Best Tent Camping near Morristown, AZ

Public lands surrounding Morristown, Arizona offer several primitive tent camping options within the Prescott National Forest and nearby dispersed areas. Tent campers seeking higher elevations often head to Crown King Area near Horsethief Basin Lake, approximately 27 miles from I-17 via Bumble Bee Road. This area sits at 6,000-8,000 feet elevation and provides walk-in tent sites with fire rings. The Enchanted Forest Trail Campsites and FDR79 Trittle Mountain Road Dispersed Camping areas also accommodate tent-only camping with varying levels of accessibility and amenities.

Sites typically feature natural dirt or gravel pads with minimal improvements. Most tent campgrounds require campers to bring their own water, as drinking water is not available at dispersed sites. High-clearance vehicles are necessary for accessing many backcountry tent camping locations, particularly those near Crown King and Horsethief Basin. According to visitor reports, roads to these areas include bumpy dirt sections, steep terrain, and occasional single-vehicle bridges. Vault toilets exist at some locations like Boulders OHV Area, but most primitive tent sites lack facilities. Fire restrictions frequently apply during dry seasons, and proper food storage is essential due to wildlife activity, including javelinas.

Campers noted significant differences between sites regarding privacy and noise levels. One visitor at Enchanted Forest Trail Campsites reported that "site #11 was well separated from other sites," while others mentioned sites being "relatively close together." At Copper Basin Campsites, a tent camper warned about "rusty nails and glass" that could damage tent bottoms. The Crown King area receives consistent praise for its cooler temperatures and scenic views, with one camper noting you can "see the entire Phoenix valley" from higher elevation sites. Fall through spring offers the most comfortable tent camping weather, as summer temperatures can be extreme at lower elevations. Cell service remains minimal or non-existent at most backcountry tent sites, providing a true disconnect from urban life.

Best Tent Sites Near Morristown, Arizona (10)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 10 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win


Recent Tent Camping Photos near Morristown, AZ

6 Photos of 10 Morristown Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near Morristown, AZ

403 Reviews of 10 Morristown Campgrounds


  • Chenery K.
    Oct. 20, 2017

    Skyline Regional Park

    Fantastic hiking! Camping. . . not so much.

    Skyline Regional Park, Buckeye AZ

    www.skylineregionalpark.com and camping page www.skylineregionalpark.com/camping/ 

    This is a brand new park in the city of Buckeye, AZ at the south end of the White Tank Mountains and is located about 20 miles from White Tanks Regional Park in the Maricopa County Parks district (see my review). The park itself is very pretty, all of the amenities are new and fresh, and several of the trails are under active construction. 

    This is a very popular and BUSY park for mountain bikers - I was surprised to see the trailhead parking lot nearly full (almost 2 dozen cars) on a Thursday late afternoon/evening, and as people came back to the lot to leave nearly all of them were mountain bikers, with a few hikers mixed in.

    The good - 

    It’s neat and clean, nice new restrooms with flush toilets and sinks that also have motion lights to conserve energy - they stay dark at night, so there are fewer bugs swarming around the entrances, although the restrooms are marked with bee warnings.

    The campsites are level, evenly spaced away from each other on a long loop, and have big sturdy concrete picnic tables along with a fire ring and standing grill. The parking spaces are easy to back into and help to block the view of some of the campsite from the road.

    I stayed in site D, which is at the top of the low hill that composes a loop of 7 sites (A-G) but sites E and F would be my choice next time, as they are terraced into the hill as it comes down from the peak sites of C and D - each of the sites E and F have an erosion wall that makes nice seating (see photo)

    Site G is currently under construction, and was not available for reservation as of my stay in the middle of October, but will be the site closest to the restroom and trail head when it’s available. Not a big issue, as each site is only a few dozen yards from each other.

    The trail head has a nice map of the available trails, covered ramadas with recycle containers along with trash receptacles, and even a shaded horse hitching post area with an automatic horse waterer. There is no potable water for people to drink in this park.

    The sites are cleared of brush/cacti and have a nice wide gravel path to the restroom - I carried a UV light but didn’t see any scorpions anywhere near the road or my camp, which is certainly not the case just up the road in White Tanks Regional part, where the campsites are more desert/less groomed (but have water&electric).

