Searching for a tent camping spot near Douglas? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find Douglas campgrounds for you and your tent. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Located on the west side of the Chiricahuas, Sycamore Campground straddles the banks of West Turkey Creek, a small perennial stream that cascades into the campground down a series of small waterfalls and through a rocky cleft decorated with wildflowers. These sycamore- and oak-shaded sites are located near the end of Turkey Creek Road in an area that serves as a jumping off place into the Chiricahua Wilderness. A number of trails start in the vicinity of the campground and climb to destinations and connecting trails high in the mountains. If you’re a hiker or an equestrian, you’ll find this an excellent base of operations with enough nearby trail miles to keep you busy for quite a while. Note: Black bears in area.
Dragoons, Chiricahuas, Cochise, names that hark back to the Old West. All are associated with the lands that now make up the Douglas Ranger District. These ranges lie in the southeastern corner of Arizona & southwestern corner of New Mexico.
The Herb Martyr trailhead, located near Herb Martyr campgound, is one of the popular birdwatching and overall hiking areas in Cave Creek Canyon. Though South Fork is known for its trogons, there are plenty of other interesting and rare creatures to encounter here. Over 300 species of birds have been sighted in the Chiricahua Mountains, including the magnificent hummingbird, blue-throated hummingbird and Montezuma quail. Other interesting types of wildlife frequently sighted here include Apache fox squirrels, coatimundis and Coues white-tailed deer. The scenery is quite impressive in this area, too.
You may camp outside of developed areas across most of the Coronado National Forest at no charge. We recommend that you stop in to one of our five ranger stations to pick up a free travel management map so that you are aware where vehicles are and are not permitted.
Potable water, restrooms, and other amenities are not available at dispersed sites. If you choose to camp outside developed areas, be sure to bring adequate water or be prepared to purify any water source before drinking. No permits are required to camp in wilderness areas.
The Coronado National Forest has a 14-day stay limit on all camping. Areas designated as “Day Use Only” are limited to posted hours, no overnight use.
Traveler
This place is perfect for dry camping a short distance from historic Main Street Tombstone. There were no amenities, so be prepared! You cannot beat the price! For car/tent camping there are some private spaces with a little shade and evidence of past campfires. Be sure to stay to the left of the sign to go into the lower camping area. Pay your 10 bucks at the drop box.
Guide
Nice little place to shower, and relax. Lots of wildlife. Though I would say tent sites are a bit pricey, compared to all the free camping in the area. Extremely affordable for RVs compared to area though. Bisbee is a wonderful town and I’d def recommend checking it out while you’re around. An air bnb in the area would be spectacular!
GuideSmall campground with 28 level sites. All hookups avail. Tent sites offered dry or with electricity. $17.00 - $20.00. However, those sites are next to club house. We elected to take a full hookup site, although We only needed electricity. $27.00 + tax with Good Sam discount. 1 shower for all and 1 ea toilets for M& W. Nice club House with pool tables, TV’s, etc. Great wi-fi and cell coverage (AT&T). Great accommodating host, clean facilities, great views.
Legend
The Cave Creek Canyon on the western edge of the Chiricahua Mountains is a spectacular area that will completely take you by surprise. This cute campground tucked into the trees will charm your socks off!
Each site has the standard picnic table, bear locker, fire ring and lots of shade. The bathroom is a vault toilet, kept clean by the volunteer camp host, staying at Sandy Flat. This campground is rather small with just a couple small RV sites and lots of shade. Perfect for tent camping though. Great for warmer months, not so great for solar charging due to the shade, so we moved up the road to Sunny Flat campground. There are two small cabins available for rent near the forest visitor’s center, check with the Coronado National Forest, Douglas District office.
The area is a birder’s paradise and at certain times of year can get very busy. Great opportunities for hiking, biking and wildlife viewing throughout the entire mountain range. All the campgrounds are first-come, first-served.
There's not much in the area for food and gas, so come prepared. There is one small grill/basic grocery store down the mountain, but if you are looking for real groceries, shop before you come.
Traveler
Beautiful and unexpected. The drive getting there is pretty disappointing however when you arrive the land scale completely changes. We have camped here twice. The first time tent camping in site 3 which was good but not a ton of privacy. The second time in our 23’ travel trailer In Site 11. Super cool very private spot (next to amphitheater but with COVID nothing was scheduled) may not be as private when people are attending amphitheater. but this site is NOT intended for trailers, the site is intended for tents however we had the reservation for so long they allowed us to attempt to stay and park the trailer. We did but other ground was very uneven. GREAT campground, quiet, cool hikes. They have blue birds that look like the angry birds and they are a nuisance dropping twigs in your food and coffee and tormenting your dog if you bring it. STILL AWESOME.
