Best Tent Camping near Coconino National Forest

Tent Camping Reviews near Coconino National Forest

1463 Reviews of 39 Coconino National Forest Campgrounds

• P

  Paul W.

  Traveler

  Sep. 24, 2025

  Mormon Lake Lodge RV Park & Campground

  Great alpine experience!

  Mormon Lake is an astonishing campground: all in alpine forests, at about 6500’. Mild summer, with cool nights, many escape the heat of PHX up here.

  Many 30/50 amp full-hook up sites, with a laundry and shower room( though, this time, the showers were closed for repairs.

  Mormon Lake is a huge natural flat spot in the Coconino National Forest, that even when full, might only be 5’ feet deep.

• M

  Michael

  Ranger

  Sep. 25, 2024

  Kaibab Lake Sites And Group Areas

  Very nice wooded lake camp near I40

  We stopped here because it is conveniently located between Los Angeles and Colorado. At 7000 feet not too hot. Sites are well separated and level. Great place for an overnight stay. Or longer if you like to fish or just enjoy the quiet. No swimming in the lake. But boats and fishing are allowed. We saw several Osprey fishing in the lake successfully. Only vault toilets, but they are clean. Campground hosts are friendly. Some spigots for water. There is a tent only section with no generators. Also a group area. 5G T-Mobile. Quiet.

• 

  Donna V.

  Traveler

  Apr. 8, 2022

  Houston Mesa Campground

  Nice and quiet

  We enjoyed a couple of days car/tent camping at this multiuser campground . We parked on a private shaded pad next to a fire pit and table. Very quiet (mid week). Showers were closed but the bathrooms were spotless. Camp host on grounds firewood for sale. Close by Payson.

• A

  Amanda H.

  Guide

  Oct. 23, 2020

  Dead Horse Ranch State Park Campground

  Nice state park for camping

  We stayed at this campground for 3 nights in mid-October and recommend this state park for camping in the Sedona area.

  Pros:

  -all sites in the Blackhawk Loop where we stayed had a level pad for tents (either small gravel or a wood platform), picnic table, and fire pit (though they could not be used due to a fire ban

  -can easily fit 2 smaller tents on the tent pad or 1 jumbo family tent

  -good amount of shrubbery in between sites so it didn't feel like you were right on top of your neighbors

  -driveways have space for 2 cars if needed

  -shower house was fairly clean and had hot showers

  -dishwashing sink behind the shower house was a nice perk

  -usable cell phone service (T-mobile)

  -no tent sites with power if you need that.  We filled up an air mattress using the outlet in the bathroom which worked fine.

  Cons:

  -sites really vary in terms of how far back from the road they are.  Our site (122 in the Blackhawk loop) was a bit back from the road and had plenty of shrubbery, but some don't have as much privacy

  -not a ton of water fill up stations, but our loop was pretty small, so it was fine

  -you have to pay $15 per night for a 2nd car, which was a little steep, but given the campground is reasonably priced, this was fine

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• 

  Jake-lela C.

  Traveler

  Jul. 30, 2019

  Mingus Mountain Campground

  #mingusisamust

  In one word views, views for miles some of the best I’ve seen in Arizona. The campground itself is nice so spots not as amazing as others and be prepared to always watch your step because some spots literally are on the side of a cliff. Still plenty of room to set up camp and not worry but 100ft from the cliff side is pretty amazing. Clean restrooms hosts seem to keep campsites and fire pits clean and leave you to yourselves. Close by is a hang glide launch pad and amazing views. Only negative is the road up is unpaved and rough 5-10mph for about 7-10 miles but definitely worth the trip. Electric was struck by lightning a few years back so no hookup but water and toilet and only $10 a night. Stop reading and go👍

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• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  Apr. 23, 2019

  Lakeview Campground (Az) — Coconino National Forest Recreation

  Nice respite from the Sonoran Desert heat

  In the off season, this sweet little national forest campground is a quiet oasis in one of the beautiful “islands of the sky” which are scattered throughout Arizona.  Up at 5000 feet, this place becomes a busy retreat for Tucsonians seeking to escape some of the summertime heat, according to the park ranger we spoke too. It's also a haven for birds!

  The campground has designated section for RV’s and tents, though they are same price at just $10 per night.  Many pull-through sites are available for larger RV’s, as well as some back in spots. Each site has a HUGE cement picnic table and fire ring and are a nice size with plenty of space between sites. There are trash cans (though no recycling) throughout the campground, and a water spigot near the very clean pit toilets, thanks to the dedicated and very friendly camp hosts.  The tent sites overlook the Parker Canyon Lake and are quite spacious. There are few tent sites for groups too.

  There is a nice boat dock, as well as small store near the water that sells snacks/drinks, bait, and a few camping necessities.  You can rent kayaks, paddle boats, SUPs, sailboats and small motorized fishing boats…or bring your own. There is also a nice and easy trail that follows the lake shore for about 6 miles, accessible to both hikers and mountain bikers.  From the lake trail, you can also access the Arizona Scenic Trail (the southern terminus is about 15 miles south of the lake). We also saw quite a few fisherman out enjoying the lake during mid-week.

  The closest grocery stores and gas stations are in Sonoita, about 30 miles away.  Cell coverage is limited here as you are very close to the Mexican border – none in RV campground, just a bit of coverage in the tent campground.

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• 

  Leesa

  Guide

  Oct. 19, 2020

  Pine Flat Campground West

  Pro tips...

  All the other reviews are spot on - Clean sites, fire rings and the hosts are spectacular. Wood/ice available. We stayed in mid October. We were pleasantly surprised that while we weren’t allowed to use the charcoal grill, we were allowed to have a small campfire. Tips for this popular campground:

  1. Since the first come sites are booked by midday...come early and talk to the hosts about who is scheduled to leave that day. You can then pre-pay for your chosen site and go to town until after checkout time (1:00pm).
  2. Best first come sites: Site # 4, no doubt. It’s farthest from the highway and farthest from other tent pads. The heavy tree canopy keeps you in the shade and is near the river. Site # 3 is also good, but gets full sun mid afternoon and is closer to the bathrooms.
  3. Bring your telescope or binoculars. Set up a star gazing perch at night.....it’s spectacular. The downside of the first come area....both tents and RVs (generator noise) will be side by side. It’s very popular for families: we had a home schooling family on one side and a generator(RV) on the other. Busy as to be expected in this area, especially in October.

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• E

  Ella H.

  Scout

  May. 3, 2021

  FR 222 Dispersed

  Bittersweet

  Long gravel road with plenty of pull offs close and far from it. Nice flat areas for camping. Very upsetting to see most of the sites are littered with trash. Please remember to practice “Leave No Trace” principles, disposing of trash and human waste appropriately, so we can all continue to enjoy the places we love so much. :)

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  Apr. 18, 2019

  Pine Flat Campground West

  An unexpected gem!

  After four failed attempts to find a place to land for the night (two campgrounds not yet open for the season in mid-April and two dispersed sites that would not have been navigable in our low clearance van), we would have camped just about anywhere! Fortunately there were spots available here and we were greeted by a super friendly and welcoming camp host. Sites were all flat with tent pads; most had decent privacy between sites. All have fire rings, large picnic tables in good shape, grills, and lantern hooks. Vault toilets were clean. Artesian well that some reviews said the water quality was questionable; camp host says she drinks it but others do not. We filled up our water jugs and will give it a go. If it weren’t for the proximity to the road (89A) and the noise that goes with it (site 18 you might as well BE in the road!), I would have given this place 5 stars! For $11 (50% off with senior pass), this place was perfect for us!

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