    The less than good - 

    It’s pretty boring. There are 7 sites that are basically identical with the same view of the trailhead parking lot - it’s nice that the restroom is close, but there’s not much privacy for any of the sites. No trees of any significant size, so none of the sites have appreciable shade available.

    I’m not sure who these sites were designed for - they are deep enough for RVs to back in, but there is no electric or water, and they recommend driving 5 miles away to a truck stop as the closest RV dump site and pay showers, so that can’t be very convenient for non-tent campers. 

    The campsites have a nice flat area for a tent, but it’s next to the “driveway” rather than at the back of the site so your tent has NO privacy from the road/trailhead parking lot, and the entire camping loop is located on a very uninteresting section of terrain. 

    The park is far enough from the freeway (2 miles) that it’s quiet, and tucked into the foothills enough to block the city lights from Phoenix, so stargazing is quite nice. However, it’s under a flight path from Phoenix to San Diego/Los Angeles, so every few minutes a jet blinks through your sky space. It’s also apparently under a flight path for Luke Air Force Base, and I had several noisy jets pass overhead just as I was settling in for the night. I live in the area so those jets are a constant background noise in my life and they were no big deal to me, but might be unsettling for someone who was really looking for a “peace and quiet” camping experience.

    There was a fire ban in effect during my stay and they don’t announce them on their website - you have to remember to call and ask before you get there. However, even during a fire ban you can use your fire pit and grill, so it’s really not a big deal unless you were planning to set up camp way out in the desert somewhere.

    My least favorite -

    The mountain bikers take these trails seriously and are out on the trails with head lamps and bike lights until LATE at night, and their voices carry all over the park so this is NOT a quiet place to camp. 

    The signage all says that the trails are open from sunup until sundown, and that the park gates close at 10pm. The reality is that the hikers and mountain bikers wear lights and stay out on the trails until far after sundown because even though my campsite reservation said I would need to use a gate code to leave the park after 10pm, that is not the case. The gate leaving the park has an auto-opening feature, so you can drive up to it in the middle of the night and it will be triggered to open and let you out. Day-use park visitors can and do stay until very late, as there is no consequence for being in the park after the trails “close” or even after 10pm, since they don’t risk being locked in. I didn’t see any park employees driving around to enforce the park closing time, and I did become a little concerned (as I was the only camper that night, and alone with my dogs) when someone drove up to use the restroom at the trailhead at 11:30pm (car headlights shining directly into my camp of course) - again, not much privacy.

    All in all - I’d come back to this park to hike any day of the week. The trails are wide and new and well maintained, and it’s a new area to explore. As far as camping goes, there are plenty of nice parks not far from here, so I’d probably recommend driving an extra half hour to one of the Maricopa county parks at Estrella Mountain or White Tanks to take advantage of the same or better mountain views with more amenities.

  • Staci R.
    Sep. 18, 2017

    Buckeye Hills Regional Park - PERMANENTLY CLOSED IN 2018

    Red flag flying!!

    Next to the Floss shooting range and the Sheriff's training range is a gem of a recreation park with great views of Buckeye and the Phoenix valley. Only one vault toilet, no water or electric, but no signs stating camping not allowed either. Although almost every sight has a grill or fire ring of some sort, but since May no fires of any type are allowed, probably due to wild fire hazards. This would be a superb star gazing adventure site for primitive camping. You just need to pack in/out all essentials like water and food.

  • Colette K.
    Sep. 19, 2018

    Eagle Ridge Group Campground

    Eagle Ridge Group Campground, Prescott, AZ

    Eagle Ridge Group Campground is located within walking distance of Lynx Lake Recreation Area. At the lake, there is no swimming, but you may fish and use water craft. North Shore and South Shore areas each require a $5 per vehicle day use fee, but it is free to walk in.

    There are two group sites: Osprey can accommodate 25-75 people; Peregrine can accommodate 15-25. There are covered picnic table areas, fire rings, areas for tents, vault restrooms, water on taps. Be sure to make a reservation for one or both sites, depending on your group's size.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 10, 2023

    Skyline Regional Park

    Small campground, very popular day-use park

    General: Very small (7-site) campground. One site is ADA-accessible and paved (the rest are gravel) but there are no hookups at any site. 

