If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Fort Defiance, look no further. Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Fort Defiance, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Fort Defiance, Arizona's most popular destinations.
$5 / night
Traveler
I called at about 8pm desperate to get in somewhere to tent camp. Clark answered the phone and was so kind. The office/store stays open until 9 pm. The grounds are clean and complete with a dog park area. Every tent site had electricity and water. The bathrooms and showers were really clean and I can assume the laundry facilities were the same.
The tent sites are covered with small gravel so no dirt or sharp plants in the way. The sites are really large and spacious!
The area is well lit and there were police patrolling the camp off and on during the night.
I kick myself for not taking pictures. You should definitely stay here.
Guide
Stopped in to rest late at night on my way to CA. Super easy to find. Set up our tent right before quiet time. Lots of campgrounds. Perfect for tent camping.
RangerI tent camped here in Aug. 2020 after driving through the Navajo Reservation. I arrived before dusk in the fading heat. The staff was friendly and offered me a cheap brisket sandwich and maybe peach cobbler if there was any left. Well there was some left! I considered hauling it all the way back to El Paso but I’m glad I stopped for the night and got some good rest.
Scout
A little nervous by the other reviews but it was getting late and we needed a place to hookup. The website for reserving was difficult to navigate on my phone but it all worked out. No staff on site that we could see so we just pulled into an open spot & hooked up. Beautiful/unique location. Bathrooms were open for us to use, warm, & clean. Didn’t need a key like the reservation had said. Probably not the best campground for tent camping due to gravel lots, but for our 30 ft RV, we had no trouble. We didn’t have a chance to explore the area but would definitely come back.
Scout1 star for the following reasons: 1) bathroom is locked until you get a key. 2) Their website says that there are tent sites. You will be pitching a tent in an rv site. 3)Even once you do go to register on their site, an awful experience that is on a timer and will reset mid registration (yes all your info). You have to choose a discount to get the tent by rate. 4) Map is awful, because the numbers of aren't on well lit and there are no signs. Good luck not waking everybody up. 5) There's a train audible from here. 6) the best view is of the stars. 7) Maze to get here.
All of these reasons are completely verifiable, but i don't suggest it. When i think of campgrounds from hell, this will be my go to. I want my money back.
GuideThis is a really nice RV park on the West side of Gallup with easy access to I-40. It was a perfect overnight stop but would be good for longer stays as well. Access through the park is great, sites are gravel, level, and good size. We had a pull through site which was about 80 feet long and nice and wide. They also have back in sites and tent sites. We had a full hookup site and the connections were in great shape and located just where they needed to be. There are some trees between some sites but most of the area is pretty open. Some of the trees are large enough to block a satellite dish. They offer cable TV but we did not try that. They have free wifi which was decent. The restrooms, showers, and laundry rooms were clean and good size as well. There is a small dog park in the back and there is also a dump station. Check in was easy and the staff were friendly and helpful. They also have a large gift shop and a small area with groceries. They offer a barbeque on some nights which is cooked right there behind the office. Cell service from AT&T and Verizon was great. We paid $37 for one night with Escapees discount. There is clear pride of ownership here.
Legend
This is a really nice peaceful campground at the entrance of the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Canyon de Chelly is beautiful and amazing and worth going out of your way for. Be sure to pre arrange with an authorized tour guide, if you want to go down into the canyon. We didn't plan ahead and didn't get to go down, though driving all the way to the end of the canyon (we went along the south side) was beautiful on its own. Just about each pull off has native vendors selling handmade art and goods.
$14/night (cash only!) for a tent site, and $5 for day use. Camp fee includes use of dump station and water fill, but heads up that the water is turned off for the winter. Dump station open year round.
There are flush toilets but no showers. 2 of the restrooms were closed for the winter as well.
Sites come with a picnic table and grill, no fire rings (fires not allowed here). There is no privacy or any kind of barrier between sites. It was not a big deal when we were here as there were only a few other campers, but I could see it feeling crowded during busy season. Some sites have a lot of shade and some are in full sun, so there’s something for everyone.
Heads up - this is Navajo Nation and there is no alcohol or marijuana use allowed, and there are loose dogs hanging out everywhere.
ATT had LTE, and Verizon and TMobile were roaming.
GuideWe used this campground as a starting point for a research trip sampling Precambrian rocks of the Zuni Mountains. I hadn't spent much time in this part of New Mexico, and assumed that the trip was going to be hot and sun-bleached, similar to the desert exposed in nearby Gallup, NM. I was surprised to drive into a beautiful forest just a few minutes off I40.
