Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Congress? You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Congress, Arizona's most popular destinations.
Horsethief Basin Recreation Area offers a variety of recreational opportunities including: hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, camping, fishing, and OHV riding. Castle Creek Wilderness is located nearby, and Horsethief Cabin and Turney Gulch Group Campground are available by reservation. Day use sites and trails are open year-round; overnight accomodations are not available during the winter. Scroll down (below the recreation map) to learn more about these recreational opportunities. Note: Until further notice, use of a high-clearance vehicle is recommended for those who plan to visit recreation sites in Horsethief Basin.
Thumb Butte Group Picnic Area is a convenient place for groups of up to 100 people to enjoy a day outdoors. The site is located under the towering pines of Prescott National Forest about 4 miles west of Prescott, and provides easy access to a variety of trails and amenities. It offers a year-round pavilion and a quiet, shaded setting for luncheons, church gatherings, family picnics and other large functions. Natural Features: The facility is set in a ponderosa pine forest at an elevation of 5,700 feet, at the base of the Thumb Butte rock formation and adjacent to Miller Creek. The forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, lizards, snakes and birds. Summer temperatures are pleasant, and winter is cool to cold with occasional snow. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible from late June through mid-September. Recreation: The Thumb Butte area is popular for hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and horseback riding. Many trails can be found within a short walk or drive, including two that ascend Thumb Butte. Horseshoe pits are available at the picnic site; visitors interested in playing should bring their own horseshoes. Facilities: The picnic site is equipped with 12 picnic tables, 1 serving table, a covered picnic shelter, four charcoal grills and one campfire ring. There is designated parking (gated area) for 26 standard size vehicles. Guests have the convenience of restrooms with flush toilets and drinking water. The area is lighted after dark, and electric outlet(s) (20 amp maximum) are provided. Trash collection is limited and guests are encouraged to pack out their own trash. Nearby Attractions: Restaurants, shopping, historic sites and many amenities are nearby in the historic town of Prescott.
High in the cool pines northwest of Chino Valley, the Camp Wood area has no developed recreational facilities, but has a variety of trail-use and dispersed camping opportunities. Trails in the area include: * 7 Up to Hyde Mountain Trail #5 * Adra Loop Trail #9044 * Bt Butte Trail #133 * Cold Water Trail #21 * Connel Mountain Trail #9921 * Cottonwood Mountain Trail #8 * Cutoff Trail #22 * Dead Steer Basin Trail #9908 * Grapevine Springs Trail #9825 * Hyde Mountain Trail #6 * Merritt Spring Trail #9 * Prospect Point Trail #9097 * Shivers Trail #9879 * Shivers Trap Trail #10 * Stinson Tank Trail #9836 * Stringtown Trail #9917
Built in 1902, this historic schoolhouse and adjacent picnic area in Arizona's Prescott National Forest may be reserved for day use for groups of up to 60 people. The facility offers a picturesque, quiet setting with indoor and outdoor areas for weddings, reunions, luncheons and group meetings. The schoolhouse served about 10 to 15 children in the early 1900s. The building was an active school until 1952. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is used for administrative and training purposes.
Groups enjoy gathering in the outdoor picnic area during nice weather or heading indoors into the the two-room schoolhouse if the weather turns. A leisurely walk through the forest on the accessible, paved Groom Creek Nature Trail provides a nice afternoon respite, and visitors can camp nearby if desired. Prescott National Forest has miles of hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails for visitors wishing to explore the area.
The schoolhouse building has two rooms with new furniture(tables and chairs) for indoor use. The outdoor picnic area is accessible and equipped with 10 picnic tables, vault toilets, an amphitheater (limited access) and parking for 12 vehicles or two buses. No drinking water is available at this site; guests must bring their own.
The group area is set in a ponderosa pine ecosystem, an area dominated by pines and mixed with juniper trees, Gambel oaks and native grasses. A multitude of colorful wildflowers bloom in the spring and during the summer monsoon season. Afternoon thunderstorms are possible from late June through mid-September. The forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife. Visitors may spot deer, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, rabbits, lizards, snakes and birds.
Upper Wolf Creek Campground is just around the corner if you want to camp overnight. Restaurants, shopping, historic sites and many amenities are nearby in the historic town of Prescott.
