Searching for the best camping near Payson, AZ? There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in, as well as sights to see and explore. Find the best campgrounds near Payson, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
Houston Mesa Campground is located in the forested northern section of Tonto National Forest, just one mile north of Payson, Arizona and less than two hours from Phoenix. With family, equestrian and tent-only campsites, this campground can accommodate a range of visitors and offers plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors, including several miles of hiking and horseback riding trails nearby. As the fifth largest forest in the United States, the Tonto National Forest is one of the most-visited "urban" forests in the United States (approximately 5.8 million visitors annually). Its boundaries are Phoenix to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian reservations to the east.
Many visitors come to Houston Mesa to horseback ride, hike, camp and picnic. Houston Mesa Loop Trail is a 9-mile round trip through a pinyon and juniper woodland and can be accessed from the horse camping area. The Houston Mesa Interpretive Trail is a 0.5-mile self-guided trail.
The campground is located at an elevation of 5,200 ft. in a mixed forest and shrub area, with spacious campsites offering both sun and shade. Winters are pleasant and cool with cold nighttime temperatures, while summers are warm and sunny, providing a nice getaway from the hotter deserts around Phoenix. Hawks, eagles, javelina, deer, fox, skunk and coyote live in the area.
Campers who make the quick trip to the town of Payson, one mile south, will find restaurants, shopping and other conveniences. Scenic driving and outdoor recreation abound in the surrounding Tonto National Forest, which embraces almost 3 million acres of rugged and spectacularly beautiful country, ranging from saguaro cactus-studded desert to pine-forested mountains beneath the Mogollon Rim.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 474-7900.
$20 - $170 / night
Aspen Campground is a scenic hideaway for anglers, boaters, families and photographers, located in north central Arizona near Heber and Payson. It sits in a dense pine and aspen area forest near the shore of Woods Canyon Lake at an elevation of 7,000 ft. With spacious campsites, calm and scenic lake waters, a marina, boat ramp and many amenities, Aspen is one of the most popular camping spots in Arizona.
Popular activities include trout fishing, hiking, boating and photography. Woods Canyon Lake is one of seven lakes in the Rim Lakes Recreation Area, and one of the most visited. Two other lakes are within a short drive. Woods Canyon Lake only allows electric boat motors. An easy hiking trail meanders around the lake, and the campground's paved roads make for great bike rides. Families might also enjoy attending educational programs given by Forest Service rangers on the weekends.
The large and rambling campground offers several camping experiences and environments from marshy meadows to a rocky forest. Wildlife viewing includes birds, squirrels, deer and elk. Deer, skunks and bears are common campground visitors. Summer temperatures can be very pleasant because of the elevation. However, the rainy season often brings afternoon thunderstorms from late June through August. Visitors should come prepared for rain and cool nighttime temperatures.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 535-0181.
Visitors can explore endless vistas and take part in many outdoor activities in the surrounding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, which encompasses 2 million acres of magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona and New Mexico. The Mogollon Rim Visitor Center, open weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day, is only a short drive from Aspen Campground. Visitors can find an informative staff as well as books and gifts related to the local area. The nearest towns are Heber and Payson.
$34 / night
With an elevation over a mile-high(5640 ft), Christopher Creek Campground's crisp, fresh air and vibrant views are a joy to behold. The facility is tucked along the banks of the spring-fed Christopher Creek, which passes just below the Mogollon Rim. The Mogollon Rim, pronounced by locals as "muggy-own," is a 200-mile long cliff in northern Arizona that ranges between 5,000 and 7,000 ft in elevation. The unique landscape was created by extreme erosion and faulting that has sculpted spectacular canyons and buttes. The rim serves as the geographical dividing line between the cool high country above and the hot, dry desert below. Christopher Creek is located in the desert portion, but is balanced by the cool waters of the creek and forested surroundings.
After a day of horseback riding or mountain biking, take a dip in one of the facility's three swimming holes to cool off from the summer sun. Each spring, the creek is stocked with rainbow trout, allowing anglers the opportunity to cast their hearts out for rainbows as well as brook and brown trout.
Christopher Creek provides creek side dwelling in Tonto National Forest, at the base of the Mogollon Rim. Sites are surrounded by ponderosa pines, junipers, oaks and manzanita evergreen shrubs.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 474-7900.
