Best Equestrian Camping near Paradise Valley, AZ

Horse-friendly campgrounds near Paradise Valley, Arizona are limited, with WestWorld RV Park in Scottsdale offering the most direct accommodations for equestrians. The facility functions primarily as an event center hosting numerous equestrian events throughout the year, with RV camping available directly adjacent to horse event areas. The camping area consists of a wide open dirt and gravel lot with 30 and 50 amp power hookups, though no dedicated horse corrals are available on-site. Riders must arrange stabling through specific event coordinators when participating in competitions. Restrooms with showers are available, and the facility includes a dump station with potable water. Camping can only be reserved by calling the office during City of Scottsdale business hours, and availability is restricted during major events unless participating.

Several regional parks within 30-45 minutes of Paradise Valley offer trail riding opportunities even without dedicated equestrian camping facilities. McDowell Mountain Regional Park features extensive multi-use trail systems appropriate for horseback riding through pristine Sonoran Desert landscape. White Tank Mountain Regional Park similarly provides accessible riding trails with mountain views. Water access for horses is limited in most areas due to the desert environment, so riders must bring adequate water supplies for their animals. The location of WestWorld provides convenient access to North Scottsdale amenities while still offering trailer parking space. Horse owners frequently note the practicality of camping at WestWorld during event participation rather than for recreational trail riding, as the facility prioritizes competitive and organized equestrian activities over casual riding experiences.

Best Equestrian Sites Near Paradise Valley, Arizona (19)

    1. Usery Mountain Regional Park

    35 Reviews
    Apache Junction, AZ
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 984-0032

    "Outstanding layout, great hosts, spectacular location. "

    "Campsite 6 is the first one on the right, across from the Camp Host site, and as close to the entrance has you’re gonna get."

    2. Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

    83 Reviews
    Superstition Mtn, AZ
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 982-4485

    $35 - $99 / night

    "It kind of poked off the main loop away from other neighbors which is why we picked it, very close to the mtb trail and easy access to the trail leading to siphon draw. Very little shade."

    "One of my favorite trails in Arizona."

    3. McDowell Mountain Regional Park

    19 Reviews
    Rio Verde, AZ
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (602) 506-2930

    $32 / night

    "Gorgeous views, very spaced out sites, and access to great mountain biking and hiking trails. Even the overflow area where we had to spend a couple of nights has a very nice bathroom and shower."

    "Lots of hiking and bike riding trails with a bike course! Playground. Pet friendly. Very clean and friendly hosts. Close to fountain hills if you need anything in town."

    4. WestWorld RV Park

    3 Reviews
    Scottsdale, AZ
    7 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 312-6802

    $57 / night

    "Great location! Nice views of the compound which normally hosts car and horse shows. Electric and water available as hookup. Common dump site available upon entry as well as during your stay."

    "This is a great place to camp if you are attending a WestWorld event since you will be right next to all of the facilities."

    5. Deer Valley RV Park

    2 Reviews
    Phoenix, AZ
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (623) 581-3969

    "Very pleasant .there is no sewerage hook ups you have to drive to dump ech time .the people were friendly there as well"

    6. gOawayranchaz

    1 Review
    Carefree, AZ
    16 miles
    +1 (970) 901-1287

    $50 - $150 / night

    "We enjoy it's proximity to town, but also to the trails, climbing, hiking and lakes nearby. It's clean and quiet and a great spot to boondock."

    7. White Tank Mountain

    16 Reviews
    Waddell, AZ
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (602) 506-2930

    "This park is so close to town, but far enough to get some quiet night sky! There are standard campsites and a more primitive camping area."

    "This park is so close to town, but far enough that you feel like you are way out. There are standard campsites (water and electric) as well as tent camping area. The sites can fit good sized rigs. "

    8. Sun Life RV Resort

    1 Review
    Mesa, AZ
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 981-9500

    9. Bartlett Flat

    15 Reviews
    Rio Verde, AZ
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 595-3300

    "If you want to be more secluded keep following the shore line NW, however the more you travel the more ground clearance you’ll need so bring a vehicle with a little off road abilities of you want to be"

    "Great place to get a little bit off road but not really get too off road…."

    10. White Tank Mountain Regional Park

    12 Reviews
    Waddell, AZ
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (623) 935-2505

    $15 - $45 / night

    "We stayed two nights at the Willow walk-in sites (W10). Despite our campsite being close to the bathroom it exceeded our expectations. Campground is well organized with friendly staff."

