Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Paradise Valley, AZ has a lot to offer. Paradise Valley is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. Discover great camping spots near Paradise Valley, reviewed by campers like you.
$10 - $80 / night
"I use the north entrance off Bush highway. I've camped here 5 or 6 times. No water or bathrooms. Leave no trace. You need a permit and gate code. Most ATVers but not loud during the week."
"Pretty passable dirt road (our G20 camper van had no problems). Sunsets were so so pretty and for us Washingtonians, camping in the desert amongst the saguaros was 👌🏼."
"That's right, this is AZ, State Trust land, AKA: FREE camping and parking land—72,000 acres of open dispersed, rough, rugged, off-the-grid life."
"Numerous campsites available in an area along State Road 74 and New River/Lake Pleasant Roads, at least 2 or 3000 acres with hundreds of establish campsites."
"Lower clearance rigs and vehicles need to stay closer to the main road. We have a 4x4 class C towing a Jeep so we went through some steep banked washes."
"The campsite is good, quiet, easily accessible and I met some friendly neighbors. I love all the cacti as well. There is quite a bit of trash and glass around."
"Lots of shaded areas. You can camp next to your car , wich there might be campers running generators, or you can hike towards the river and set up camp to get away from that."
"We don’t have an offroad car, so it is always nice when the gravel road is well managed. No heart aches getting in and finding an open area to camp."
"Thanks to the efforts of the environaz- mentality of the last 40 years there are horribly few true sanctioned OHV areas for folks to legally use and enjoy offroad Motorsports, neither FREE or PAID. "
"It's on BLM land, so you are out of the reach of the Arizona Land Permits.
The road is a bit tricky."
"It’s got great views of the mountains, TONS of awesome trails to walk/ride love the access to the little ghost town nearby."
"Two week stay limit, but that's pretty standard for BLM properties. There's no facilities so be prepared. Good level land and plenty of room."
"Really cool cactus variations all around, you can hear coyotes. And there are wild burros in the area you can def hear them and during the week it's likely you will see them!"
"Such a big lake, every time I go it's a whole different experience . Best thing about this lake is back up to water & pitch ur tent.. no set camp area, just make yourselves comfy where u choose ."
TravelerBeautiful area, but I would only recommend it for high clearance vehicles and people who are NOT tent camping. The ground is very rocky and we couldn't find a great place to get a tent staked down in the windy conditions, so we left. Minimal coverage from wind and sun or for bathroom use.
Keep in mind that AZ-88 is CLOSED to motor vehicles slightly after Tortilla Trailhead, so you cannot get to Roosevelt Lake easily from here. There are pit toilets at the road closure area and you can turn around easily there.
RangerMesquite Wash is located approximately 20 miles northeast of Fountain Hills, Arizona. Follow the Bee Line Highway, SR 87, a few miles past the Four Peaks turn off. Watch for the Mesquite Wash sign. The main area is on the west side of the highway and is used primarily by off road vehicles. The east side of the highway is quieter and has several pull offs available for dispersed camping.
There are no facilities; no restrooms, hookups, or trash. Pack it in, pack it out. The best time to go is in the winter months but with the weather being pretty fair it’s not too bad. You can have a fire but it depends on fire danger for the day. Pretty much if it’s hot and or dry, you won’t be able to have a fire.
It is free and first come first serve, although there are plenty of spots to go around!
All that being said, this is one of the most beautiful spots in the Sonoran desert! There are so many amazing views! Great for hiking or off roading.
Side note: Please clean up after yourself! Forest Service has put so many restrictions on this area because people leave their trash out there.
LegendDrive through the town of Gold Canyon AZ, and you quickly leave behind the sprawl of suburban Phoenix, but embrace the sprawling landscape of the Sonoran Desert which is brimming with life in the spring. The unpaved road leads to multiple pull-offs and side roads where you can find the perfect spot to tuck away and camp for as long as you like. Embrace the sun and bring your solar panels and plenty of cold drinks -- you'll be rewarded with amazing sunrises and sunsets and all the peace and quiet you can stand. You may get lucky and find some partial shade under a Palo Verde, too.
Though adjacent to Tonto National Forest and the Superstition Mountains Wilderness Area, the camping along Peralta Rd. is on Arizona State Lands. Use of this land, for any reason or purpose, requires a special individual permit. These annual permits are available online, https://asld.secure.force.com/recreationalpermit/ and cost $20 (plus $1 online processing fee). The permit is good for 1 year (deal of the century!) and allows access to any other Arizona State Lands where a permit is required.
