Best Tent Camping near Dragoon, AZ

Tent campsites in the Dragoon Mountains and surrounding areas of southeastern Arizona offer remote backcountry camping experiences with diverse terrain and ecosystems. Cochise Stronghold, located within the Coronado National Forest, provides rugged tent camping in a deep canyon that once served as a refuge for Apache leader Cochise. Camp Site 001 offers dispersed tent camping with drive-in access near the Dragoon Mountains, while Happy Camp Trail near Indian Bread Rocks provides free tent sites with basic amenities.

Road access to many tent campgrounds requires careful navigation, with several sites accessible only via unmaintained dirt roads. Cochise Stronghold involves water crossings that necessitate high-clearance vehicles. Most primitive tent sites lack drinking water, requiring campers to pack in their own supplies. Sites typically include fire rings, and some provide bear boxes for food storage due to wildlife activity. Vault toilets are available at some locations like Happy Camp Trail, but many dispersed areas have no facilities. Weather conditions vary significantly with elevation, with mountain sites offering cooler temperatures than surrounding desert areas. According to one visitor at Camp Site 001, "The road up was a little rough and slippery in some places. It had rained a few days before. I was fine without 4x4, but did slide in a few places."

Tent campers in this region experience notable solitude and connection with the natural environment. Areas around the Dragoon Mountains feature spectacular rock formations, diverse wildlife including deer and wild turkeys, and excellent opportunities for hiking and rock climbing. Backcountry tent sites often provide expansive views of surrounding mountains and valleys. Sites near creeks offer the soothing sounds of water when seasonal flow permits. The higher elevation campgrounds provide refuge from summer desert heat, making them popular destinations during warmer months. One camper at Happy Camp Trail noted, "This site is relatively easy to get to, considering how remote and alone and quiet it feels once here."

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Best Tent Sites Near Dragoon, Arizona (33)

    1. Cochise Stronghold

    1 Review
    Pearce, AZ
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (520) 388-8300

    "All are shaded by scrub oaks and surrounded by towering rock formations. The sites have picnic tables and grills. There is no water available so bring your own. No electricity or other facilities."

    2. Camp Site 001 Dispersed Site

    1 Review
    Tombstone, AZ
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (520) 364-3468

    "Bring water, etc… it’s always to town. T-mobile cell good enough to stream."

    3. Happy Camp Trail

    22 Reviews
    Bowie, AZ
    35 miles

    "At the entrance you’ll find a vaulted toilet pit and a couple of trash barrels as of the time of this review."

    "Tucked into the boulders near the mountains. Very nice. Another clear moonlit night in southern AZ. I LOVE the desert. All sites are on loose dirt and there are many places for larger rigs."

    4. Happy Valley Saddle Campground — Saguaro National Park

    4 Reviews
    Saguaro National Park, AZ
    30 miles
    Website

    $8 / night

    "Happy Valley campground's name can be decieving.. its actually at 6,000' of elevation, 4.6 miles up the Miller Creek trail in the Rincon mountains east of Tucson."

    "It was very secluded and had a nice big bear box and a nice fire ring. I would definitely return! It was a bit chilly in December but slept comfortably."

    5. Manning Camp — Saguaro National Park

    2 Reviews
    Saguaro National Park, AZ
    33 miles
    Website

    "Despite close spaces to camp, it was a lot of fun. It was quiet and people were respectful. Land landscape is amazing and the cactus forests are beautiful."

    6. Empire Ranch

    3 Reviews
    Sonoita, AZ
    38 miles

    "Great location for Ground Tents, Roof Top Tents, and RVs"

    "The Dyrt coordinates took me to an area in which I did not feel comfortable pulling off the road because of the tall dry grass so I went to the campground."

    7. General Hitchcock Campground

    7 Reviews
    Willow Canyon, AZ
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (520) 749-8700

    $10 / night

    "The weather here is 10-15 degrees cooler than the city. This campground is small, with tent sites tucked away between pine trees. A vaulted bathroom is at the center of the parking lot."

    "We camped at site 6, right across from the restrooms. Has some nice boulders to tuck your tent away in, and no really close neighbors."

    8. West Turkey Creek Dispersed

    4 Reviews
    Portal, AZ
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (520) 364-3468

    "I didn’t see anyone else here when I went and didn’t see/hear any wildlife besides birds. I also didn’t have any cell reception (T-Mobile), which was fine by me!"

    "Turkey creek flows right next to the campground and offers fantastic hikes along it's banks. There are multiple small waterfalls and pools to splash in."

