Best Glamping near Forest Lakes, AZ

Mountain Retreat in Heber offers luxury cabin accommodations with complete hookups, situated at 7,000 feet in the cool pines of Arizona's White Mountains. The five-site property provides fifty-amp electrical service, full sewer connections, and water hookups for a comfortable glamping experience near Forest Lakes. Visitors appreciate the picnic tables and spacious sites that can accommodate large RVs while still maintaining a remote mountain feel. The retreat features trash service and allows pets, making it ideal for families seeking a glamping experience with modern conveniences. As one guest noted, "Beautiful location, exceptionally clean campground, and just a walk away from the lake. The hosts were polite, attentive, and clearly take good care of this area."

Take It Easy RV Park in nearby Winslow supplements the Forest Lakes glamping scene with cabin accommodations that blend camping with comfort. The property provides full hookups including electric, water, and sewer connections alongside modern amenities like showers and toilets. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound in the surrounding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest where visitors can spot elk in the early mornings and evenings. One camper shared, "We visited here for a night get away from Scottsdale. It's amazing! We sadly only camped one night. We had a view of an elk feeding in the field from our accommodation." Fishing enthusiasts can access several nearby lakes stocked with trout, including Woods Canyon Lake and Willow Springs Lake, both offering kayak rentals and shoreline access for day trips from these glamping bases.

Best Glamping Sites Near Forest Lakes, Arizona (15)

    1. Aspen Campground

    26 Reviews
    Forest Lakes, AZ
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 535-9859

    $35 / night

    "Our spot has a large table, metal fire ring and charcoal grill. The water spigot is right across the street and the vault bathrooms are just a few spots down."

    "The lake is in walking distance with rentable boats and swimming. The site was a drive up, with a table and pit."

    2. Sinkhole Campground

    9 Reviews
    Forest Lakes, AZ
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 535-9859

    $25 / night

    "There was a “sewage” smell for about 10 feet around the bathroom building, but absolutely no smell inside other than the air freshener."

    "This is the only campground near Willow Springs Lake. Only 26 units but a good spot for even large trailers. No utility hookups."

    3. Spillway (AZ)

    6 Reviews
    Forest Lakes, AZ
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 535-9859

    $36 - $190 / night

    "These are drive up campsites with great hosts. There was a nicely cleaned out fire ring and a good size flat ground area for our 4p tent."

    "Site #15 was very open and easy to back into and right by the lake. Good shade. Our spot has a large table, metal fire ring and charcoal grill. The campsite has 26 spots."

    4. Knoll Lake Campground

    16 Reviews
    Kohls Ranch, AZ
    18 miles
    Website

    "This lake was amazing! We camped a short distance (about a mile up the hill) away from the lake where we had a completely secluded campsite and the boys built an incredible rock campfire pit!"

    "Knoll Lake Campground was a great spot for Me, my fiancé, our two friends and two dogs. We had a great time and the camp site was in great condition."

    5. Houston Mesa Campground

    37 Reviews
    Payson, AZ
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 468-7135

    $22 - $170 / night

    "Perfect for the campers that still want amenities , such as showers, flush toilets and running water.."

    "Located just 1.5 hours from Phoenix, this is a super easy getaway from The Valley.  "

    6. Mountain Retreat in Heber

    1 Review
    Heber-Overgaard, AZ
    16 miles
    Website

    $23 - $60 / night

    "You definitely cant beat the price and its nice that the rate includes water, electric and sewage."

    7. Payson Campground & RV Resort

    17 Reviews
    Payson, AZ
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 472-2267

    "Bathrooms are always clean. The spaces are close together so if you are spot picky (want more of a personal space feel) you will need to get recommendations or visit it to mark your spots."

    "Staff was very friendly and helpful. Good mix of "parking lot" style camping and secluded sites. Even the cheap lot camping had good space between trailers."

    8. Moqui Group Campground - Coconino National Forest

    1 Review
    Happy Jack, AZ
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 477-2255

    $85 / night

    9. Windy Hill Campground

    9 Reviews
    Roosevelt, AZ
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (602) 225-5395

    $25 - $50 / night

    "Make sure you secure EVERYTHING at your camp or you will come back to an unpleasant surprise when you return from you lake fun. There were no hook-ups where we were, but we didn't need then anyway."