The campsite includes basic forest service amenities: pit toilets, picnic tables, and metal-rimmed fire pit/grill sites. What set this apart from other non-hosted campsites for me was the condition of the grounds. The tent camping sites had well maintained, leveled tent pads, maintained gravel roads, and clean facilities. The Sites offered a reasonable degree of privacy, although some of the sites near the middle of the loop road place you in close proximity to your neighbor. The area is moderately wooded with pine and aspen, providing shade throughout the day and easy access to the dirt road that transects the Zuni Mountains, letting you out near the Bandera volcano and ice cave, which is a wonderful drive if you have a high clearance/4x4 and time to drive through.
We saw abundant wildlife while working in the Zunis, including several brown bears, deer, and elk. While we didn't have any run ins with these guy in camp, be aware that large animals are present in the area and be sure to take necessary bear-proofing precautions.
Camp fees were $5/night, which is quite the bargain given the well-kept grounds and wonderful scenery. If you're looking for a less-traveled escape from Albuquerque, or just want the chance to explore the under-valued Zuni mountains and western New Mexico landscape (and some pretty interesting geologic features such as orbicular granite), this campground is an excellent place to spend some time on the cheap.
Photos included are from the Zunis south of the campsite, as I didn't think to take any photos while we were at camp.
GuideGreat place to stop & relax. Laundry room large & comfortable. Bathrooms clean. Friendly staff. Only negative is that tent spots don’t have much shade & one picnic table needs replacing.
GuideWe stayed just one night while driving from Page, Arizona to Albuquerque. Friendly staff and visitors.
We were able to get pizza delivered to our RV site which was a big hit with the kids.
RangerMy first visit to New Mexico and the southwest. Red Rock Park is in Gallup, NM right on the Arizona state line in between Albuquerque and Flagstaff. Church Rock Trial and Pyramid Rock Trail are both about 3 to 3 and a half miles round trip from the campground. Your surrounded by desert on one side and dark red stone on the other, very cool place and trails.
TravelerStopped here on our way from Arizona to South Carolina. And we’re hefty campers. This was the best campsite we’ve ever been at. The cleanest campsite we’ve ever been at. Bathrooms were spectacularly clean. It was great for a short night stop only about 15 minutes off of I-40. Don’t forget to bring your own firewood if you want a fire.
GuideI would give this a 5-star rating except it didn't have hook-ups. Still, for $5/night you can't go wrong. Everything was clean: vault toilets, smooth gravel driveways, gravel tent pads, and almost no litter anywhere. Sites were spaced far enough apart we hardly knew there were others camping nearby. We camped in a 30' fifth-wheel and had no problems maneuvering. Some sites have pull-thrus and others are easily backed-in. We'll stay here again.
GuideWe were so grateful to stumble upon USA RV Park on our recent trip through New Mexico. We were dealing with snow all the way from Colorado to Gallup, and decided about an hour out of Gallup to stop for the night. We called USA RV Park, and while no one answered, they returned our call within the half hour. They graciously accommodated our 2 trailers last minute with full hookups! The campsite itself is large, clean, well marked, and very nice restrooms! The store was well stocked with what we needed (including a tent repair kit for our pop up!). The owner, John, was very kind, helpful, and a delight to chat with. We filled our propane tank up on site and were on our way the next day! Highly recommend! :)
Scout
Juste pour vous partager ma mésaventure(Mieux vautêtre averti pouréviter les mêmes erreurs;)) 2 points importants: 1- L'indien Howard Smith(qui ne ressemble plusà la photo de son site depuis de nombreuses années) n'accepte les paiements que sur place en cash- Donc si vousêtes contacter avant, ce sont des pirates! Il est au courant, cela lui arrive régulièrement, mais il considère que c'est pas de sa faute, surtout qu'on est européens, et que les pirates sont tous desétrangers... 2- Hogan- C'est une aventure en soit unique. Mais si je ne pensais pas avoir payer d'avance, j'aurais fait demi-tour. Un lit de camps, une petite planche sur des parpaings avec un matelas qui dépasse... Rien de bon pour passer une bonne nuit en soit! J'ai regretté de ne pas dormir dans ma tente au final. Sachant qu'onétait 6 et qu'on l'avait dit, On peut dormirà l'aise sur ces matelas tachéà 3, pas plus... Les toilettes sont des toilettes de camping car. Le camping en lui même est idéalement situés et les camping car sont donc surement content du séjour.