The small town of Christopher Creek is just a short drive away and offers a few restaurant options for those who tire of cooking at the campground.. A series of lakes called the Rim Country Lakes are about a 10 minute drive east. Woods Canyon Lake is one of the most popular recreational lakes in the state and offers options for boating as well as a nature trail that loops around the lake's perimeter.
$24 - $80 / night
This secluded forest camp offers easy access to two features of high visitor interest.The first is Knoll Lake, a medium-sized body of water tucked away in a picturesque setting. People come here to fish for trout and tour the lake in small boats.The second feature of interest near this campground is the spectacular Mogollon Rim, a two thousand foot escarpment that marks the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau. This picturesque plunge from cool highlands to low deserts extends across most of Arizona. The area around Knoll Lake, however, is the home of some of the Rim's most magnificent views. It provides a scenic setting for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding or just sitting back and enjoying the panorama.Group Campouts and Events: This campground does not have facilities for large groups or group activities. If one campsite cannot accommodate your group (eight at a single site, 16 at a double site), please call the Mogollon Rim Ranger District at 928-477-2255 to plan your group camp-out at Elks, Moqui, or Long Valley group campgrounds.__Hover mouse over photo to display slideshow controls. View album on Flicker
A beautiful, narrow, canyon-bound lake, accessible by foot trail only, Bear Canyon Lake is one of several in a series of fishing lakes built by Arizona Game and Fish Department. Despite being several miles down a dirt road and having few amenities, it draws many visitors. The partially developed campground which is set among the mixed conifer, oak and aspen, has only limited amenities. Bear Canyon Lake is a "Pack it in - Pack it out" area. There is NO GARBAGE SERVICE. Please be good stewards of the land and leave the area better than how you found it.
For purposes of fire restrictions, this campground is considered to be an 'undeveloped' campground. No fires will be permitted when fire restrictions are in effect for the Apache-Sitgreaves Forest.
At an elevation of 7,560, Bear Canyon Lake consists of 60 surface acres with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Because of its depth, this lake has no water quality problems. The Arizona Department of Game and Fish stocks it with catchable-sized rainbow trout about six times each year.
Arizona fishing regulations apply. Please refer to the current year fishing regulations brochure produced by the Arizona Game and Fish Department for further details on licensing requirements, daily bag limits, and other restrictions. Boat motors are restricted to electric motors only.
Named for the towering pines under which it sits, Ponderosa Campground is tucked in the rolling forests of northern Arizona. As the fifth-largest forest in the country, the Tonto National Forest is one of the most-visited urban forests in the United States, boasting about 5.8 million visitors annually. Its boundaries are Phoenix to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian reservations to the east.
Most visitors enjoy walking along the campground's nature trail, traveling into the town of Payson, taking advantage of the area's hiking trails and lakes or simply relaxing at the campsite. Scenic driving and outdoor recreation abound in the surrounding Tonto National Forest. A series of lakes called the Rim Country Lakes are about a 15 minute drive east. Woods Canyon Lake is one of the most popular recreational lakes in the state and offers options for boating.
The ponderosa pine trees make this a memorable campground. Larger ponderosas release a vanilla scent into the air and have a relatively open understory, making the area perfect for camping. Mixed into the understory are junipers, oaks and manzanita shrubs. The campground sits on the border of the Mogollon Rim, pronounced by locals as "muggy-own," a 200-mile-long cliff in northern Arizona that ranges between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. The unique landscape was created by extreme erosion and faulting that has sculpted spectacular canyons and buttes. The rim serves as the geographical dividing line between the cool high country above and the hot, dry desert below.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 474-7900.
The nearby town of Payson, Arizona, offers restaurants, shopping and other conveniences.
$22 - $100 / night
Kehl Springs Camp is located in a stand of ponderosa pines right at the brink of one of Arizona's most awesome geologic features, the Mogollon Rim. Just a short distance from these shady campsites the rim brings the Colorado Plateau to an endwith a precipitous drop-off that plunges two thousand feet from forested highland to Sonoran desert. From this high perspective you can enjoy spectacular views of Four Peaks, the Sierra Anchas, and the Mazatzals. At night, the lights of Payson wink up from 2,000 feet down and 15 miles away. Other recreation activities to enjoy nearby include hiking, mountain biking, fishing and boating. The General Crook Historic Trail and the Rim Country Scenic Drive pass right by the campground.
$8 / night
Ranger
Arrived on a Monday afternoon and found no other campers but several trucks and OHV trailers parking on the road to the camping area. Made it around them to have my pick of camp sites.