GuideIf approved by congress, Chiricahua National Monument will become Arizona's fourth National Park. While the current monument is a compact area geographically, it definitely has the uniqueness of a national park and warrants the added protections. It will however make a very special place more popular, so you might want to visit sooner than later.
If you camp in a tent, van, micro-camper, or small travel trailer you will find Bonita Canyon Campground to be a memorable and wonderful place. Don't try to bring any big rigs as they simply won't fit. Reservations are a must.
The campground is small, beautiful, shaded and right in the middle of some incredible scenery providing easy access to the fantastic hiking and wildlife viewing that is all around you. Hosts were professional and friendly, bathhouse small but super clean, and the site boundaries were mostly marked with fences which is somewhat unique. This is an old CCC built campground. From the campground you can easily walk to the foundations of the original camp located nearby.
Pay attention to fire regulations and status. If permitted, campfires are limited to the raised grills (no rings) but you can bring your own solo type camp stove. You will need to bring your own wood and ice. Pay attention to your fuel levels in your vehicle as this is a remote place.
This is premier birdwatching country. If you can, I would highly recommend taking one of the guided walks provided by the rangers and park biologists. We learned a bunch and I am not even "a birder" and enjoyed it. The nearby visitor center will have the details.
The Arizona Coatimundi's are a very unique mammal and frequently visit the campground. Deer, turkeys, quail, and other wildlife are in abundance and easy to see from the hikes. The views of the night sky are unparalleled.
A short drive away provides access to some incredible trails for hiking or simply viewing the surrounding Wilderness areas. The rock features found in this area make it unique.
This continues to be one of our favorite places in Arizona to camp and hike.
Scout
Close to Douglas, Bisbee, Tombstone and the Chiricahua National Monument. Hila and Tony are great hosts, make you feel welcome. Both dry and FHU. Many farm animals to see. Will stay here again.
Guide
Nice sites that are well spaced. All roads and sites are dirt, so it can get a bit dusty, especially when the wind blows. AT&T was about four bars of 4g and Verizon is one bar of 4g, not very good. Bring supplies because the closest place for decent shopping is Douglas, AZ about 55 miles south.
GuideIt lives up to its name. Super friendly camp host and staff. Quiet and remote. Huge sites and large well equipped clubhouse. Only 2sets of laundry machines so you need to time that right but never supper busy when we needed them. Nice nature trail around large property. I put the loop @ 1.8 miles but they claim 3 mi. total trail. We are wintering here. Close to Douglas and Bisbee.
GuideWe wanted to get away for a few days during Covid and wanted to stay south where it was warmer so we found Rusty's RV Ranch in Rodeo New Mexico. It was quiet and friendly and just what we were looking for. While visiting we went exploring and visited the Chiricahua Desert Museum & the Apache Museum next door. Enjoyed all of the displays and history as Geronimo surrendered nearby.
We took a ride over to the Coronado National Forest and coming from the wide-open desert we felt like we had stepped into another world. Definitely worth the trip. We tried to drive the loop around the area on the first day but the directions weren't very good and we didn't go all the way. We went back the next day and went the other direction and went through the little town of Paradise. It was a long bumpy gravel road this way and really wasn't worth the trip....enjoyed the paved road in the National Forest much more.
We needed some supplies so we drove down to Douglas AZ at the Mexico border. Visited Walmart and got some tacos that were excellent. Not much between Rusty's and Douglas but was a good drive with little to no traffic. Did see a number of Border Control agents on patrol.
Rusty's RV Ranch was very clean and well maintained. You could tell that they have made a concerted effort to make the grounds nice from the Swan & Duck pond to the bird enclosures and Koi pond. Loved the hiking trails that went around the entire property and we used those a number of times.
The space was huge and very private. We didn't have to unhook our toad vehicle until we needed the car which was really nice. The management was very friendly and helpful.
We have t-mobile and I will tell you we had no service here. We hooked up to their park wi-fi but could barely check our email. We don't have satellite either so we were totally disconnected mostly.... but that was good too for a change. Fall and Winter are the busiest times here with people looking for warmer winters and avoiding the hot summers.
There are a couple of restaurants nearby and the closest has a convenience store but that is it... so be sure that you are stocked up on supplies before you go or expect to drive to get them. If you bring your pet be sure to have some flashlights to walk them at night because it is dark dark 😀
We would definitely visit Rusty's again!
Visit our website for more.
Legend
We came for just a night to see if it was open and spent 3 glorious nights here! The volunteer camphost, Jan, is fantastic! She single-handedly kept this campground open during the government shutdown…and hosted a Christmas potluck brunch at her site.
The Cave Creek Canyon on the western edge of the Chiricahua Mountains is a spectacular area that will completely take you by surprise. And the campground tucked into a wide-open clearing set in a spectacular valley ringed by stunning granite cliffs will also charm your socks off!
