We all love roasting marshmallows over a campfire—and you can often still do that while cabin camping in Clay Springs. Find the best cabin camping near Clay Springs. Find your own little secluded paradise in nature. The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect camping cabin rental.
Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA is near the surrounding national parks and monuments. Easy access to I-40 gets you to many attractions, including the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park (20 minutes). All sites are pull-through, level, and with a picnic table. We are "Big Rig Friendly" with a variety of large sites. Dogs and cats are welcome.
Mogollon Campground, although not directly in the Woods Canyon Recreation area, sits just outside and is only two miles from the lake. For those who like spectacular views, this campground is one of the closest to the Mogollon Rim.
Fishing and boating are available at Woods Canyon Lake which is approximately three miles from the campground on Road 105.
Mogollon Campground is surrounded by ponderosa pines. The road to Mogollon is a sandy road off of Road 300. The campground itself is also sandy and gravel.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 535-0181.
Some groceries are available at the Marina Store at Woods Canyon Lake which is approximately three miles from the campground. The store also offers boat and kayak rentals. Woods Canyon Lake is a great lake for fishing.
$18 / night
$38 / night
Rustic cabin rentals for your next adventure! Offering cozy, private cabins, come enjoy the cool pines in Heber-Overgaard
Timber Camp Recreation Area has one of the most popular family and group campgrounds in the Tonto National Forest offering both day-use sites and over-night areas.
Abundant recreation opportunities such as cross-country horseback riding, hiking, in-season hunting, exploring, off-highway vehicle use and wildlife viewing are in close proximity. In the spring, whitewater rafting trips on the Upper Salt River launch a mere 20-minute drive from the site. Brundrett 2 and the equestrian sites are excellent places to stage authorized outdoor group events (a separate permit may be required). While there are no dedicated equestrian trails, the surrounding terrain is ideal for cross-country horseback riding.
Located within the Timber Camp Mountains and surrounded by a ponderosa pine and juniper woodland, this area offers a cool get away from the hot summer months. Five miles east of the site, the area eventually meets the ledges and beautiful vistas of the Salt River Canyon and the Salt River Canyon Wilderness.
Approximately 10 miles north along Highway 60, on White Mountain Apache Tribal Lands, lies Seneca Lake and Falls, a popular recreation area for sightseeing and fishing (WMAT permit required). As you continue further north along Highway 60, the road cascades down into the Salt River Canyon where several overlooks allow you to capture the magnificent beauty of "Arizona's other Grand Canyon". Only 24 miles south from Timber Camp, the City of Globe offers an array of restaurants, as well as antique, grocery, and feed and tack stores.
$16 - $150 / night
This is a nice spot on a gentle slope that overlooks the beautiful plateaus of Petrified Forest National Park. Sits on a hill, further away from all the other homes. Enjoy amazing star gazing and shooting stars. This upgraded spot now has lots more amenities than before.
This is an adorable 10x10 non-insulated shed/cabin with one bunk bed above sofa bed, refrigerator, coffee counter top with cabinet storage dishes, pots and pans and utensils. You can also enjoy an indoor wood burning stove or a Portable Buddy heater and a two burner Coleman stove with propane tank, hot or cold running water and sink. We provide a double cartridge toilet that flushes.
Enjoy the outdoor area with (2) hammocks, coffee table and chairs, (2) bonfire pits and even a large dog pen for your small traveling buddies to enjoy. Owner is always on site unless you request otherwise, more privacy.
$85 - $100 / night
Located within a ponderosa pine stand. Close proximity to Upper Salt River access. Site is adjacent to US Highway 60 Trail system is in design phase.
$16 / night
Scout
Stayed in a cabin here and had a terrible time. Nothing like getting rained on due to a hole in the roof of the cabin. I had cabin H. We also got woken up by people trying to get into the cabin. I can't blame them the cabin didn't have a letter clearing marking it as cabin H. Also we had a hard time finding the cabin in the first place due to signage being wrong. Shrubs are grownup were it is difficult to get to the door of the cabin.
I also heard one of the maintenance people talking about some cabins that the hot water heater wasn't working correctly.
If you run into trouble don't expect help or understanding from the manager or staff. While writing about my experience on other sites i kept wondering how these folks got good reviews in the past. then i saw a post dated around 2 months ago saying that they had new owners. so be forewarned.
