer more moderate conditions.

The backcountry tent camping experience near Cibecue provides exceptional solitude and natural beauty. According to reviews, Salt River Canyon - Apache Tribe campground is "completely uncultivated" and "a hidden gem" with "easy access to lake, wildlife" while remaining "quiet" despite being relatively close to town. Second Campground offers "quiet camp sites" that make for "a relaxing night after a short hike to the falls." Cell service is nonexistent in most areas, creating a true disconnect from urban life. Walk-in tent sites at some locations require additional hiking but reward campers with greater privacy and pristine surroundings. The combination of canyon views, water access, and minimal development creates an authentic primitive tent camping experience.

Best Tent Sites Near Cibecue, Arizona (41)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Cibecue, AZ

462 Reviews of 41 Cibecue Campgrounds


  • Tara S.
    Feb. 22, 2023

    Roosevelt Lake - Cholla Campground

    Peaceful Spot in the Winter

    We spent 3 nights here in February, and while it was chilly, the place was very quiet and the stars were amazing! There are no hookups here, but there are bathrooms with flush toilets (some have showers), and there are faucets with potable water. There's also a boat launch and a few playgrounds for the kids. 

    There were mostly RVs here, but the waterfront tent sites are amazing if you don't mind walking in from the main parking area (it's not a far walk).

    Each campsite has a picnic table with a shaded awning and a fire pit, but you have to bring in your own wood or gather it from the surrounding forest. Saw lots of birds here - cactus wren, quail, finches, warblers, and road runners.

  • R
    Feb. 29, 2020

    Roosevelt Lake - Schoolhouse Campground

    Quiet with Gorgeous Views

    Right on beautiful Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Nice sites, decently spaced (except 204 and 205 are pretty tight), beautiful 360* mountain views. Well kept. Nick, the host, is friendly and helpful. There are no showers, but there are a few flush toilets. No water hookups, but potable water is available at the restrooms. No electric sites, but we had all the 110 power we needed from our solar panels/inverter system. I’d give this 5 stars if there were a dump station, but there isn’t. The boat launch is very nice.

  • Hayley K.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 17, 2020

    Hawley Lake Apache Indian Res

    Camping for Nearby Lake Access

    We camped here when we had a permit to fish at nearby Christmas Tree Lake. Christmas Tree Lake is a beautiful little lake nestled in the White Mountains of Arizona on Apache land. It boasts some amazing fishing for the native trout species- the Apache trout. The fish are stocked, so it may not be a true experience for some but most of the access to the native fish in their native habitat is restricted or non existent to protect these beautiful creatures. The lake offers paid access on a day to day basis. A total of 25 permits per day are offered to keep fishing pressure in check. But these permits are non refundable so don't reserve too early. 

    Permits and information can be found on the website but customer service can be difficult. Camping is available on a first come basis at Hawley Lake which also offers great fishing and beautiful scenery. Be aware that I did experience some free range cattle snooping through the camp at 2am which was a bit unexpected. Also, being in the mountains, it was pretty cold at night. 

    The area we camped in was open and the roads were well marked. Campsites were situated near fire rings with only the occasional picnic table. There were four pretty well maintained portable toilets near our camp as well. Be sure to review the rules and regulations on the website as some areas are off limits and to make sure you have all the proper permits for fishing and/or camping.(State and local licenses required for fishing)

  • Audrey R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2018

    Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area

    Just don't go on a holiday weekend

    If you go during the winter months (that is, if roads are open), you may likely be the only one there! The lake is not very easily accessible for camping but it's an easy hike down for fishing, photography, and simply enjoying nature. Keep your eyes peeled, you may spot a bald eagle. The actual campground is usually crowded with no privacy. Perhaps suitable for a large group. Restrooms, never mind, just bring a shovel and use the woods; it's cleaner. Just don't be disgusting and leave it all out. Leave No Trace, PLEASE. Also, you'll need to carry out all your trash. On a holiday weekend (Labor Day especially) there are so many visitors but otherwise only a few venture out that way. Your best bet for solitude is to drive 2-4 miles passed the campground which will be on your right and find a good dispersed spot. Just bring ribbon or rope to mark a tree from the road in case you need to travel down to Woods Canyon Lake store or out to a Rim viewpoint for cell service.