    "We wanted to get close to the water but that was not what we ended up doing. We had to drive to take our kayaks to the water. There was an old cost ramp there but is was completely unusable."

    10. Take It Easy RV Park

    7 Reviews
    Winslow, AZ
    49 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 587-3222

    $15 - $38 / night

    "Rv camping is a parking lot with power poles and dry camping is parking along the back fence but for 15 bucks I was cool with everything. It's fenced and felt safe. Hella noise from the freeway."

    "Level site close to I40 but road noise not too bad but makes it an easy stop. Loved the hot shower room😀 The Thai restaurant at the corner also owned by the park owner apparently."

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Glamping Reviews near Forest Lakes, AZ

135 Reviews of 15 Forest Lakes Campgrounds


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

    Spillway (AZ)

    Woodsy and Clean

    Beautiful campground with great weather! These are drive up campsites with great hosts. There was a nicely cleaned out fire ring and a good size flat ground area for our 4p tent. The campsites were a little close at times and was noisey after quiet hours but not after midnight which was good. At our site we were down wind from the restrooms so we would catch a smell at time but, it was a short hike to the spillway and follow that to the lake which you could rent boats and skip rocks.  Very woodsy and a nice cool night perfect for a fire.

  • Melissa S.
    Aug. 31, 2019

    Aspen Campground

    Fantastic

    Site #102 was very open and easy to back into. Good shade. Our spot has a large table, metal fire ring and charcoal grill. The water spigot is right across the street and the vault bathrooms are just a few spots down. The campsite has 140+ sites and over half are available to reserve 6 months ahead of time. It’s just a short walk to Woods Canyon lake. It’s fully stocked over the summer month with trout. They have kayak rentals available also and electric trolling motors are allowed on the lake. They have a small convenience store down by the lake with some essentials you may have forgot. Closest town is Forest Lake (10miles) with gas and groceries. The entire campground is paved which makes it nice for children who like to ride bikes or scooter around. No service at all at camp

  • Melissa S.
    Sep. 1, 2019

    Spillway (AZ)

    Woodsy

    Site #15 was very open and easy to back into and right by the lake. Good shade. Our spot has a large table, metal fire ring and charcoal grill. The campsite has 26 spots. It’s fully stocked over the summer month with trout. They have kayak rentals available also and electric trolling motors are allowed on the lake. They have a small convenience store down by the lake with some essentials you may have forgot. Closest town is Forest Lake (10miles) with gas and groceries. No service with Verizon at all. Highly advise taking the trail to the rim to one of the lookouts.

  • Caitlin G.
    Jul. 1, 2016

    Knoll Lake Campground

    LOVE IT!

    This lake was amazing! We camped a short distance (about a mile up the hill) away from the lake where we had a completely secluded campsite and the boys built an incredible rock campfire pit! It was cool, woods-y and beautiful. There was great hiking and mountain biking right around our site. Side Note: the campsite we choose was a decent drive off the main road and the terrain was quite rugged so I recommend taking a 4x4 or a truck! (aka I did not take my little volvo haha)

  • Laney S.
    Jun. 13, 2018

    Aspen Campground

    Awesome place!

    Great getaway for those from the valley. The lake is in walking distance with rentable boats and swimming. The site was a drive up, with a table and pit. You can make reservations ahead and we picked a spot away from others so it was super quiet. Perfect temperature to sleep outside or in the tent. Stars are magnificent here.

  • Brandy La Shea S.
    Oct. 2, 2018

    Payson Campground & RV Resort

    Nice place to stay

    I am not sure where the pictures posted here are from but it is definitely not from this campground.

    It is a nice little campground with a pool and small launder mat room. Bathrooms are always clean. The spaces are close together so if you are spot picky (want more of a personal space feel) you will need to get recommendations or visit it to mark your spots.