The road goes past the camping area. There are presumably more camping areas down the hill.
The main camping area it the top of a hill where someone cleared all vegetation. Nothing to stop the wind.
There were few level areas. Camping here requires some serious leveling skills.
There is lots of room for longer trailers . HOWEVER, I COULD NOT RECOMMEND IT! This would be an excellent place for R/C jeeps and motorcycles.
The OHV jockeys seemed OK. They did seen somewhat surprised that someone was camping.
Overall the campsite was just a very remote,hilly and sterile dirt parking lot. Lots of garbage, mostly drink containers and tissue paper.
The one good thing was after dark, there was nobody for miles.
Traveler
We chose this camp ground due to it having full hooks up's.
Our spot was a bit tight with camper & 2 SUV's but we managed.
Our stay was the end of April 2024, We're volunteer HAM radio operators assisting with the Zane Grey foot race.
We'll be back in April 2025 to support the event again and have already reserved a spot for our stay.
Scout
Easy spot to camp for a night, with pretty good views. Lots and lots of shell casings and related trash, so not great for little kids.
Scout
Rough paved roads, but our Recvan did fine. We saw an Elk, it saw us, we walked back quickly. The surroundings are mainly bushes and rocks. Free camping with total solitude. AT&T and Tmobile both show good service. Verizon is unknown.
ScoutWe were here the weekend after Christmas to do some bike riding. All sites are pull through, really well located in sedona. We rode our bikes everywhere. Site was clean and we'll maintained. We didn't use any facilities provided, since we had full hookups, so can't comment to them.
Scout
LoLoMai is our go-to campground. It has an ideal 2h drive distance, is nestled into the oak creek canyon, and secluded from the road. Kids can roam freely. From sitting in the creek during the summer heat, to exploring the nearby wineries, venturing to the parks, or just sitting by the fire enjoying the cicadas sing, there is something nice for every day. The mix of full hookups, cabins and tent camping allows for every style that you might prefer.
Scout
Nice location with dispersed camping options. When we were setting up a man came up & warned us that it was a popular spot for Nudists. He was not wrong. Be prepared to run into some interesting people.
Guide
It’s gorgeous. Not very many spots but love being right by the river. With this being said it’s tucked in there by the mountains so it gets colder than desert overnight and has wildlife around plus little to no service for AT&T. However, if I didn’t need service this would’ve been perfect since my dog loves the water.
Guide
We stopped overnight traveling from the Phoenix area to Canyon DeChelly. Great spot. Quiet. Clean. A few other campers but we didn’t notice them.
Traveler
This was an open spot at night, and we needed to park, so we did, and saw the place covered in broken bottles, paint brushes, garbage, and up the hill someone has been using the bathroom all over the grounds and leaving nasty toilet paper all over. The horse pen is full of broken bottles and empty gun casings, you can see that people come up here to trash the place.
Guide
Great dispersed camping spot close to Sedona!
Heads up we camped a little further down on Beaverhead Rd where there were more open spots and an easier dirt road to drive onto. Plenty of spots to choose from which was surprising on a holiday week (Christmas to New Years). The camping was a lot quieter than I expected even though there were a bunch of other campers. Everyone seemed to be able to find a spot far enough from another to have a secluded space.
The location is super convenient from Oak Village and downtown Sedona. There is even a back way on highway 89 if you find yourself in West Sedona and don't want to drive through traffic to get to highway 179.
TravelerNot a fan. Won’t be back with my trailer.
Traveler
We came up from Phoenix to get away from city life for 48 hours and this place is beautiful. We just got here and I have at least some reception because I’m doing the review from the site. Was it easy to get to, right off the highway, we drove back about a mile into the woods and there was tons of places to camp. Granted it’s early January so that could have something to do with all the open spots. There’s no facilities of any kind. We’re totally Boondocking it with our RV no hook ups just the water we brought and a generator, but I couldn’t be happier so quiet.
Oh yeah. If you are checking the weather, it’s closer to Heber than Payson. Payson low tonight expected to be 37, but Heber is expected to get to 24. Brrrrr
Scout
Walking distance to trails (Hangover trail was our favorite) and restaurants. Can’t beat the location. City of Sedona shuttle connect can pick you up directly from campground. Clean bathroom and hot showers. Laundry. Quiet. Overall very happy with our 7 night stay.