    ".

    • Trails throughout the camp into the greater park but the campgrounds separated from the more public trailheads."
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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Paradise Valley, AZ

210 Reviews of 19 Paradise Valley Campgrounds


  • PThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 26, 2020

    WestWorld RV Park

    Westworld surprise

    Great location! Nice views of the compound which normally hosts car and horse shows. Electric and water available as hookup. Common dump site available upon entry as well as during your stay. Fabulous shopping restaurants all in close proximity in North Scottsdale. Also convenient to highway system!

  • Sara R.
    Feb. 3, 2020

    White Tank Mountain

    Peaceful retreat

    This park is so close to town, but far enough to get some quiet night sky! There are standard campsites and a more primitive camping area. The Willow Canyon site is big enough for a full length Sprinter, though the office says 16’ is the length limit.

    Lots of trails for hiking, biking and horses. Brand new showers, restrooms and a dishwashing area. Dogs allowed too!

    I’m on Verizon and only got a single bar in the park. The library is near the entrance if you need to get your WiFi fix!

  • Audrey R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 30, 2018

    White Tank Mountain

    Bring water and take a hike

    This area is best for its hiking and photo ops, in my humble opinion. As with most desert campgrounds in Arizona, there is not much privacy between the sites but take advantage of the beauty. The waterfall trail is an easy hike and very doable with kids. You can only bring a stroller so far unless it's an off-roading stroller but the hike is worth it (especially if there's water flowing). There's a playground across from the trailhead in case all else fails and someone stays behind with he little ones. Restrooms are thoughtfully placed here. DO watch for rattle snakes on this trail and all for that matter. Also, bring a lot of water and then some. Stop at the Visitor Center and library on your way in. You're not far removed from civilization so anything you need is just a brief drive away.

  • Randall G.
    Jul. 6, 2022

    Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

    Stunning View Superstion Mts

    Our site was at the top of the loop closest to Mts but furthest from restrooms. It was a 1/3 mile hike to restrooms. Keep that in mind with kids! Our site itself (120) was perfect for one tent and our car. It kind of poked off the main loop away from other neighbors which is why we picked it, very close to the mtb trail and easy access to the trail leading to siphon draw. Very little shade. Actually close to park edge we could see peoples houses to the SE. would camp at this campground again, but for this site would do RV with own restroom. Even in late April early May need EZ up for shade or almost too hot. Fun family stuff at ghost town across the highway.

  • L
    Feb. 9, 2021

    Goldfield Ghost Town Dry Camping

    Goldfield Mine horse group camp

    Great spots for your horse and trailer. Good size corral. More space on the pit side. Stay a week or month! Great trails out from camp. Water at corrals. Nice showers and restroom a short walk away. Plan to go back!!

  • BThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 23, 2020

    Goldfield Ghost Town Dry Camping

    Stay right at Goldfield ghost town

    The have a few electric and water sites, then more dry sites. Also horse corals, its neat being able to walk right into town, well worth a stop, sites are hard dirt, but adequate, spaced a little more apart on the dry sites, the electric/water sites back up to the town small railroad tracks and are much closer together. This is a great alternative when the lost Dutchman is full. 20 dollars to dry camp, but being able to walk into town was pretty cool. Seen roadrunner, quail, and doves, rabbits. A few coyotes howled at the moon at night, which was pretty cool to, off in the distance. I'd stay here again for the convenience.

  • Bob L.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 3, 2021

    Usery Mountain Regional Park

    Usery Mountain is an Awesome campground

    Outstanding layout, great hosts, spectacular location.  Good hiking and sites nearby whether you are looking for lakes, wild mustangs in the Salt River, a scenic drive to Tortilla Flats or just enjoying the Arizona weather.  

    Hiking in the park to accommodate all levels.

    Campsites are well maintained.  Quiet in the evenings.  Could not ask for more.

  • 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.

  • P
    May. 29, 2020

    White Tank Mountain

    Beautiful and close to town

    This park is so close to town, but far enough that you feel like you are way out. There are standard campsites (water and electric) as well as tent camping area. The sites can fit good sized rigs.  There is a ton of trails for hiking, biking, and horses. Brand new showers, restrooms, and a dishwashing area. Dogs are allowed, but please keep them on a leash and pick up after them so we don't lose the privilege!