$150 / night
Nestled among pines and boulders of Prescott's iconic Granite Mountain, Granite Basin Recreation Area offers a variety of recreational opportunities year-round including: hiking, backpacking, horse riding, non-motorized boating, rock climbing, fishing, camping, and picnicking. Scroll down (below the recreation map) to learn more about the excellent recreational opportunities in Granite Basin. Granite Basin Recreation Area Brochure (1.54 MB) Note: Some sites in this recreation area may close to prevent resource damage following especially heavy snow and when the roads are too icy. If you plan to visit and want to make sure it is open, please contact the Bradshaw Ranger Station: 928-443-8000. Notice: Visitors are asked to be alert and stay on existing trails when recreating on Granite Mountain as the area recovers from the Doce Fire of 2013. Soil erosion has occurred on portions of the trails, thus exposing more rock, and cross-country travel increases the possibility of encountering rolling rocks, stump and root holes, falling trees, and loose soils from rains.
Traveler
Beautiful lake view and awesome sky at night! Only drawback are the UHVs flying around stirring up dust and taking away from the peace and quiet that should come with off grid camping in a federal wilderness area. Can’t fly a six inch drone because might disturb someone but you can fly around in a loud UHV! They are ruining the experience. They need a remote spot well away from camping sites and hiking areas.
Scout
My dog was laying in cigarette butts. At least it's free
Scout
I am a frequent camper at Hilltop. I tent camp so I camp on 16 which isn't as big a the other sites but fine for me. I came spring and fall and never summer. I just went at the end of Sept 2024. Weather was gorgeous 80 hi/ 50 low. This is earlier than I normally camp. I have camped late October and have sleep in my tent in 19° weather. A Mr Buddy heater helps but have a carbon monoxide alarm just in case. Quieter than Lynx Lake campground but a bit further out. Still it's beautiful. I am local so of I forget something I can go home and come back out. Host normally has firewood for sale. They are still working on the water lines so as of the end of Sept there was only the water you bring in yourself. Costco is down the road a ways and they fill propane tanks pretty cheap. Lots to do in the area if you want to go to town and enjoy dinner. Prescott and Prescott Valley have great restaurants.
Traveler
We left late from Phoenix on the Senator Highway from Meyer and we should’ve stopped while we were ahead. We ended up at the North end just outside of Prescott in the dispersed sites. Disgusting. Every single site looked like this one. We’ve got a RTT so thankfully it was a quick set up for the night and we’re outa here. If we’d have had adequate trash bags (a dumpster would’ve been ideal) we’d have spent the next few days cleaning up. If you pack it in pack it out. It’s real easy. That all being said- if you’ve got a large group with sxs and you enjoy the Senator, this is definitely the perfect spot.
Traveler
We liked it there. Nobody else on Friday night, plenty of space
The typical rumble strip dirt road to this point but easily doable.
Service: 1 bar Verizon
Scout
House are really nice lots of big trees lotta pine trees. You’re kind of have privacy at your campsite which is nice.
Guide
Secluded dispersed camping in the woods just outside of the town Crown King. 4x4 is recommended, campsites are not accessible when snowfall has occurred. Beautiful wildlife including deer always nearby.
Guide
Nice spot, pretty clean. Pretty easy to get to. There is a dirt road leading up to it. I think most size rigs could make it.
Scout
We stayed Mid May, ghost town, everyone who could had left. All felt kind of desolate.
RV site had everything water, sewer and electric. Lots of weeds and nothing else.
Showers adequate, Clubhouse house even sported its own large kitchen! People playing cards in an adjoining room were rude.
Only necessity could make me return! Paid for 2 nights & LEFT after one.
ScoutThis could have been the most beautiful site. The stars were amazing and the sites are generously large BUT the dirt road the site are off of is some kind of rodeo for fast four wheeling with loud music and louder engines. All night complete with a scream at 2am. The site we stayed at had about a box of rusty nails and enough glass someone must have been throwing bottles just to break them all. Not great for my tent bottom.
Traveler
Camped for one night on my way from NM to LA. Arrived at night and it was easy to find. Awoke to a beautiful sunrise at the foot of the mountains. Great rock hunting too! This will be my regular camping spot form now on when traveling the same route.
Scout
Friendly place. Not much of an area for your site #4 though. Quite a bit of highway noise. Further in might have been better Was test for R.V. that hadn't been out in 2 years. I'll take my boondocking.
ScoutCould not Enter. Closed
Scout
Never camped before in my life, so I have nothing to compare this to. Having said that- the staff were great, bathrooms very clean. The weather was quite warm, so we didn’t do much exploring. Also - the donkeys!! Everywhere!