    Saturday nights include karaoke by the pool or live cover band. My kids enjoy staying here but be warned that "resort" should be taken lightly. There is a "playground" which consists of a metal swing set, uncovered and a small basketball court. This is also right near the dog pin area.

    You are off a major road so near by shopping is a breeze but you will not be forced to hear the traffic so no worries there.

  • N
    Jun. 8, 2020

    Aspen Campground

    Beautiful location

    Beautiful location, Large sites. Camp hosts very friendly. The only downside is it very busy on the weekends. People swarm the place to get away from the heat in Phoenix. We fished a couple of lakes and they were stock regularly and lots of shore access. There isn't a lot of trash locations so people seem to leave their trash everywhere. It is a pet peeve of mind that if there is no trash can take it with you. I picked up bags of trash fishing. Fun place to visit Monday thru Ftiday.

  • Liza C.
    May. 14, 2017

    Houston Mesa Campground

    Houston Mesa campground

    Perfect for the campers that still want amenities , such as showers, flush toilets and running water.. Campsites had campfire ring, picnic table at each site.. had cell service every now and then can hear traffic from a nearby Main Street which meant to close to town for me..

  • Ashley C.
    May. 15, 2019

    Houston Mesa Campground

    Ranger Review: GrubStick at Houston Mesa

    Campground Review

    We LOVE Houston Mesa!  This is our second time staying here, and we had an even better time this time then last time  (and we had an amazing time last time, so that was hard to beat).

    Located just 1.5 hours from Phoenix, this is a super easy getaway from The Valley.  Houston Mesa Campground is also right off the main highway of town, so if you forgot something (or just want McDonalds instead of hot dogs) you can find civilization about 2 minutes away.

    This time we went up with friends and stayed at sites Black Bear 4 and 5.  These sites were PERFECT to book together, since they made one huge space when connected.  We had 3 families, each with large tents, and had plenty of space. We will stay at these same sites next time.  The bathroom is also right next to site 3, so it was easy to walk to.

    Bathrooms are clean and have flush toilets.  There are showers available at a central shower building, but we did not use those.

    Each site comes with a picnic table and a fire pit (complete with BBQ grill topper).  I also found the sites to be freshly racked on arrival, so that was nice.

    There is also a great nature walk at the park that you can do with young kids.  Every few feet is a sign describing local animals and plants.

    A short 15 minute drive away is the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park --  a must see in the area! Beautiful and easy hike to see a absolutely gorgeous natural wonder.

    Product Review

    As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - at Houston Mesa I was testing the GrubStick Deluxe Kit.  

    Wow. Wow.  WOW. This set is a GAME CHANGER for campfire cooking.  We have been using dinky little forks forever and having to buy new ones every few trips because they get bent out of shape or burned up.  This kit will last you FOREVER. They are so well made!

    This kit includes two grippy telescoping handles, and then a ton of accessories (2 fork toppers, a cage for whole S’mores, a cage for burgers, a small metal rod to make bacon cups, and a large metal rod to cook dough). There are also 4 other accessories, like hot pags and cage openers that are thoughtful additions.  AND they come in their own mini duffel bag!

    My friends were seriously blown away when they saw our set and were asking so many questions about it.  My favorite part was the dough rod, because we made delicious campfire cinnamon-sugar crescent roll cylinders!!

    5 Stars for GrubStick, can’t wait to try out new recipes!

    Check out my video review here: https://youtu.be/JPNznJ7wApE


Guide to Forest Lakes

Forest Lakes sits at 7,000 feet in Arizona's Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, where Ponderosa pines provide natural shade during summer months when temperatures typically range 20-25 degrees cooler than Phoenix. The area offers camping options from May through October, with July and August bringing afternoon thunderstorms that can create challenging conditions for tent campers. While traditional cabin camping dominates, yurt camping near Forest Lakes, Arizona remains limited to seasonal offerings.

What to do

Hiking rim trails: The Mogollon Rim area provides extensive trail networks with varying difficulty levels. At Aspen Campground, visitors find "Woods canyon lake offers beautiful trails for hikers of all levels," according to camper Carrie Jo P. The surrounding forest terrain features both lake-adjacent paths and more challenging routes.