Scout
Great place to hike, camp, rent a cabin or relax. Fishing in the area with cabins or camping depending on what you prefer. We have rented a cabin every August and the weather is wonderful. Some rain but very green and lovely outdoors.
ScoutStopped here on our way out west and stayed in a cabin. The cabin was clean and well maintained. If you’re thinking about tent camping, check the weather for wind because the area is quite windy. Playground was old school and made of metal, so not ideal for kids in the heat. The pool was a nice relief from the heat and the store had lots of camping basics if you need them.
RangerThis KOA has lot's of space, from private tent sites to RV with full hookups, fully equipped cabins, even a giant Wigwam to stay at. It also has a pool, playground, small libary, and a well stocked store, everyday they cook food that you can buy instead of cooking yourself. This KOA is in the route 66 town of Holbrook, a small quiet town, with gas, groceries, and fast food all with in a mile of the campsite, the Petirfied Forest is a 30 mintue drive away and worth the trip. During this trip we took a big family group, and normally we tent camp, but we decided to stay in their biggest cabin, it was big and beautiful 3 a/c units, full small kitchen, loft full bathroom and lot's of comfy seat's, all you had to do was bring your clothes and food, everything was there for you. From the gas grill to the fully equipped kitchen, it was a super easy stay. This cabin slept 7 and had a eat in porch as well. It was a little on the pricey side at $160 a night but we felt worth it's price.Check out the video for a video tour of the cabin.
ScoutIn my cross country move, I stopped here for a night to visit the Petrified National Park. I had never stayed at a KOA before but got a cabin with no bathroom for 1 night. It was very nice! Cozy. There was a strong heater, and it was pet friendly! The manager was nice and the park was well kept!
GuideThis campground is great if you’re trying to check out the Petried Forest! The campground is clean and the staff are friendly. We stayed in the two person cabin with a bathroom. The bathroom looks like it was just added and it’s really nice! It is a walk-in shower so it is handicap accessible. The campground also offers an all you can eat pancake breakfast that is great. Would definitely go to this campground again.
GuideThis was our first KOA experience and it was a great spot to stop. We stayed one night as we were traveling cross county and this was convenient. They have the new cabins and a very nice layout. There is not much to do close by except for the petrified forest 20+ miles away; so we decided to visit the park the day we left, I would suggest planning a 3 to 4 hour effort to drive through the park since it is a long driving self tour and you can get out and see the sites. We stayed in a full hook up, drive through, level, and the WiFi was good. Not much road noise. They have the good ol' slide and merry go round that are had to find for kids now a days!
LegendThe KOA in Holbrook, AZ, is conveniently located just west of Petrified Forest National Park. A quick 10-minute drive to the SW entrance will reward you with a quiet, easy entrance to the park. From there, you can drive through the park and end up at the main visitor center on the northern end, near the Painted Desert.
This campground has a nice, yet older, playground, a swimming pool (open seasonally), and offers full hookups (including cable for an extra fee), tent sites, and cabins. The "kamping kitchen" is open for cowboy cookouts, including dinner and breakfast (at extra charge), and we sampled their all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, which was the best one our 5-year-old ate on our entire trip! Right near the kitchen is a sampling of petrified wood to get you in the spirit of exploration. The owners are very friendly, and even in June this campground felt uncrowded. Sites are a bit close together, but with our small 17-foot trailer, we had plenty of room, a picnic table, and fire ring. The owners were also helpful about giving directions and suggestions about all the attractions in the area. There is also a laundry room on site.
ScoutThis is probably the most beautiful campground I have been to so far. 80 degree days and 50 degree nights. Perfect for campfires under the blanket of millions of stars. The lake was amazing and quite beautiful. Fishing from our kayaks was a blast even had boat rentals available. Plenty of wildlife and cows for your viewing. Well worth the 4 1/2 hour drive from Mesa.
Guide
Camped here with my son for scouts. Nice campground. You can see so many stars at night, it’s wonderful. We took a 3.3 mile hike to woods canyon lake. There is a marina and boat rentals are available. Camped in a small tent, hung the hammock, and enjoyed nature. The only downside was the constant noise from people in their side by sides running up and down Rim road all day, and into the night. Other than that, the usual “outhouse” type facilities. Running water to fill up containers for camp.
LegendCampground Review
I remember camping at Hawley Lake all the time as a kid and it was one of my favorite places to be. After this trip back as an adult I noticed things have changed quite a bit. Do not get me wrong… it’s a beautiful lake with plenty of camping in a pine tree forest. However, there were some areas for improvement.