    9. Sycamore Campground

    4 Reviews
    Portal, AZ
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (520) 364-3468

    "Nice, small campground with pit toilets, fire rings and bear boxes. Saw many deer and turkeys in the area."

    "Nice clean bathrooms, picnic tables, fire pit, and bear box. Campgrounds are next to a creek with a trailhead leading to a waterfall, couldn’t ask for more for a free campsite."

    10. Gordon Hirabayashi Campground

    3 Reviews
    Willow Canyon, AZ
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (520) 749-8700

    "However it sits away from the Highway so is a little quieter and has easy access to several hiking/mountain biking trails, horse trails, and a rock climbing area."

    "The hike from there is well worth doing, into sycamore canyon, though there are several other hiikes close by. Best used in early spring winter and late fall."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Dragoon, AZ

477 Reviews of 33 Dragoon Campgrounds


  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 19, 2024

    Cochise Stronghold

    Secluded

    Cochise stronghold campground is a rugged campground in a deep canyon. The canyon was the refuge for the Chiricahua Apache leader, Cochise. This is a National Forest Service campground. There are Eleven campsites and two group campsites. All are shaded by scrub oaks and surrounded by towering rock formations. The sites have picnic tables and grills. There is no water available so bring your own. No electricity or other facilities. There is a bathroom with flush toilets. There are food storage lockers due to bear activities. It is dog friendly (on leash). This campground is a little hard to get to, with several water crossings. I would not recommend attempting to drive without a high clearance vehicle. Sites are first come first served. Limit 6 people per site. $8 per night.

  • Staci W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 20, 2025

    Bonita Canyon Campground — Chiricahua National Monument

    Clean and quiet!

    Stayed on a Sunday in mid January and lucked out on a last minute site that was available. It’s a small campground, so reservations are ideal if you can plan ahead.

    There’s no fire rings but there are small grills to cook food and/or have a small “fire” in.

    Food storage boxes and bear boxes are available! Some sites have their own and others share the boxes.

    Bathrooms are modernized and super clean.

    Overall a great campground and would definitely stay here again!

  • Michael B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Upper Twilight Group Site

    Private and Clean

    This site was very private and expansive for the location. There is the lower campsite however it is a bit down from the area where the tents were set up. There were multiple fire rings set up around the camp and the rangers who visited us informed that we may not use them and they were going to be dismantled once we left. There is a "main" fire ring near two tables and a bear box. The restroom being close and CLEAN was a bonus but is the only restroom for both the upper and lower campsites. There are great hikes and trails in the surrounding areas especially if you want to venture off trail to a lookout point nearby. Highly recommend this site for families and new to camping campers.

  • Joel R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 19, 2024

    Bonita Canyon Campground — Chiricahua National Monument

    Quiet and peaceful

    Bonita 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.

  • Ash C.
    Oct. 13, 2021

    Spencer Canyon Campground

    Great campground clean bathrooms !

    While busy, this is a well ran and well managed campground. The hosts are diligent to touch base with everyone coming in (safety) and the campsites though somewhat close together, offer unique ways to capture some privacy. The mountain can get very cold and windy at night, so make sure you have a sleeping bag rated for freezing temps. This campground has some of the cleanest vault toilets I’ve ever seen! Seriously! I don’t know how they do it!

    The camp hosts have fire wood for sale as well, you just have to flag them down when they drive by. Each site has a fire ring and grill. I also found several fresh water pumps within walking distance from my camp. The site is very easily accessible but some of the dirt roads can get pretty rutty, so use caution with lower profile vehicles.

  • Roger W.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 4, 2024

    Bonita Canyon Campground — Chiricahua National Monument

    An Amazing National Monument

    Bonita Canyon CG- Chiricahua NM: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

    (71 yr olds in 17’ trailer.)

    Overall Rating: Campsites in outer loop are more nicely spaced(rate 4) and trailer adds to privacy. Inner loop sites are often a bit close (rate 3). Price 2024: $ 10 w interagency Usage during visit: Very full, especially weekends.
    Site Privacy: No Site Spacing: Outside sites are spacious Pad surface: Gravel Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Very quiet.
    Outside Road Noise: None Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: No Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: No Potable Water Available: Yes. Spigots are scattered, locations clearly marked Generators: Allowed, but other than ours, I never heard one. Bathroom: Built by CCC. Clean and rustic. I like them. Showers: No Pull Throughs: I didn’t notice any Cell Service (AT&T): No. WiFi at the visitor center Setting: Woods Recent Weather: 70s to low 80s.
    Solar: At our site with good positioning, we were able to bring in 12amps per day with 400 watt fixed panels.
    Insects: None now Host: Yes, 2 couples Rig Size: Limited to 24’.