    Site Quality: Generous-sized gravel driveways; Site D sloped uphill slightly. A concrete picnic table, BBQ grill, and fire pit complete the site. I was a little surprised that the picnic tables did not have shelters as it gets quite hot in Arizona (the day-use pavilions were covered). 

    Restroom: Two-stall, one-sink restroom. No showers. This restroom is also used by the day-use area so by the end of the day, it looks like it has been well-used. It was cleaned at night. It looked like the sink was clogged, but it was just slow draining. 

    Activities: Hiking! There are several hiking trails directly accessible from the campground and all the trails are well-marked. There is a short (.6 mile) ADA-accessible trail. Horseback riding and mountain biking are also activities although we saw neither in our two days at this park. There was also a wildly popular star-gazing event while we were there. 

    Final thoughts: IMO, the best sites are B, C, and D. Site D especially has no visible neighbors on either side. Kudos to the city of Buckeye – they could have easily crammed a half-dozen more campsites in this area, but I am glad they did not! As I mentioned, this is a popular day-use area and by 7 am on a weekend in early April, the day-use parking lot was completely full. Despite this, we did not see too many people on the trails.

  • Justin M.
    Apr. 23, 2023

    Maricopa County Park Lake Pleasant

    Enjoyable time

    Camped 5 nights at the desert tortoise campground in my NoBo travel trailer. Semi developed so no hook ups. Bathrooms were clean and the area was well kept. The spot includes a ramada with picnic table. There is also a fire ring pit w/ grill which you’ll need to bring firewood for. I fished off the shoreline which was only a few hundred feet from my spot. The spots are relatively close to each other and tent camping is also allowed. Water is clear and very nice. Wild donkeys from old miners back in the day still roam around. They are very accustomed to humans so won’t hesitate to steal food. Definitely something to watch pets around as well.

  • rThe Dyrt PRO User
    Feb. 28, 2024

    Lake Pleasant Regional Park Campground

    Desert Tortoise Campground

    This review is for the Desert Tortoise Campground. Overall, I enjoyed my stay here. Campsites are decent but a couple of shortcomings.

    PROS Campsites have covered pavilions with a picnic table, fire ring, and gravel drives. Bathrooms are dated but clean and in good working order. Portable water is available at the rest rooms. Dumpsters are available.

    CONS No hot water in bathrooms. No showers. Other campgrounds within the park had showers that you could use, but there was only one functioning bathhouse. No dishwashing station available. Boat noise on the lake is sometimes a disturbance.

  • Ashley C.
    Sep. 27, 2018

    Eagle Ridge Group Campground

    Lots of space for a large group!

    This is such a great campground for a big group! They have level gravel pads for tons of tents, and a covered pavilion with huge stone picnic tables that could seat dozens.

    My loss of star comes from the vault toilets. They are stinky and have lots of flies and bugs living in there. Wishing they had flush toilets at this campsite.

    I also really love the huge fire pit they have set up for the groups.

  • D
    Oct. 4, 2020

    White Spar Campground

    Fun Weekend

    We stayed at white spar the first weekend of October 2020. Very nice and clean sites. We stayed at site 32. The site was well maintained and clean. We were able to easily set up a 10 person tent and still had plenty of room. The bathrooms are vault toilets and can start to smell pretty bad when we used them. We also had some bees around, but only when we were cooking dinner. We ended up just starting a fired in the fire ring and they went away. Overall it was a good site.

  • M
    Nov. 7, 2021

    C C C (AZ) Tonto National Forest — Tonto National Forest

    Oasis in the desert

    A dozen or so free tent sites. Tables, fire rings, grills. Vault toilets. Campers under 20’ should be okay. Larger RVs should consider a spot back off seven springs road. Going too much further up the road isn’t a good idea for RVs.

    Road in is pretty good. Some washboard. Most vehicles will make it. I’ve done it several times in a compact car.

    Late fall to early spring is best.

    Zero cell service.


Guide to Morristown

Dispersed camping near Morristown, Arizona provides access to higher elevation escapes within Prescott National Forest, with most sites situated between 4,000-7,000 feet. Camping access varies seasonally with winter snow affecting higher elevation sites and summer temperatures reaching dangerous levels at lower elevations. Dirt roads leading to many sites deteriorate significantly after rain, requiring careful planning and appropriate vehicles.