Each site has the standard picnic table, bear locker, fire ring, and lots of shade. Campsites which aren’t under the trees have a nice shelter over the table. The bathroom is a vault toilet, kept clean by the volunteer camp host. All the campgrounds are first-come, first-served.
This campground might be better for small RV’s than some of the others in the area because of the size of the sites, though anything bigger than 25 feet might have a tough time getting backed in. The area has some nice sunny spots for those like us who run on solar. There are also two small bunkhouses available for rent near the forest visitor’s center, check with the Coronado National Forest, Douglas District office.
The area is a birder’s paradise and at certain times of year can get very busy. Great opportunities for hiking, biking and wildlife viewing throughout the entire mountain range.
There's not much in the area for food and gas, so come prepared. There is one small grill/basic grocery store down the mountain, but if you are looking for real groceries, shop before you come.
Legend
So everything in Tombstone is pretty much a theme draw trying to get you to spend a little but I will say that when we found this campground it was a little chuckle because all the different rows are named for different aspects of the western world which is known to be Tombstone. ( Like Lariat or Marshall)
What wasn't old though was the feel of the facility which had modern amenities such as a pool and nice restroom facility. I can only imagine in this area things are highly competitive so keeping to theme but also meeting needs of campers is very important.
Sure it is a little dusty like the west, but you are in Arizona so it can be expected.
They do have rustic accommodations and cabins for those wanting to get the real old west feel and also accommodate both RV and tent campers like myself which was really nice to find out. In fact there was an entire row just dedicated to the good old tent hombres (lol, we will keep in the western theme as well).
Everyone seemed very nice around camp and many were exploring in town at night at one of the many saloons and even asked us if we wanted to come with. They do offer a shuttle service as well for those not wanting to get swept up in the attempting to find a non-pay parking stop.
We paid $25 but had full service at the campground which also included laundry and ice availability without having to get in the car to find a different location. That combined with the pool made it worth every penny!
TIPS:
Legend
Various Oaks and Alligator Junipers abound at this cute little National Forest campground tucked in the Dragoon Mountains, another of Arizona’s beautiful “Islands in the Sky.” Named for the late Apache leader, Chief Cochise, this campground sits at the base of a few absolutely gorgeous hiking trails and rock climbing areas.
Each site has a good amount of space but oddly a small amount of space for tents and RV’s longer than 24 feet won’t fit in most of the sites. There is no privacy in between sites, but each site has good tree coverage (almost too much for our solar suitcase on an extension cord). Each site has a huge cement picnic table, fire ring, and grill and there are a couple composting toilets. There was no drinking water available at the campground (the website says there is water), but there is a creek you can pull water from for filtering, so come prepared.
Important note: If there is rain in the forecast, be aware that you may get stuck in this campground for a couple of days, as you have to cross numerous washes on the road to/from the campground. We were there for 3 days before it was safe to pull a small camper across the “death wash” that grew to 6 feet high and 20 feet wide during a 24-hour rain event!
ScoutVery clean and nice grounds. The Pool was nice, nice facilities. We stayed here in a rooftop tent, it felt safe and nice here
LegendSuper underrated and amazing national monument on the south eastern border of Arizona. Definitely worth a stop in!
LegendMy husband, myself and our 2 small dogs live in Tucson, AZ. We recently acquired a roof top tent and we’ve been trying out various campgrounds across the Southwest.
This is still one of our favorite National Parks to stay at. The sites were “pull though” so it’s perfect for our Roof Top Tent set up. Plenty of trees and hiking opportunities. Honestly, it’s worth the trip just to see the coatimundis. They are ADORABLE!
Pros: Coatis! Scenery. Easy to access. Water. Bear boxes.
Cons: As typical in National Parks, the majority of hiking trails are not dog friendly. No showers. no fire pits, just BBQ that can be used for cooking with fire.
Traveler
Small campground best suited for tents or small trailers. Ours is 24 and we just fit. Toilets and great tasting water are the amenities. The hiking and views were amazing as you walked thru the hoodos.
LegendThe campground is beautiful and the national monument feels very spiritual. If you have not explored this southeast corner of Arizona, you are missing out!
GuideAs long as you go when it's not snowing! There's hundreds of beautiful, well maintained and overgrown trails throughout the mountain range. Tons of wildlife and big trees. It's a forest wonderland compared to the surrounding Arizona desert.
Traveler
Moderately rough road out for non 4x4 vehicle road, but fine going slow. Good spots off the road, fairly private and not too many other campers nearby. Lots of animals nearby very loud waking up and ants on the ground, we were glad we were in a roof tent not on the ground.