For starters, the roads are not marked very well. For example, you do not know how to get to the general store until you are almost to the general store. Generally, this does not bother me because I just turn on Google Maps and find whatever I need but there is intermittent cell service at best (with Verizon). Once in a while I’d catch a bar of 4G but most of the time was on “analog” or had no service at all. Along these lines, the campsites are not designated at all. Basically, you can just park and setup wherever you want. I felt like we were a bit encroached upon because of this.
There are bathroom buildings but all the ones I saw were closed. They then would have a few port-a-pottys sitting out in front of the building. The port-a-pottys weren’t well kept and were rarely stocked with toilet paper. There was trash everywhere! We walked to the ramadas by the lake and the fire pits were full of plastics and other garbage. There were constantly beer bottles left next to the port-a-pottys and randomly around camp and the lake. There was a bunch of stray garbage (including a very sharp sheared off tent pole) left in our campsite before we arrived.
The icing on the cake was the attitude of the fellow campers. There were generators running almost all night, loud music, and like I said earlier there was some weird lack of boundaries between sites.
So now that I have told you what I didn’t like about Hawley Lake let me tell you what I did like. The lake is very large and very beautiful. Most of the shoreline is easily accessible for fishing or lounging lakeside. Words for the wise you can not swim in this lake. There is a little boathouse that offers boat rentals if you would like to venture out into the water.
The weather is a wonderful escape from the valley. There is rain almost every day (varying between light afternoon showers and heavy storms). The camping fees are paid by the car and are very affordable ($9/night/car). If you plan to purchase your camping permits at the lake be sure to bring cash. The General Store does offer some essential items and has a small café with hotdog/hamburger type foods. There are cabins available for rent lakeside as well.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. On this trip, I tested The ICEMULE Pro X-Large. The ICEMULE Pro X-Large was bigger than I had expected. It makes total sense once you think about it because it holds 24 cans and ice but it still surprised me. When I was filling the cooler or trying to get those last few precious cans out of the bottom I have to stick my entire arm in all the way in up to my armpit.
The cooler is made of a very thick and durable flexible plastic type material (kind of like an above ground pool siding). It has been super rugged and did not get scratched or torn up when we have used it on a pool deck, thrown it in the truck bed (with the scratchy spray in liner), or when being toted around camp and to the lake. The cooler has an adjustable bungee cord on the front. At first, I was not sure what we were going to use that for and the more we take out the cooler I find the possibilities are endless. We have been using it to carry our silicone cups, extra sunscreen, a spare hat, etc.
The cooler has a fold top design with a buckle. I do not have any other bags that close this way so it was a bit odd to get used to and is a bit harder to do when it was full. When properly closed the cooler will float. I was shocked to find that even full of cold beverages and ice the cooler floated when I pushed it into the lake. This is a great feature if you want to use it for boating, kayaking, or tubing.
We have been using the cooler quite a bit and in a few varied conditions. One of the examples I will share is that we used it for a poolside BBQ in Arizona. We filled it with 30 cans and bottles and about a bag of ice (which is far more stuff and less ice than suggested). Our beverages stayed perfectly chilled in 100+ degree weather even though we were in and out of it constantly and after 8 hours, there was still ice in the bottom.
We have also used it without ice. We put in 12 cold drinks to start with and even without ice they were cool 3-4 hours later.
The last example I will share is that we put 3 bags of ice and 6 cans in to it. After 48 hours there was about 75% of the ice still left in the cooler!
If you do use it to its full capacity, I suggest that you fill it on an elevated surface. With 24 cans and 3 bags of ice, you will be looking at around 40 lbs of weight and when I tried to pick ours up from the ground it threw me off balance a little. After that, I would fill it on a picnic table or counter top and it was so much easier to just turn around and pick it up from carrying height. The straps on the bag are very padded and very comfortable even when it is full. There is a chest strap but no hip strap. If I could offer a suggestion to ICEMULE for improvement, it would be to add a hip strap to help carry the weight.
TravelerHawley Lake is the perfect escape when you want to get out of the heat. Pristine views, cool weather during the summer and clean facilities almost make you feel like your not in Arizona anymore. Campsites are first come first serve and both times we went in August and there were plenty of spots to chose from. Be sure to get your fishing license and permits in town, it’s a long drive into town from the lake. Bring rope to protect your campsite from wild horses and wandering cows. Overall one of favorite places to camp!