What to do

Explore Castle Hot Springs area: Near Boulders OHV Area, visitors can discover abandoned mine sites including Anderson Mill. "Miles of desert and washes to explore with tons of dispersed camping sites. Nearby washes lead to tons of trails near castle hot springs that can lead to various abounded mine sites," notes Caitlin S.

Off-road adventures: The Senator Highway route connects Crown King to Prescott via a challenging 30-mile trail. "There is also an amazing ~30 mile trail from crown king that leads all the way to Prescott called Senator Highway. This also requires experienced 4x4 and like the trail to Horsetheif basin, there are many areas that are only single vehicle width," explains a reviewer.

Fishing at Horsethief Basin Lake: Crown King Area offers fishing opportunities with multiple species. "The lake fish species present include Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish, and Muskie," reports Justin M., making this a worthwhile destination for anglers.

What campers like

Cooler temperatures: The elevation difference provides relief from Phoenix heat. "Been to this area a few time the sites are amazing quiet and beautiful, the trail up is bumpy and fun. The site had a fire pit and in winter everything was covered in snow and just breath taking," shares B O. about winter conditions.

Stargazing opportunities: Boulders OHV Staging Area provides excellent night sky viewing. "There are several fenced in and cleared dirt areas to park and pull through trucks, a camper, tent and car, etc. Sound of ATV and dirt bikes is pretty constant, otherwise it is quiet, great star views, with a outhouse bathroom," says Miriam D P.

Mountain biking trails: The area surrounding Enchanted Forest Trail Campsites offers excellent terrain for riders. "Mountain biking trails are pretty sweet. Well-groomed and challenging. Better trails than Thumb Butte. Lots of variation with mountain lanes covered with shade and wide open. Tough yet giving," reports Michael F.

What you should know

Wildlife encounters: Food storage precautions are necessary due to local wildlife. "Do be careful with your food and trash totes. Javelina got into mine on the second night, so for the rest of my stay, everything was in the van and it was a little unpleasant," warns Hoonay F. at Trittle Mountain Road.

Cell service limitations: Connectivity varies significantly between sites. "We stayed one nite at site 5 in our 24ft Mercedez Sprinter. Our problem was that we operated with Verizon and TMobile. Unfortunately neither carrier had a good enough signal here for us to spend the week we planned," explains Ryan at Trittle Mountain Road.

Site quality variations: Campsite conditions can differ dramatically, even within the same area. "This could have been the most beautiful site. The stars were amazing and the sites are generously large BUT the dirt road the site are off of is some kind of rodeo for fast four wheeling with loud music and louder engines. All night complete with a scream at 2am," reports a camper at Copper Basin Campsites.

Tips for camping with families

Pack extra supplies: The remoteness of Crown King requires preparation. "The town has supplies but is over priced so fuel up before going up there," advises B O., emphasizing the importance of bringing essentials from lower elevations.

Site selection for privacy: At Copper Basin Campsites, choose carefully for a better experience. "Quiet, surrounded by trees, trail's nearby. You need a little clearance to get into camp 7 but nice to be away from the road," recommends darleendamon S.

Trash management: Many areas suffer from littering problems. "This place is gorgeous the sites are spaced well. Unfortunately there's been a lot of homeless and left behind trash when we stay we always leave with bags and bags of trash. We can complain about the problem or be part of the solution," shares Chef Rebecca S. about tent camping near Morristown.

Tips from RVers

Road conditions assessment: For RV tent camping in Morristown, Arizona, road quality can make or break your trip. "The road in wasn't too bad for us, but I could see it being challenging with a sedan or a camper," shares Ryan about accessing Trittle Mountain Road.

Limited RV sites: Not all campgrounds accommodate larger vehicles. "Trittle Mountain Road advertises 16 campsites BUT most of them are clustered in groups of 2 or 3 and we found that a lot of the people occupying them would intentionally take up all of the spots for 1 RV/group. A lot of the spaces were uneven or had rough washes/entrances," explains Krista Z.

Site leveling challenges: Finding level spots can be difficult in many areas. "Nice forested area in Prescott Forest. Few level sites for my rig and lots of nails on the ground from pallet wood," notes Joseph M., highlighting both terrain and debris concerns for RVers.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Morristown, AZ is Boulders OHV Area with a 4-star rating from 7 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 10 tent camping locations near Morristown, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.