  • Shaun S.
    Apr. 11, 2017

    Christopher Creek

    Family Fun!

    So this campground has it all! The creek, bathrooms, paved roads and space! Site's are clean and well taken care of! Bring firewood or buy it from the host because there is none laying around! The creek is stocked with trout and makes for calming background noise! We will be back for sure! $20 a night per site! Group sites available! Bear boxes at every site and trailers are limited to 22'. No hook ups available but there is a dump station a few miles away at ponderosa!

  • Gerard R.
    Jul. 7, 2020

    Chevelon Crossing Campground

    Off the grid!

    Many of the photos listed here aren’t correct. There aren’t any paved parking spots that others have posted. Anyhow, I love this place because odds are you will be the only one camping out there. It’s a good 45 minute drive after the pavement ends. Most of the sites have picnic tables and fire rings but are near where you park. We carried our stuff down the canyon about 100 feet to set up. It was kind of dry but there was still water running through. Very secluded place with no one else there. So peaceful. Plenty of firewood. Beautiful meadows as well. We went hiking down the stream a bit and found some smaller bear foot prints so be aware. Some friendly raccoons tried to join us for dinner by the fire as well. There are some vaulted toilets there which was surprising. If you like solitude, this is your spot.

  • April H.
    Nov. 1, 2025

    Christopher Creek

    Nice, Convenient Campground

    This campground is reservable on Rec.gov and you can get sites half price with your Lifetime Senior Pass.  It's situated right off the highway just below the Mogollon Rim.  It's nicely wooded so plenty of shade is available.  A lot of the sites, mine included, are situated along the creek.  (the site with my name was really close to the pit bathroom and the smell was intolerable.-fortunately the ranger let me change sites)  The sites were dirt.  I was tent camping and we did get some rain but not enough to cause a mud issue.  All sites have the standard table and fire ring.  Normally they have water but when I was there the water pump was broken so I had to drive to another campground to get water.  There are no showers.  There wasn't a lot of privacy but the sites were far enough apart to make you feel you had plenty of space.  This seems to be the case with National Forest campgrounds.  There are multiple hiking trails close by and supplies available in the little town of Christopher Creek.

  • Krista Z.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 28, 2019

    Woods Canyon Group Campground

    Ranger Review: RovR RollR 60 at Woods Canyon Group Campground

    Campground Review:

    Woods Canyon Group Campground was a great area! There are 12 usable spots most of which I would consider double if not triple occupency. The roads were well maintained and would be easy to drive into even with a car. Each site had a metal fire pit with grill grates and a picnic table. We didn't end up using the fire pits at the individual sites at all because there was a huge (probably about 3 foot wide) metal campfire ring in the middle of the group loop. We easily sat about 20 folding camp chairs around the pit each night. There is also a large concrete area with about 10 picnic tables and 2 huge grills. There are also 2 prep tables and 2 poles with hooks you can use to hang lanterns and trash bags. The only real downside to this area is that it was not covered so mid day sun may be really warm and rain could get in the way. 

    The loop has it's own vault style bathroom building with a men and a women's side. They were very clean and kept well stocked (probably because there is a designated host to the group site and he was very attentive). There are 2 potable water faucets in the loop. When we arrived the water was really murky brown but by the time we left it was running clean. If I had to guess it was because we were the first ones to run water through the pipes in a while. There is also a designated dumpster near the entrance/exit so you don't have to tote your trash home.

    There is only 1 entrance/exit to the loop and it made it really nice for the kids. They were able to ride their bikes around the loop and play in the grassy area in the center without a lot of traffic in and out. There are multiple hiking trails in the area and the lake is just a short walk away. 

    At the entrance there is a sign with prices for the sites per night so I imagine that if you go up on a night that the entire loop is not rented they will rent out single sites. The site is a bit hard to find and can get confusing because it's called Woods Canyon campground at Woods Canyon Lake but there are actually 4 or 5 other campgrounds around Woods Canyon Lake. The sign at the entrance was also broken so it could be easy to miss if you aren't paying attention. I drove up using Google maps and it did take me right to it. With as close as it is to the main road leading to the lake we didn't hear much of the traffic (except for the loud side by sides and quads).

    .....................................................