    Here is a link to the Maricopa parks with maps: https://www.maricopacountyparks.net/maps/


Guide to Paradise Valley

Equestrian camping near Paradise Valley, Arizona provides limited but accessible options for horse owners and riders. The area sits at approximately 1,400 feet elevation within the Sonoran Desert, experiencing hot summers with temperatures regularly exceeding 100°F and mild winters. Trail riding opportunities exist year-round, though early morning rides are recommended during summer months when temperatures climb rapidly.

What to Do

Trail riding at McDowell Mountain Regional Park: The park offers extensive multi-use trails suitable for horseback riding through Sonoran Desert terrain. "The park has beautiful hiking trails and a great nature center, which offers activities and the regional library. There are a couple of playgrounds in the park as well," notes Ellen W. about White Tank Mountain Regional Park.

Visit Canyon Lake: A unique destination accessible from nearby camping areas. "Also close to a unique drive out to Canyon Lake! For the very fit cyclist you can ride from this location out this lake. It's an amazing and very challenging ride indeed..!" shares Brad B. about staying at Lost Dutchman State Park Campground.

Early morning desert rides: Take advantage of cooler temperatures and wildlife activity. "Heard some coyotes in the night, which was exciting. Enjoyed hiking the trails and exploring the landscape," explains Rebecca G. about her experience in the area, highlighting the desert wildlife you might encounter while riding.

What Campers Like

Desert stargazing: Despite proximity to Phoenix. "Campsites are behind a rise, so you see stars, not city lights," shares Rusty T. about staying at White Tank Mountain. Another camper notes, "You won't get a 'dark sky' night here, but the light noise from Phoenix makes for beautifully silhouetted saguaro cacti."

Clean facilities: Many campgrounds maintain high standards. "Cleanest flush toilets and showers (free) I've ever seen in a campground," reports Ryan W. about White Tank Mountain Regional Park. This is especially important for equestrians after a long day of riding.

Spacious campsites: Room to spread out equipment. "Our site #48 Buckhorn was really spacious and private. Great views all around. Table and fire pit. The park has tons of trails for hiking and MTN biking," comments Julie F. about Usery Mountain Regional Park.

What You Should Know

Limited direct horse facilities: Most parks don't offer dedicated equestrian camping. "The outer ring of the loop, you can literally hike right out of your campsite and be in the middle of everything," notes Crystal C., showing how some sites provide better trail access than others.

Seasonal temperature extremes: Summer heat limits riding times. "This is a nice place to visit is the cooler months of the year due to no shade and low elevation. We visited in January which was perfect," advises Christine S. about White Tank Mountain Regional Park.

Reservations recommended: Popular sites fill quickly. "Do consider reserving a spot with ample time they tend to get booked really quick especially during the winter time," warns Jose G. about Bartlett Flat and similar camping areas that attract winter visitors.

Tips for Camping with Families

Water activities: Alternative recreation for non-riders. "Little further back from where the rv congregat, so it's quiet and peaceful, boat traffic isn't to bad and the shore line is great for kids to swim," recommends B O. about Bartlett Flat's shoreline camping options.

Educational opportunities: Many parks offer ranger programs. "They offer tons of programs for everyone like night hikes and scorpion hunts," explains Jose G. about Usery Mountain Regional Park's family-friendly activities.

Plan for heat management: Especially with children. "It was 90 the day we left (~March 23rd), night temp was cool and windows left open," shares Mark M., highlighting the temperature variations that require planning when camping with families.

Tips from RVers

Event-based stays: Consider visiting during equestrian events. "This is a great place to camp if you are attending a WestWorld event since you will be right next to all of the facilities," notes Al G. about WestWorld RV Park. "Located in the center of North Scottsdale conveniently near lots of great dining, shopping and entertainment, for a reasonable price."

Hookup availability: Varies between parks. "My site had water and electric. Nice dump station on the way out too," reports Chris P. about Usery Mountain Regional Park. Most equestrian-friendly campgrounds prioritize water access essential for horses.

Site selection considerations: Choose based on specific needs. "Carefully review the site you select to be sure it will accommodate your rig. Roads are narrow and there are unforgiving drop offs on the sides," warns Terri D., providing practical advice for those traveling with horse trailers and RVs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Paradise Valley, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Paradise Valley, AZ is Usery Mountain Regional Park with a 4.8-star rating from 35 reviews.

What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Paradise Valley, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 19 equestrian camping locations near Paradise Valley, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.