ScoutWe needed a stop for our little crew and this place was perfect! Drive through spots, little play ground for kids and little decor that made it nice. We had a large tree and picnic table so we didn’t have to unload our table. All in all I would stay again for sure.
RangerNot much here to write home about, but this park does offer a small, enclosed dog park, pool, a small grocery in their office building, and a “cookout” concession stand like you would find at a theme park or stadium. Their stage was being used to display a patriotic homage to the US military. No pets allowed in the amenities area. Room for improvement would be adding trees and cactus appropriate to this climate to beautify the park, because it’s pretty barren. Staff did not wear masks indoors during the rising Covid pandemic.
ScoutCalled late to get a reservation and we were able to do over the phone. Very helpful and friendly. Perfect for a night pit stop, clean bathrooms and showers - great pressure and hot water. Hookups and wi fi was great. Would stop by again if we were in the area.
TravelerAdded to favorites will be stopping here when traveling route 40 across country.
We have learned to avoid KOA’s with our cyclone 4270 (44’ triple axel 5th wheel), all seemed to have been laid out with camper sizes of the 60’s and 70’s.
USA RV PARK is sized and laid out for modern rigs. We reserved a large rig sight to be safe but I did see other cyclones in standard pull through spots that I would have been comfortable using.
USA RV PARK is clean and quiet with the one exception of being on airport flight path. Flights were not that often but are load if your outside or have doors open. We were not bothered while inside or sleeping.
One point to be aware of when planning to stay at USA RV PARK is that map apps seem to have the location wrong when coming from the east. The park acknowledged this is an issue when coming from east and said to use exit 16 and follow signs not the map apps.
Dropped pin at entrance and copied gps location
(35.5088626, -108.8118567)
GuideThis was an amazing place. Super family friendly. Amazingly helpful staff. I forgot my airpump for the bed and they gave me one they had so I could use it. Truly nice people.
TravelerNeeded an overnight stay along Interstate 40 in New Mexico. Check-in was quick and easy, the sites are arranged so that RV doors are not facing the neighbor's sewage pipe, which is something I always appreciate. Most of the sites are pull-through. The park is well laid out and covered with an attractive reddish-brown gravel. The facilities were clean, the staff was pleasant. The park felt safe though the neighborhood around it is economically distressed. The park is family friendly; there is a dog-park, a nice pool, and attractive common area near the office with tables and statuary with a cute bear theme. The only negatives are not under the control of the park: trains pass by frequently day and night, and in the evening the mosquitos are voracious. My wife and I agree that we would return here.
RangerWe were able to make a same day reservation and the staff were very nice. Someone was in our spot and they quickly got us into a new (and better) spot. The spots are pull-through, gravel, and very close to one another. It was extremely busy when we stayed probably because the location is good and there aren’t many options in the area so there was a bit of a parking lot feel. The pool and barbecue place weren’t open when we went, but the store was open till 8 and had the basics (I didn’t use the laundromat or bathrooms). The cost with our discount was around $40 - we felt like it got the job done and would certainly stay again if we were passing through Gallup and needed a place to camp.
GuideCalled day of and was able to reserve a 30AMP spot with full hook ups $39. As other reviews mentioned it is exceptionally clean, there is pride in ownership and America with a life size carved memorial to the armed services. Great play area for kids, giant chess and a pool (closed due to Covid). They were selling homemade pie and pulled pork sandwiches at check in also which was a fun surprise. A few cute log cabins to rent also. All gravel and not a lot of trees, no view but a clean and safe overnight for sure!
GuideThis place is cool with many interesting things going on... I'd give it 5 stars if the pool was open but I kno it's not their fault!! Restrooms & showers were clean, everything seems well kept up! My pictures will show more details...
ScoutVery friendly staff, clean quiet park, very patriotic theme, I’ll definitely be back!
RangerThis was just a quick stop for us, but the park was nice, easy pull throughs and quiet.
TravelerStayed here overnight. It was easy to access from the highway. Great pull through sites. It’s a very clean location. Staff was very friendly.
Tent camping near Fort Defiance, Arizona, offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the stunning landscapes and serene environments of the region. With several campgrounds catering to tent campers, you can find the perfect spot to unwind and connect with nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Fort Defiance, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fort Defiance, AZ is Hunters Point Campground with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Fort Defiance, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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