    Product Review:

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing the RovR RollR 60. This cooler definitely has some cool features that help it stand out. The first thing is the all-terrain puncture resistant rubber tires. I was able to roll this thing through camp and over rocks about the size of baseballs with no issues. If for some reason you do manage to damage the tires they are replaceable! The RollR 60 was very easy to pull. They have a dual sided aluminum handle with rubber grips. The design was made specifically with your heels in mind. You actually pull the cooler off to the side so it isn't constantly bumping into your heels.

    The RollR 60 is certified grizzly bear resistant. It has a rotomolded foam insulated lid and body which helps the ice retention (up to 10 days with proper use) as well as making it super durable. We used it for 3 days and had very little ice melt even with the cooler sitting in the warm mid-day sun. The lid seals with an airtight gasket and I can confirm when it is latched it is leakproof. The cooler has a removable dry bin inside which is one of my favorite parts. This bin attaches to the inside with a removable screw and it keeps all of the water out so no more soggy bags or cardboard! The center divider of the dry bin is cut out and it works great to fit a full size loaf of bread or carton of eggs.

    On top of the RollR 60 is a removable canvas storage bin. The one it comes with is almost an off white color and does show dirt fairly easily so if you are going to be getting filty you may want to upgrade to the designer tote. Even though the tote is collaspsible it is very sturdy when it is set up and can handle a lot of stuff inside. Our fold up camp chairs were hanging out the top and still didn't topple the tote. When the tote is folded down it velcros to the lid for easy storage and then doubles as a make shift padded seat.

    RovR has gone above and beyond with the accessories available for this cooler. They have a prepping board that can attach to the side (perfect for sandwiches, cheese boards, or cutting limes). There is an optional umbrella/rod holder. Again, you could carry the rods or umbrella in the storage tote but this would keep the rod from getting banged up with the other items in there over rough terrain. There is a cup holder because sometimes a flat surface can be hard to find and setting things on the ground can always be risky. There is also a BikR kit you can use to attach it to a bike for easy towing. The accessory I was able to demo was the stash bag. It was a fleece lines drawstring bag with 2 zippered pockets on the outside. It was perfect for putting in my keys, phone, and wallet for easy access and to keep them off the ground and prevent them from getting lost.

    As with all things there are bound to be features that you aren't in love with. When it comes to the RollR 60 these features aren't deal breakers for me but worth calling out. The RollR 60's handle is not adjustable. I'm 5ft 7in and it worked well for me as well as a few other people that tried it all in the 5-6ft height range. However, I could see it being difficult for someone a bit shorter than that (for example a child). When my son was rolling it around he managed to tip it backwards and because it wasn't latched there was ice everywhere. We played around with it and figured out that if you lifted it much beyond 45 degrees it would roll backwards since the handle doesn't lock open. This could be problematic if you were dragging it up a steep incline. The handle is also just about the same height as the cooler and when it hangs down it often hit the ground and did get pretty dirty. 

    The cooler doesn't have a specific lock location. It does have the metal bars where you attach the accessories that you could use a larger padlock on but not a standard sized lock. The drain plug is not attached to the cooler in any way so be sure when you are draining it that you don't set it down and lose it. My biggest peeve was the weight of the cooler. I literally could not lift it by myself when it was loaded so getting it in and out of the truck was a 2 person job. (thankfully, because of the wheels I was able to move it around camp by myself without any issues)

    Overall I really liked the RovR RollR 60. If you like to bike to the beach and take a cooler or to do walk-in campsites this is the way to go. It was so nice to have the additional storage bin on to to help minimize the amounts of trips we needed to make back and forth and it was so easy to pull. Make sure you are either super strong or plan to have help loading and unloading the cooler from a vehicle (again, this would be a great reason to just tow it behind a bike).

  • Michael B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Spillway (AZ)

    Woodsy and Clean

    Beautiful campground with great weather! These are drive up campsites with great hosts. There was a nicely cleaned out fire ring and a good size flat ground area for our 4p tent. The campsites were a little close at times and was noisey after quiet hours but not after midnight which was good. At our site we were down wind from the restrooms so we would catch a smell at time but, it was a short hike to the spillway and follow that to the lake which you could rent boats and skip rocks.  Very woodsy and a nice cool night perfect for a fire.


