Are you in need of a campground near Clay Springs, AZ? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that Arizona camping has to offer. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Clay Springs. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
"Would bring the family back for some boondocking in our camper. Despite being the first spot closest to the road, so few cars pass here I rarely noticed."
"We came up from Phoenix to get away from city life for 48 hours and this place is beautiful. We just got here and I have at least some reception because I’m doing the review from the site."
"We showed late on Friday eve and were still able to get a great spot for tent camping. Pretty quiet and close to town."
"Right outside the South Gate of the Petrified Forest National Park. They offer free camping with no hookups for self contained rigs. Water is available at city hall if needed."
"Dirt lot with about 20 spots for RVs, trailers, campervans, or any other self contained camper. They don't allow tent camping because there are no bathrooms available."
"Easy to get to, close to town, clearly marked trails and roadways. Hiking views were spectacular."
"Bear Canyon campground and lake located off AZ260 north east of payson."
"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."
"Nice spot along the highway. You can hear vehicles but in a van, barely heard it. There’s prairie dogs and bunnies galore, which was a nice bonus. Clean porti potties and decent AT&T signal."
"Great, great free camping. ~20 sites, most official sites have concrete pads & trashcans but a few more primitive spots just have driveways & rock campfire rings. Great Verizon Service."
"Along with this site, there are many dispersed camping sites right on the side of the rim with great views that you can see miles out. Great for tent camping but also big enough for campers and RVs"
"I tried camping nearby and everywhere was full. This site had at least 5 or 6 spots open and most sites have an overlook. The road to the sites was not bad at all."
"It was a small campground located off of some unpaved forest roads with large campsites equipped with fire pits and some even with BBQ grills. There were picnic tables at the sites as well."
"Free entry and a toilet near the entrance. Saw some deer while on a hike and seems like a great area for off-roading in an ATV or dirt bike."
"The sites are within a 1/4 mile of the highway (close enough to see the vehicle lights at night) but there is no highway noise."
RangerBear Canyon campground and lake located off AZ260 north east of payson. Near Woods Canyon lake(larger and more accessible), and Knoll lake(smaller than Bear Canyon)
Bear Canyon campground is easily accessible and free. No reservations. No water/electric hookups. No picnic tables. No trash service-pack it in, pack it out. It will fill up on weekends during the summer as the weather is so temperate. We came up on a weekday and stayed to the beginning of the weekend and it wasn’t too crowded.
Pros: The weather was amazing. High of 75-78 in the day and high 40’s at night. There was a constant breeze which kept it cool and fresh feeling. The lake is a short hike(0.2 miles) from the trailhead. And provides good fishing from the shore. There is plenty of free firewood’s around; just bring a saw and splitting axe. Near the Rim and other lakes (Woods Canyon and Knoll). Pit toilets were a far walk depending on where you camped but they were clean.
Cons: This entire area is very rocky! We have a pop up but I can’t imagine tent camping without an air mattress. Each campsite maybe has a fire pit and that’s it. Boats and Kayaks would be a real challenge to bring down and up as the trail is very steep, rocky, and loose.
Overall, we were disappointed that we were unable to use our kayaks but the weather make up for it and it was a great, relaxing trip.
GuideDispersed camping off dirt roads. Highly Used but still space for privacy. Fire restrictions in the summer. No cell service. Some groups were loud and some vehicle traffic throughout the night. Sites are not numbered, just camp near the road. Check out Woods Canyon Lake on the way in!
TravelerWe came up from Phoenix to get away from city life for 48 hours and this place is beautiful. We just got here and I have at least some reception because I’m doing the review from the site. Was it easy to get to, right off the highway, we drove back about a mile into the woods and there was tons of places to camp. Granted it’s early January so that could have something to do with all the open spots. There’s no facilities of any kind. We’re totally Boondocking it with our RV no hook ups just the water we brought and a generator, but I couldn’t be happier so quiet.
Oh yeah. If you are checking the weather, it’s closer to Heber than Payson. Payson low tonight expected to be 37, but Heber is expected to get to 24. Brrrrr
LegendCampground is good for tent, campervan, RV, and trailers (limited parking for campers, RVs, and trailers). Typical dispersed campground. No services, pack in, pack out.
Once off the highway you follow a paved road (with plenty of potholes) about .5 miles. Turn right onto a dirt road, and the first right is the campground. At the interection of the dirt road and paved road there is a pullout area that I saw a trailer and RV parked. You could get an RV into the dispersed area, but only the first few spaces would really be suitable and may be difficult to turn around. Plenty of spaces in the dispersed area. First area has about 4 spaces with fire rings and a few without. If you continue up the road there are a lot more areas to park, the road gets a bit rough and narrow after the first area. I wouldn't recommend bringing a campervan or anything large up that area. Trees will scratch the side of your vehicle or trailer, and if the road is wet, you probably won't make it up.
Overall, great dispersed camping, quiet area. As you go further up the road you can hear noise from the highway, but very minimal.
TravelerGreat boondocking spot off the main road as you would be heading to knoll lake just past Woods Canyon Recreation area . Beautiful setting in the Forrest. No amenities, located near the Rim. Peaceful and quiet. open space. Numbered sites. The main road is a good well maintained dirt/gravel road. Once you turn off on fr 9350 Campground (which is marked) to go towards the sites it is a bit rough but we were able to make with our Class A, just slow going. Sites are far apart, large with 10 person max and 14 day limit.
RangerSpent a few nights up here dry camping. Sort of a rough road going out. Lots of people but we got a spot on the edge of the camp. Bathrooms are as basic as they get. Windy in the morning but settled as the day went on each day. The lake is about a mile away. There is a short but very steep hike, don’t plan on carrying too much stuff. Nowhere to launch kayaks from the campground side but we could see a boat launch on the far side of the lake. Lots of people fishing, sort of hard to find a spot on the shore with space between anyone else. The water was pretty clean and ok for swimming. The camp and lake had a decent amount of broken glass which is a bummer. Pine trees are tall but area has been pretty cleared out so campsites are a little bit exposed. We had shade as long as we moved around through the day.
LegendIf 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.
LegendJust under 50 sites off the dirt road. All sites have fire rings and are numbered. There were fire restrictions during my stay so definitely look into that beforehand, as with any other place. The sites were nicely spread out. The first few sites were along the rim. The others were within forested areas, well off the dirt road.
ScoutThis is a beautiful spot off AZ state highway 260. Roads are a bit bumpy, and they have some shallow water crossings. Rvs and campers can make it in with relative ease.
This place is dispersed, meaning no hook-ups. Pack out what you pack in, no trash services. Can get a little loud on the weekends with the side by sides zooming around.
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Clay Springs, AZ is Dutch's Tank with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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