Scout
The road is totally doable in a minivan or the likes if you have some experience driving on rougher terrain, but only if you are coming in off of hwy 17. If you are in Sedona and decide to take 89A because you don’t want to drive out to hwy 17 like we did you will be met with a side by side trail. It is not a road. We barely made it in a 2025 Subaru Outback wilderness. If you have 4x4 and a solid 12 inches of ground clearance then go for it cause it is fun but damn. We took hwy 17 the rest of the days we camped here and it was a breeze. Beautiful views!
Traveler
We love this campground! We have camped here around 5 times and always had a great stay. They have a pool and hot tub, mini golf, playground, pickle ball court, clubhouse, and lots of crafts and activities for the kids! The bathrooms and showers are very nice and clean too!
Traveler
Enjoyed our December visit to Lake Marina campsite 201. Will say campsites are close together. Awesome families close to us made it fun. Need to show up with the mindset that you will be around a lot of people. The lake access is hard to beat. Awesome to sit and watch the kids play on the beach. Can fish 30 ft from your campsite.
GuideDecent dispersed spot, the road in is old asphalt with some big dips and holes but mostly avoidable. Bunch of rocks sticking up in the dirt as you drive around the loop of the campsite but my truck was fine. Stayed here a couple times, first time was almost a week and second time was a few days. Can hear a little bit of highway noise but mostly white noise which I did not mind.
Traveler
Quiet and calm vibe. Found some random deer hooves at my site which is a little strange but otherwise it was perfect
Traveler
The area was really beautiful. I had a pretty strange experience, however. I arrived late at night and once I finally found a camping space, there was a truck that pulled up after me, parked about 10 feet away and the person just sat in the truck without ever getting out. At first I thought, they're just Sharing the space, but then I started to feel very unsettled- like they were watching me or something. As a single female, this is something that was fairly uncomfortable. They sat there for at least an hour, never moving and finally drove away. The next morning I saw this elk skin was draped over the fence behind me and hooves along the fence as well.
Traveler
Dirt road is a bit washboard but very manageable by any vehicle.
Spots line the road to the left & right as you travel down the road. cell Service can be excellent or poor depending on site you choose (avoid the ones in the dips/valleys if its a concern for you)
No facilities, just good ol’ convenient Arizona boondocking.
I came in mid December and there were only a handful of others.
ScoutThe climb from Sedona was a bit torturous for my poor 3” lifted Tacoma. The road has intentionally been unmaintained to make it spicy for the paid ORV tours. Around dusk, I saw a guy come in from 17 and start dropping down towards town. He had Honda Goldwing strapped in the bed of his pickup. He made it a few hundred yards down and decided to go back the way he came.
Scout
I enjoyed the creek view and the springs, but the lack of campsite wifi is too much to give this campground my approval. The lack of wifi, especially when there is no cell coverage, is unbelievable. Had FHU, but again the connectivity is not existent, even being close to Sedona.
Edited by slope game 2 days ago
Ranger
This place is huge! Nestled in the red rock country of Arizona, this Thousand Trails campground offers a scenic and tranquil escape. The sites are well-spaced, and the amenities include a pool, hot tub, 2 dog parks, hiking trails, river access and clubhouse. Its proximity to Sedona, Jerome and local wineries makes it an excellent choice for those seeking relaxation and exploration.
GuideDirt road in but very drivable. Lots of available places to pull off and camp. Beautiful scenery. In sight of I17 but no sound from it at all. No available shade but my solar set up needs full sun, so it's perfect for me. Will definitely come back
Guide
As soon as I got there, I got the dog out and what do we immediately find? Used drug needles littering the ground around a fire ring. Definitely not somewhere I'd feel comfortable staying the night.
Traveler
Stayed a long weekend with the family and had great time. Fishing within walking distance. Bathrooms are clean and a water spiket/faucet available.
Camping near Payson, Arizona, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a secluded getaway, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping in Payson, AZ, offers a unique blend of nature and adventure. With the right preparation, you can enjoy a memorable outdoor experience!
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Payson, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, Payson, AZ offers a wide range of camping options, with 282 campgrounds and RV parks near Payson, AZ and 123 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Payson, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Payson, AZ is Houston Mesa Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 37 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Payson, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 123 free dispersed camping spots near Payson, AZ.
What parks are near Payson, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 8 parks near Payson, AZ that allow camping, notably Tonto National Forest and Coconino National Forest.
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