LegendWe 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)
Guide
This is on the mogollon rim so there is some great hiking and sightseeing nearby. Several lakes close also.
Very crowded but has full hookups. General store across the street It’s ok for a quick stop but not a favorite
GuideClose to Woods Canyon Lake, but very small sites. There is tons of national forest land around with large free campgrounds in Payson. About 600 free sites available between this lake and bear lake. I definitely recommend the free site.
ScoutNow we've never camped in the actual campground area so I cannot say but there are plenty of spots along the the way! We always find ourselves coming back to the rim! It's beauty and pure majesty of the area is truly an experience that you never want to leave. Even on the busy holiday weekend we are able to find isolated camping! Hiking, fishing and spectacular stargazing and are some of the many activities the rim has to offer!
ScoutWent first weekend after memorial day. Took Friday off to get a Non-reserved spot early as this small ground can fill up quick for the weekend (Half of the sites are reservable through USDA website.) Moderately spaced sites in close proximity to hwy 260, Rim lakes, and general store. Vault toilets, trash, and Water are serviced and firewood can be purchased from the camp host. We took our 9 Month old and 6 year l old and they had a blast.
GuideJust a 1/2 mile on dirt road so that’s nice but the walk in spots for this campsite are SMALL and VERY tight/close together. Not only that but all spots are parallel. This doesn’t make it very convenient unless you are tent camping which we were not. Close to the Mogollon Rim paved path which is amazing, reference the picture for that! The hosts were great...hence why I gave the 4 stars! But I wouldn’t be going back here anytime soon.
RangerHad a great night after backpacking 12 miles the first day. We found a perfect site right by the trail and were able to sleep under the stars in hammocks and even on just the ground without a tent. The area has so many trees to hammock from and provides plenty of wind-blocking so it doesn't get terribly chilly from the wind.
TravelerAwesome high elevation! Very cool for AZ summers! For the distance it is away from Phoenix you can beat it ! 2hrs drive time!
RangerI would recommend going here during the week if possible. On the weekend it is packed and right on a dirt road which is like a freeway on the weekend and creates a lot of dust and noise. However it is right on the rim and has a beautiful view.
GuideThe four stars are mainly for convenience and location. The campground is fairly small and sites are pretty close together. It is pretty nicely maintained though and the host was nice. The road is nearby so it’s not a quite campground. However, it’s just down the street from woods canyon lake and some other really nice places to visit.
ScoutStayed here many times and always a wonderful experience. The campsites are always clean with clean toilets and drinking water. The campsites are pretty spreadout from each other. Woods Canyon Lake is just a short drive away to enjoy hiking and you are within walking distance to the Rim.
TravelerWe went up and tried our luck in the Forrest lakes area to find a spot with no reservations. Pretty much every site was full but this one. So we ended up there out of necessity. Ended up being a cool little spot with a concrete pad, picnic table, fire pit and vault toilets. Awesome trails that take you around the rim with some awesome views. Would stay again!
GuideThe gift shop is nice. The rest of the park looks aged with lots of goat heads around park. Water pressure is low and WIFI is terrible. Fine for a night traveling through.
GuideBusy place.
Easy access.
Ok bathrooms and showers - clean but tired
Hooks ups good
Staff nice and direct
Sunset unbelievable
GuideStayed here Nov 21-23, 2021.
Firstly, these sites are pretty tight. They are level, but tight. All gravel. Secondly, there's nothing for dogs. They may advertise as pet friendly, but it's really just not. There's an area designated for a pet walk, but it's just not a pet walk at all. You have the option to pay an extra $20 for a site that includes a little area for your doggo, but it's about a 4x4 cage with fake grass. Really only big enough for a toy chihuahua to comfortably use it for potty time. The restrooms were clean and decent. Wifi decent. Laundry facility decent. This place is pretty straight forward in how it's designed and what it has to offer. If you don't have pets, then this place might be good for you. Overall, it was okay for 2 nights, but no more than that.
Discover the charm of cabin camping near Clay Springs, Arizona, where nature meets comfort in a stunning landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Clay Springs, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Clay Springs, AZ is Holbrook/Petrified Forest KOA with a 3.8-star rating from 38 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 8 cabin camping locations near Clay Springs, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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