GuideI love it here. The campsites are fairly small and there's not much room for tents, but you don't go to the Stronghold to spend much time at camp anyway. The climbing here is rugged and relatively undeveloped and the views are pretty amazing. The rock that's formed here is unlike anything else in the area and just spending time here far from civilization makes you feel like an Apache warrior hiding out in the mountains.
GuideThere are a lot of small campsites all grouped together in the middle of the camping area, but me and the guys picked site 18, which has a lot of flat area for several tents, and has a much more relaxed vibe. Campus nestled right against some beautiful granite features, and well covered by evergreen oaks. Easy access to hiking and adventuring in the granite boulder area. There was no drinking water when we were there late September, but there are several spigots around camp. Maybe they turn it on at some point. We really enjoyed this space
RangerThe campground is in the Sulphur Springs Valley at an elevation of 4200 feet. Located in the shadow of the Mule Mountains it is only a little over eight miles from the quaint, mining town of Bisbee. Old Bisbee is a charming, mountainside town that is often referred to as little San Francisco. The historic downtown has restaurants, shops and galleries that also make it an artists paradise. The area has four seasons with a pleasant, dry, high desert climate. The mild winter is sunny with temperatures that are usually in the sixties with desert nights that want to make you snuggle. Bisbee has been voted as having the best year-round climate in Arizona. Whether you are on a vacation, extended stay or just for the day, Desert Oasis Campground is a great place to have a wonderful time!
LegendBonita Canyon Campground at the Chiricahua National Monument is a quiet little campground in a scrub pine forest. Chiricahua National Monument is a “dark sky” park, so there is very little light at night. Bring flashlights but leave lanterns at home! There are 36 sites with picnic tables and grills. There are community water faucets, but all were turned off when we were there. There are bathrooms with flush toilet, but no hookups or showers. Most sites are small and could accommodate tents, a small class C or van campers. 25’ is the max length and 14 days is max stay. The sign said the campground was full but there were empty sites. All sites are reservable through the www.US.gov web site.
Guide
This was a favorite of ours on the Arizona campgrounds we visited this winter. With Covid restrictions in place, the town was pretty empty when we visited in January, 2021.
Even so, the gunfight show went on every hour (last one at 3 pm), and we were able to do the money tour (highly recommend). We visited the Tombstone Brewery, and Oriental Saloon. All of this from the convenience of this parking lot.
It is located at the end of the street beside Tombstone City Hall. (Which is at 306 E. Fremont St.)
We saw roadrunners back here, and found a small caves, too. Stayed 2 nights and checked out the copper mine in Bisbee, about 40 minutes away. Food shopping in Sierra Vista.
LegendMy husband, myself and our 2 small dogs live in Tucson, AZ. We recently acquired a roof top tent and we’ve been trying out various campgrounds across the Southwest.
Dog friendly hiking opportunities from this campground on the Cochise Trail. I recommend arriving during daylight hours. We left after work, and it was harder to navigate the primitive roads back to the campground in the dark. You do have to cross the stream several times to get the the site. When we crossed the water was 3-6” deep and a few crossing are over rocks (not pavement). We had no issues in our F250, but any vehicle with a normal amount of clearance should be fine. We saw several small SUVs/crossovers, small trailers, a dirt bike and a Prius.
It’s a popular place and we were lucky to get the last site available that night. There are also dispersed camp sites (also popular) along the W Hunt Rd loop.
The campground has pit toilets (with 2 stalls each). Each site has a picnic table, a nice fire ring and a tall BBQ grill. The sites are close together. No water, so bring your own.
We will definitely return to the Cochise Stronghold area.
RangerWe've stayed here a number of times, always in March. Very nice, quiet campground in a wooded canyon with a small stream running right through the CG. There are 25 sites, mostly smallish, better suited for small rvs/trailers or tents. Not enough room for very rigs in here.
Water spigots are scattered throughout, 1 restroom with flush toilet. Last time we were there they had an issue with water system and had to shut it off and bring in port-a-potties.
As far as other amenities, there's spotty cell service (at least Verizon) and Wifi at the visitor center not far from the CG. Nearest services and dump station are in Willcox, 37 miles away. There's also a gas station/convenience store at a place called the Mustang Mall (it's not a mall in the usual sense), 29 miles west of Bonita.
A number of good hiking trails, mostly up on top at Massai Point with a few additional trails starting at the CG. Our favorite is Echo Canyon to the Visitor Cntr.
One important note: Ground fires are not allowed (at least as of 2023), which means you can have one in the above ground little BBQ grill or you have to have your own fire pan to have a wood fire. Speaking of which, no wood is for sale at the Monument nor are you allowed to gather it.
So, bring everything you need!!
Tent camping near Douglas, Arizona offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the stunning landscapes of the region. With a variety of campgrounds available, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect spot to set up their tents and explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Douglas, AZ is West Turkey Creek Dispersed with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.
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