Fishing stocked lakes: Multiple lakes within 15-30 minutes of Forest Lakes offer trout fishing throughout summer months. A visitor at Sinkhole Campground noted, "Lots of campsites water and trailer dumpsite available! The trout fishing here is top notch. The lake is stocked during the summer almost everyweek but the hold overs in the spring can get pretty huge!"

Wildlife viewing: Early mornings and evenings provide optimal times for wildlife spotting. At Aspen Campground, one camper observed: "Elk wander through the campgrounds in early mornings and evenings. Beautiful place." The quiet forest setting allows visitors to observe native species in their natural habitat without traveling far from campgrounds.

What campers like

Access to multiple lakes: The Forest Lakes region provides options for different water activities within short driving distances. "Sinkhole campground is located in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest close to Willow Springs and Woods Canyon Lakes," explains Jane F. from Sinkhole Campground. These lakes offer boating, fishing, and swimming opportunities.

Clean facilities: Campgrounds in this region maintain high cleanliness standards. A visitor at Knoll Lake Campground shared, "Knoll lake campground is very clean and well kept. Designated areas for tents that were raked up. The bathrooms were cleaner than most restaurants." Regular maintenance creates comfortable camping conditions.

Temperature relief: The high elevation provides significant temperature advantages during summer. One camper at Aspen Campground commented, "Always a great place to stay in the summer. Usually about 25 degrees cooler in then Phoenix." This makes Forest Lakes an ideal escape from lower-elevation heat.

What you should know

Road conditions: Some campgrounds require travel on unpaved roads. A visitor to Knoll Lake Campground advised, "Takes some time on a rigged dirt road but any car can make it if you go slow." Higher clearance vehicles provide advantages when accessing remote camping areas.

Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies significantly between campgrounds. "Cell service is 4G 2 to 3 bars on Verizon only" at Sinkhole Campground according to Jane F., while at Knoll Lake, a camper noted it's "a go-to to unplug" with "no cell service and very quiet." Plan communications accordingly.

Campsite availability: During peak summer weekends, established campgrounds fill quickly. "Only 26 units but a good spot for even large trailers" at Sinkhole Campground, mentions Shaun S. For yurt camping near Forest Lakes, reservations are essential as limited structures exist in the region.

Tips for camping with families

Spacious sites: Look for campgrounds with ample space between sites for children to explore safely. At Houston Mesa Campground, camper Brad noted, "We love the ample space at each campsite, allowing us to park comfortably and spread out for a relaxing stay. Our kids adore playing in the dirt and exploring the trees."

Proximity to amenities: When camping with children, campgrounds near services provide convenience. Houston Mesa Campground offers proximity to necessities as "the convenience of having Home Depot and Walmart nearby outweighs these minor drawbacks" according to Brad's review. This makes replacing broken gear or restocking supplies easier with children.

Educational opportunities: The area offers natural learning experiences for children. At Moqui Group Campground, Angel A. shared: "The woods are amazing and there were signs posted what to do in case a bear wandered into camp." These environmental education elements engage children while teaching safety.

Tips from RVers

Hookup options: For those seeking full services, several campgrounds provide electrical and water connections. At Take It Easy RV Park, visitors find "FHUs with a level, rock pad in full sun" according to Clint G. This makes extended stays more comfortable for those traveling with RVs.

Site dimensions: Verify campsite sizes when bringing larger rigs to Forest Lakes. At Sinkhole Campground, Shaun S. notes it's "a good spot for even large trailers. No utility hookups." Most primitive camping areas limit access for larger vehicles due to road conditions and turning radiuses.

Dump station availability: Plan waste management carefully as not all campgrounds offer dump services. "There seem to be one super secret place to dump your trailer water, grey & black" at Windy Hill Campground according to Alejandro D., indicating the importance of researching these facilities before arrival, especially for longer stays.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Forest Lakes, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Forest Lakes, AZ is Aspen Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 26 reviews.

What is the best site to find glamping camping near Forest Lakes, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 glamping camping locations near Forest Lakes, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.