Guide to Cibecue

Tent camping near Cibecue, Arizona requires navigation through White Mountain Apache tribal lands, where permits are mandatory for all visitors. Located at approximately 4,500 feet elevation, the area experiences temperature ranges from below freezing in winter months to over 100°F during summer days. Camping options span from established campgrounds with minimal amenities to completely undeveloped dispersed sites, with most locations sitting at the junction of desert and pine forest ecosystems.

What to do

Creek fishing access: At Airplane Flat Campground, campers can walk to nearby waters for recreational fishing. "Short walk to Lower Canyon Creek where the waters were icy cold. Great trout fishing - north of the bridge, catch and release only south of the bridge with barbless lures only," notes Gerard R.

Wildlife observation: The remote location of many camping areas provides excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. David Y. describes Forest Road 195 Campground as "pretty secluded and pretty remote. Sites are of different sizes, anyone can camp, big trailers etc. very quiet except for nature and birds."

Waterfall hiking: Several campgrounds serve as base camps for waterfall hikes in the region. According to Doug C., camping at Second Campground "makes for a relaxing night after a short hike to the falls," referring to the permit-required hike to Cibecue Falls.

What campers like

Privacy and seclusion: Many campers appreciate the remote, uncrowded nature of camping in this region. Emm S. describes Alderwood Campground as a "diamond in the rough" that was "a bit out of the way, but fairly easy to access. Exactly what we were looking for with much appreciated privacy and no one else around."

Natural water features: Access to creeks, springs, and waterholes ranks highly among camper preferences. "We went in July and it was upper 80's during the day, perfect at night for a fire. Short walk to Lower Canyon Creek where the waters were icy cold," reports one Airplane Flat visitor.

Disconnect from technology: The lack of connectivity creates a true wilderness experience. David Y. notes "no Verizon for the most part" at Forest Road 195, while Sonja T. cautions that "cell services leaving Payson for ATT/Cricket was NONEXISTENT for most of the way, especially up in the dispersed areas. Use offline maps, don't rely on internet access if you have Cricket!"

What you should know

Permit requirements: Most camping within Apache tribal lands requires specific permits purchased in advance. Camping at Salt River Canyon - Apache Tribe and other tribal sites requires proper authorization, with Susan W. noting that despite being "completely uncultivated," the area remains under tribal management.

Road conditions: Access roads to many camping areas are unpaved and can be challenging. Doug C. describes the road to Second Campground as "a dirt road with a cliff on one side," while Sonja T. warns that at Forest Road 195, "the roads off the main are VERY rough. In our Santa Cruz we had to go very slow and careful. Better suited for larger trucks with ample clearance."

Site availability: During peak seasons, finding available sites can be difficult without advance planning. "We tried this site but it was full in both sides of 195. Not a site to be found," reports one camper about a busy weekend at Forest Road 195 Campground.

Tips for camping with families

Choose established sites: For family camping, consider campgrounds with basic amenities. Andy K. notes that at Airplane Flat Campground, "the spots are spaced out decently" and Bryce R. adds there's "great area lots of room. There's a fish hatchery nearby."

Weather preparation: Temperature fluctuations require packing for multiple conditions. One camper reports sleeping through "a light rainstorm" at Alderwood Campground, while summer temperatures at higher elevations remain milder than surrounding lowlands.

Water activities: Several sites offer creek access for children to enjoy supervised water play. Gerard R. describes Airplane Flat's creek access as having "icy cold" waters, perfect for cooling off during warmer months.

Tips from RVers

Site selection for larger vehicles: Not all campgrounds accommodate larger RVs. David Y. notes that at Forest Road 195, "sites are of different sizes, anyone can camp, big trailers etc.," making it suitable for various vehicle sizes.

Limited hookups: No campgrounds in the immediate Cibecue area provide water, electric, or sewer connections. RVers must be fully self-contained with adequate water, propane, and waste storage capacity for the duration of their stay.

Road clearance considerations: High-clearance vehicles are strongly recommended for accessing most campgrounds. Sonja T. explains that Forest Road 195 has roads that are "VERY rough. In our Santa Cruz we had to go very slow and careful. Better suited for larger trucks with ample clearance."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cibecue, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cibecue, AZ is Second Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Cibecue, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 41 tent camping locations near Cibecue, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.