Best Tent Camping near Payson, AZ

This is one of my personal favorite campsites in Arizona, for many reasons.  It's very clean, with drinking water and well maintained toilets/trash facilities. The camp hosts are very diligent about quiet hours so you can rest assured that the nights will be peaceful. This is also a short drive from Payson so easy access to supplies and at times, cell phone reception if needed.

This is one of the first campgrounds you will find when hitting the Mogollon Rim so it can get warmer due to lower elevation in the summer months. It is a great jumping off point though for exploring other regions of the area and a short drive from the Horton Creek Trail starting point.

This is a large campground and A loop is right by the road so will be very loud with trucks. D loop has the largest campsites and the most privacy between your neighboors.

We spent 3 nights here in February, and while it was chilly, the place was very quiet and the stars were amazing! There are no hookups here, but there are bathrooms with flush toilets (some have showers), and there are faucets with potable water. There's also a boat launch and a few playgrounds for the kids. 

There were mostly RVs here, but the waterfront tent sites are amazing if you don't mind walking in from the main parking area (it's not a far walk).

Each campsite has a picnic table with a shaded awning and a fire pit, but you have to bring in your own wood or gather it from the surrounding forest. Saw lots of birds here - cactus wren, quail, finches, warblers, and road runners.

If you go during the winter months (that is, if roads are open), you may likely be the only one there! The lake is not very easily accessible for camping but it's an easy hike down for fishing, photography, and simply enjoying nature. Keep your eyes peeled, you may spot a bald eagle. The actual campground is usually crowded with no privacy. Perhaps suitable for a large group. Restrooms, never mind, just bring a shovel and use the woods; it's cleaner. Just don't be disgusting and leave it all out. Leave No Trace, PLEASE. Also, you'll need to carry out all your trash. On a holiday weekend (Labor Day especially) there are so many visitors but otherwise only a few venture out that way. Your best bet for solitude is to drive 2-4 miles passed the campground which will be on your right and find a good dispersed spot. Just bring ribbon or rope to mark a tree from the road in case you need to travel down to Woods Canyon Lake store or out to a Rim viewpoint for cell service.

Many of the photos listed here aren’t correct. There aren’t any paved parking spots that others have posted. Anyhow, I love this place because odds are you will be the only one camping out there. It’s a good 45 minute drive after the pavement ends. Most of the sites have picnic tables and fire rings but are near where you park. We carried our stuff down the canyon about 100 feet to set up. It was kind of dry but there was still water running through. Very secluded place with no one else there. So peaceful. Plenty of firewood. Beautiful meadows as well. We went hiking down the stream a bit and found some smaller bear foot prints so be aware. Some friendly raccoons tried to join us for dinner by the fire as well. There are some vaulted toilets there which was surprising. If you like solitude, this is your spot.

Super accessible from the Phoenix area, very easy to find. You can choose your own camping spot, and there are many existing stone fire rings and pits that are spaced out decently across the area. The earlier you arrive, the more spots you'll have to choose from; most are filled by sundown. A sedan can easily get across the Flat with some careful maneuvering. Vault toilets are all the way at the entrance of the Flat so plan accordingly. (Or... bring a trowel.)

Lots of families, which means kids, music, and laughter. Never a bad thing, but even if they're not particularly loud, there's no trees or shrubs on the shoreline to dampen the sound and it carries pretty far—especially when kids figure out the lake is basically a giant echo chamber!

The wind can really whip across the lake when it picks up, and it makes it hard to pitch a tent or run a stove. I recommend setting up camp up by the trees if you don't plan on boating/fishing/RV camping to give yourself a bit of shelter from the wind.

No hiking or trails to be had here, but definitely a relaxing, pretty spot.