Legend11 sites are marked off that you are able to camp. I lucked out and got site #11 which was well separated from the other sites. The other sites are relatively close together. Only down part about my site was it was at the end of the dirt road and had many cars turning around near my site. Picked up a little bit of trash from previous campers. There was quite a bit of toilet paper around the site which was not cool.
ScoutIt’s a nice spot. There are bunch of sites along the Thumb butte trail. But, if you want to camp on the weekend, you’d have to arrive pretty early to grab a site.
GuideMiles of desert and washes to explore with tons of dispersed camping sites. Can get busy on holiday or event weekends but worth it otherwise. Some weekends have horse or Dirtbike events. Nearby washes lead to tons of trails near castle hot springs that can lead to various abounded mine sites (including Anderson Mill). Obviously not ideal camping in the summer but GREAT for the fall/winter/spring months.
Guide
Gorgeous easy dirt road ~27 miles from i17/Bumble bee. (There’s also a much more difficult trail from lake pleasant that requires very experienced off-roading 4x4). Great food and drinks(alcohol) at the crown king saloon and Mimi’s Cafe. There are amazing camping areas just past the main town, and even all the way up near Horsetheif Basin which is about 7 miles past crown king(requires 4x4). There is also an amazing ~30 mile trail from crown king that leads all the way to Prescott called Senator Highway. This also requires experienced 4x4 and like the trail to Horsetheif basin, there are many areas that are only single vehicle width. Amazing weather all year round, but extremely limited travel available while snow is on the ground.
TravelerSites were spacious and not too close to each other. The bathrooms were ok. Overall the campground was beautiful and there were many deer around if you hiked up just a couple of mins from the campsite.
TravelerThis campground is clean and nice. Open spots during the week but fills up quickly on the weekend. Many level sites and fairly clean bathrooms.
Good cell service (Verizon and T-mobile).
TravelerA few things. 1st. If you plan on staying overnight with an RV do not reserve the Ramada sites. They’re meant for day use and are super tiny and squished together. We started there, but our 24ft trailer wasn’t even close to fitting. So we had to move.
We moved to the sites with no water and no electric. Super awesome sites, very clean and very quiet.
Donkeys…..there are tons of donkeys, really cool…..the first night. They’re cool until you realize they don’t sleep and all they do is make a lot of noise,lol. Not that I wouldn’t go back again because of the donkeys, but just be prepared they’re not far away and they make the “hee-haw” noise All Night Long, lol.
Don’t camp here without water sports or Side by side. There aren’t any trails for bike riding or hiking. But the water is great to spend a couple of days on and the Side by side trails are endless.
Overall, really nice camping. I would definitely go back, with or without a SxS. Just not in the summer….there’s no shade and it’s desert.
Traveler
Very large park with many different levels of camping experiences. From dry camping to full on glamping ! I stayed at Vista Pt. Dry camp. The views were beautiful. I stayed 10 days and as a single women I felt very safe. Security makes it's rounds and you can't get into the park after leaving without your pass. The one thing I would mention the drive up to the PT is rather steep, but there were different sized rigs up there is it is doable. I didn't use the amenities as I was away most days visiting with my daughter who lives in the valley.
ScoutStaff was friendly and helpful.
Traveler
State land trust, good spot for a few nights. Gunshots in the distance, but no incidents/casualties lol. Pulled my 31ft TT back into a spot for a week. Close 10 min drive to stores like WinCo and Safeway and gas stations. Quite weekdays, loud weekends due to motor vehicles breaking the rules. (Not a ohv area but treated as such)
Guide
I've camped at Burro Creek Campground multiple times, and almost every time I've had the place practically to myself. It's a really neat area to explore. The creek has beavers, and rattlesnakes appear in the summer months alongside the cows. This campground is a must-stop for a weekend getaway. Before you go, search online to find ghost towns in the area.
Scout
I have tried to contact the ranch and got no response. I assume they aren't in business anymore.
TravelerCamp is located well off hwy so is very quiet. Good access road that is well marked after you cross bridge going south. Site #5 easy back in, level graveled area. Plenty of room for Scamp & Tacoma (30’). Covered table. No hookups and no ATT cell service. Restrooms available but didn’t use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Congress, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Congress, AZ is Crown King Area (Horsethief Basin lake) with a 4.7-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Congress, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Congress, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