While there are no services available at any of the camping spots, water, gas, or groceries are a short drive back into town. The hiking, and biking opportunities are amazing right around camp via the numerous and unlabeled OHV trails, or a short drive to the Peralta Canyon trailhead. This Forest Service parking area requires either a Tonto Pass, or Interagency Pass, or$10 day pass (available through a self-pay kiosk) serves as the start of many trails that will lead you into the gorgeous Superstition Mountains. Both the road, parking areas and trails are super busy on the weekends, so plan accordingly. During the popular hiking months, Forest Service Volunteers will regulate the parking area, so don't think that you'll get away without buying a pass. The ticket is more expensive.
TravelerI use the north entrance off Bush highway. I've camped here 5 or 6 times. No water or bathrooms. Leave no trace. You need a permit and gate code. Most ATVers but not loud during the week. Ive had wild horses walk by. Love it there.
TravelerThat's right, this is AZ, State Trust land, AKA: FREE camping and parking land—72,000 acres of open dispersed, rough, rugged, off-the-grid life. I've parked here in my converted Skoolie of 36 feet for two years. I DO purchase the $ 15-a-year permit and I DO display it. But in 2 years, I've not seen even one "official" vehicle and have never been asked to see my permit or how long I have parked. It is messy, I like to clean it up at times, please help and please remember, this is your land so do not trash it to the point that we will be kicked off. I've watched this happen all over northern AZ and it does not need to happen here. Pack it in and pack it out. Leave no trace. There are garbage cans 1 mile from this land. A new gas station/convenience store has been erected a mile from Maddock Road. Although Maddock Road is no longer an access point to the lands, there are plenty of other access points. The new gas station has diesel, water dispensing, propane dispensing, and all the conveniences anyone would need. It is a paradise in Winter, believe that. In summer, it is hotter than the dickens. I bounce from Flag to this location yearly, it works well for us nomads.
LegendThis is in Arizona State Trust Land area so a permit is required. This can be purchased online for $15/individual or $20/family of 4.
Lots of areas to pull off and camp here. The main dirt road in is fairly smooth with some areas of washboard. There are some nice flat areas further up the side roads away from the main road but a lot had washouts and were rocky so high clearance a must.
If you’re looking for quiet this may not be for you. There were Friday night partiers so it was noisy late into the night and started up again at 6am. This was a beautiful area and we really liked it here but it is heavily used by ATVs and 4x4s blaring loud music and flying down the road kicking up lots of dust. The hiking is worth the stay as there are many trails for biking and hiking some single tracks that these ATVs cannot access so that made it worth it to stay a few days. Beware of walking on the main road as vehicles do not slow down for pedestrians and you’ll be eating dust. It may be better during weekdays but I don’t know for sure. Were it not for the noisy ATVs we would have given this 5 stars.
This area is also used by horses and there is a nearby business that does horse tours. Chollas are everywhere so watch yourself and your pets.
Good Verizon and AT&T reception.
No amenities.
TravelerSo unless you have high clearance. Stay away. We have a 40ft school bus and we’ll if not for the potholes Everywhere it’s the horrid uneven land. Mind you if you are not RV camping then you’ll be 100% okay and good to go.
GuideThe road in is a little rough, but ok. Two week stay limit, but that's pretty standard for BLM properties. There's no facilities so be prepared. Good level land and plenty of room. Wild burros wander through occasionally, and coyotes make their presence known as well. Fantastic views and quiet atmosphere, so far. Been here two nights and plan to stay for at least another week.
LegendManaged by Lower Sonoran BLM Field Office. Free camping, but you have to love the sound of gunshots and love the view of trash everywhere.
There are multiple dirt roads you can take to find spots in Buckeye Hills that run adjacent to Powers Butte Wildlife Area where there is no camping allowed. We stayed here in different spots for 3 days while waiting for mail in Buckeye. The place is filthy! Shooting garbage and illegal dumping is common, in fact one night we woke up and just down the road was a new pile of some illegal dumping.
If you can get used to the constant gun fire, you’ll still have to put up with ATVs racing up and down the various roads. The dirt here is a fine deep powder in a lot of areas so there is lots of dust that gets kicked up when they race by, sometimes just back in forth right in front of where you are parked.
There is not really hiking or biking unless you want to dodge bullets or ATVs. There also appears to be a lot of long time“residents” in the area as well. There are no amenities here so pack in and pack out though it is obvious not many do. We picked up trash and about 7 lbs of casings around our spots we stayed in. Besides the noise and physical pollution there is also light pollution from Palo Verde and Buckeye.
1-2 bars Verizon& ATT, streaming with pauses for buffering
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Paradise Valley, Arizona, where you can immerse yourself in nature without the constraints of traditional campgrounds. This area offers a variety of options for those looking to escape into the wild.
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Paradise Valley, AZ is Bulldog Canyon Dispersed Camping - North Entrance with a 3.8-star rating from 27 reviews.
TheDyrt.com has all 52 dispersed camping locations near Paradise Valley, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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