  • Jered K.
    Feb. 25, 2019

    Happy Valley Saddle Campground — Saguaro National Park

    Small & remote camp

    Happy Valley campground's name can be decieving.. its actually at 6,000' of elevation, 4.6 miles up the Miller Creek trail in the Rincon mountains east of Tucson. It lies within the Saguaro National Park so a permit is required ($8 fee). Up to 6 people per permit. There is 3 spots at the camp. Each spot has a fire ring, bear box, and some good size stumps to sit on around the fire. There is a vaulted toilet at the site as well. Water can be scarce in the Rincons so plan accordingly!

    Another 3.4 miles up the trail and you'll be at the summit of Rincon Peak (8,200'ish).

  • Beth G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 17, 2020

    Bonita Canyon Campground — Chiricahua National Monument

    One of our favorites

    My 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.

  • Dray S.
    Sep. 8, 2019

    Spencer Canyon Campground

    Great, easy getaway if you don't mind company

    Spencer Canyon Campground is a nice campground approx. 20 miles from Tucson up the General Hitchcock Highway(often called the Catalina Highway or Mt. Lemmon Highway). It is located approximately 3 miles past the Palisades Visitor Center and the entrance is marked well by a big brown sign as you approach. Phill and Denise, the friendly campsite managers will give you advice and suggestions about campsites that suite your needs. The photos attached to this review are from campsite#6, which is close to the Phill& Denise’s camper location and the highway- yes, we did hear road noise. Most campers chose locations deeper in the campground, but we were there on a busy weekend so most of those“deeper” campsites were occupied. All sites have a large bear box, concrete picnic table, charcoal grill and an iron fire pit. The picnic area of the site is level but the whole campsite is NOT so pick your location carefully if you want to pitch your tent on a flat, level plot. We did find some firewood left over from prior campers but recommend bringing your own, dry wood if you have room in your rig. In my observation, there is a rather nice, vessel toilet house strategically located to serve 6- 7 campsites. There is also a water faucet to be shared by 6- 7 campsites. Campsite#6 has its own faucet so others might also. There are 60+ campsites throughout Spencer Canyon and I would suggest that those“deeper” in the campground are more desirable. It should be noted that most of the campsites are close together, that is, about 50-75 feet apart, hence, my“... if you don’t mind company” comment. It should also be noted that Phill& Denise are really nice and helpful, the campsites are well maintained and clean, it is only 22 miles from Tucson and less than 6 miles from the mountaintop hamlet of Summerhaven, and is situated at approximately 7,900 fee of elevation. Thus, Spencer Canyon Campground is a great getaway from the Arizona heat and close enough to Tucson for a 1- 2 night weekend.


Guide to Dragoon

Tent camping near Dragoon, Arizona offers a unique blend of rugged landscapes and serene environments, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape into nature.

Explore the Rich History of Cochise Stronghold

  • Experience the rugged beauty of Cochise Stronghold, a campground nestled in a deep canyon that served as a refuge for the Chiricahua Apache leader, Cochise.
  • This site features eleven campsites shaded by scrub oaks and surrounded by towering rock formations, providing a picturesque backdrop for your camping adventure.
  • With no water available, it's essential to bring your own supplies, but the campground does offer picnic tables and grills for a comfortable stay.

Adventure Awaits in Saguaro National Park

  • The Happy Valley Saddle Campground is a hidden gem within Saguaro National Park, accessible via a moderate hike that rewards you with stunning views and solitude.
  • Enjoy the unique experience of camping among towering saguaros, with amenities like fire rings and bear boxes to enhance your stay.
  • This campground is perfect for those seeking a bit of adventure, as it requires a hike-in, making it a great choice for active campers.

Scenic Drives and Remote Camping Options

  • For a more dispersed experience, consider Camp Site 001, where you can enjoy peace and quiet with spectacular views of the Dragoon Mountains.
  • This site allows for campfires and pets, making it a flexible option for families and friends looking to unwind in nature.
  • The access road can be a bit rough, but the serene environment and distance from the hustle and bustle make it well worth the journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Dragoon, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Dragoon, AZ is Cochise Stronghold with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Dragoon, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 33 tent camping locations near Dragoon, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.