Best Tent Camping near Cottonwood, AZ

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.

We had a lovely time staying at the Willow Lake RV Park on our visit to Prescott. The bathrooms were spacious and there is a trail directly behind the park that leads out to Willow Lake and a plethora of trails for the trail runner/hiker/explorer. They have great wi-fi, the area has lots of trees and shade and picnic tables too!

We actually arrived late for check-in the the office left our our map and information for us. 

We had a 30' RV we wanted to pull through and had no problems with this park. I'd recommend a stop-in here for sure! Their neat little tent-camp sites were even closer to the lake and the trails.

This place has it all. River access, 2 lagoon areas, horseback riding (not affiliated with park), hiking, a playground with a zip line, fishing and Cottonwood is 1 mile away! There are full hook up sites and tent camping plus cabins. I love this state park- camp hosts are helpful.

We needed a quick place to tent camp close to flagstaff, AZ and we found this campsite on the Dyrt. We tent camped for one night at a cost of 23.00$. Our site was fine, cell service was good, they only have port-a-potty’s, it they were clean, and had auto lights for night time. The campground sold out while we were there, it seems they have a lot of groups attending this camp. There is an extreme course in the same park, lots of activities. No showers, water is extra, location was great, and the host was nice and accommodating.

If the sites had a little more privacy, I'd give five stars. Whenever I take my family, I remind myself I'm not there for the actual tent camping, I'm there for everything else the state park offers. There are about eight small cabins as well. This park offers a much needed break from the Arizona heat in the spring and summer months. The "lakes" are really more like ponds but plenty large enough to fish in as is the Verde River, running through the park. Make sure to go down and take a dip during the warm seasons. They've recently improved the playground for young ones and offer horseback riding as well. Facilities are always clean. If you're tired of camping food, drive down the road to Cottonwood and be sure to visit Larry's Antiques (if you're into that of course).

We tent camped here and it was still too hot in late summer months. Campsites were clean and ok size more for tent but kind of small for RV. There were lots of trees. Host was friendly.

Newer RV Park in Clarkdale, AZ. It is located right on the main road for easy access, but we did not hear road noise st night. Amazing views of Tuzigoot National Monument and the surrounding mountains, especially from the sites at the rear and west side of the park. 63 RV sites, no tent camping allowed. Sites are average size, level, gravel, with paver patios. Restrooms/showers are private, very large and clean. They have a pool, sauna, and rec/game room. No fires or charcoal grills allowed. Some sites have tables. There are trees, but they are very small. Rain Spirit is located between historic Cottonwood and Clarkdale, about 5 miles from Jerome, and 20 miles from Sedona. Great restaurants, wineries and shops in Cottonwood are close by.

We were pleased to get our family's RV & tent sites adjacent under the pines. Got to set up our new Napier Sportz SUV tent & our Subaru Forester. Wonderful clean bathrooms and warm showers. Pet friendly & warm welcome at check-in.

Dogtown lake, named for the prairie dogs who inhibit the area, is a great little spot tucked away in the forest not far from Williams, AZ on Route 66. This is also a great jumping off point for the Grand Canyon and Bearizona. Perfect little spot for tent camping. Some do get trailers in, but I wouldn’t attempt it. Fun fishing spot and spacious sites.

Seasonal campground that has something for everyone. It has tent sites, camper sites and group sites. There is day use parking and an ampatheter for Ranger shows. You can take boats out on the lake for fishing. It’s a great place to ride bikes, beautiful area with some hills. Geocaching and even Pokémon hunting.

Went climbing out at the Pit in Flagstaff for the day, then we came and camped out not too far away! The site had plenty of trees for hammocks, as well as tent sites. It was easy to access for not just 4x4 vehicles and was a nice and quick drive from the main road.

The road in from Cottonwood is actually easier than the road from Sedona. We tow a travel trailer with a high clearance pickup and did it fine. Amazing views, beautiful area, breathtaking scenery. Fairly close to Sedona if you need to pop into town for supplies. It IS more crowded than I thought, a local ranger in cottonwood warned us “that place is starting to look like an RV park” and he’s not wrong. Limited space available and the road is very busy with rental atvs ripping up and down the road. But still gorgeous.

This is one of those parks that mostly have RV camping & a few tent sites. There wasn't any availability at other spots since we are floating around in our little RV... the spots aren't too close together, there is shade from pine trees, bathrooms with showers & flushing toilets. Road noise & train noise (we don't mind trains). It's convenient to exploring Flagstaff. Easy hiking trail within park & small dog park.