If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Payson, look no further. The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Payson. Each spot offers quick access to one or more of Payson, Arizona's most popular destinations.
While much of the Forest is open to dispersed camping, there are several sites set aside as designated dispersed camping sites, listed below. Pick up or download a free Motor Vehicle Use Map to know where it is legal to drive. See Guidelines for information and policies, and Specific Sites for more details and contact information.
Know before you go! Be aware extreme winter weather or flooding risks can necessitate the closure of forest roads at different times of the year. Many forest roads that lead to dispersed campsites may be closed during seasonal road closures, so please check the Forest Road Status web page for more information about the status of forest roads in each District.
Fire restrictions may be in place. During fire restrictions, campfires, fires, and charcoal fires are not permitted in dispersed camping areas. This includes both Stage 1 and Stage 2 Fire Restrictions. Gas operated devices with an on/off switch are allowed. Where can I have a campfire during Stage I Fire Restrictions?
The Lower Tonto Creek Campground is tucked away right next to the main highway just south of where the Tonto and Horton Creeks merge. Families may enjoy fishing at both Tonto and Horton Creeks or pass time hiking through nearby Horton Creek Trail or Derrick Trail. The Lower Tonto Creek Campground has a large open-space parking lot and paved walkway makes it accessible with only a light hike to the creek. This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you will be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature. You will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as this area has limited or no cellular service. There is no adjacent parking spot to any camp site. Walk-in access only to all campsites (paved sidewalk is provided). Map to campground here. Please note: This campground is right next to Hwy 260 and receives a considerable amount of traffic noise and light throughout the day & night.
The union of Tonto and Horton Creeks is at the north end of the Upper Tonto Creek campground. Fishing in both creeks is a popular sport. The trailheads for Horton Creek Trail 285 and Derrick Trail 33 are located in the Upper Tonto Creek campground. Both of these trails access the Highline National Recreation Trail (#31
Located just South of where the Tonto and Horton Creeks merge. Campsites are dotted along a paved sidewalk surrounded by tall Pines, situated just next to Tonto Creek. Please note: This campground is right next to Hwy 260 and receives a considerable amount of traffic noise and light throughout the day & night.
$20 / night
In 1908 the Arizona Power Company began construction of the Childs Power Plant. For more than 90 years, the water of Fossil Creek had been diverted by a system of pipes and flumes from its natural course to power the turbines of the Childs and Irving hydroelectric plants. During this time, Fossil Creek had been reduced to a mere trickle, compared with the normal one million gallons per hour flow once witnessed by early inhabitants of the region.
In 2004, APS, the current owner of the plants, agreed to decommission them and restore the creek to its natural flow. (From "Pine-Strawberry Archeological and Historical Society")
The area is now a very popular dispersed camping area. It sits below the remnants of the old power plant buildings on the edge of the Verde River. A short hike upstream and some wading will get you to the ruins of the Verde Hot Springs, a once famous resort.
The campground is a fishing area with a picnic ground situated in a mixture of ponderosa pine, juniper and pinyon pine. Chevelon Canyon offers spectacular views and opportunities for hiking and fishing. NO trash collection available. This is a Pack-it-in / Pack-it-out area. Take your trash with you when you leave.
Guide
Decent 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.
Scout
The 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.
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.
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.
Guide
I really like the place, however, and this is a big however. The road in is 20 miles or so, and it's all unprepared, so for a smaller vehicle like mine, I had to be very careful. That 20 miles takes about an hour and a half. Remember everything you need before coming into child's. It's a long day if you have to run to the store Trust me, I spent 5 hours there and back. Hot springs are a mile from my campsite. River seems pretty nice. Gonna wet a worm see if the sucker's. biting although there are a couple protected species of suckers.
Traveler
Easy to find off Beaver Flats rd. The camp areas are pretty spread out which was nice. Decent shade from some Juniper trees and we could barely hear the road from our campsite. Some of the sites are pretty clase to the road though and are probably fairly noisy. I’m guessing there are about 7 sites total. It’s not the type of place for a big motor home or a big trailer.
Traveler
Beautiful, huge site! Sites were well spaced. Very quiet campground. The camp host didn’t bother us at all. She was around, just not intrusive. Now the bad. I have been camping in primitive sites for the last 20 years or more. In all those years I have never come across pit toilets as bad as the ones at this campground. We arrived Sunday night. They were really bad, but it was the end of a weekend so I gave grace. On Tuesday the toilets were “cleaned “ out. It didn’t help because no one put chemicals in the pit. The smell of raw sewage was always present in our site.
Scout
Office ladies were very rude and had no people skills!
Scout
We arrived around noon on Friday, and within an hour or two there were two others who arrived--but thankfully turned around to find another spot. The views were extraordinary as we parked the Land Cruiser with the Roofnest in the ideal spot to not just soak up the afternoon and evening views, but to be blessed by a great sunrise from inside the tent.
The stars... I mean, wow! The starry sky at night was one of the best we've see anywhere, just stunning.
Felt very safe in the area for our 3 year old boy to explore with us, so if you expect any sheer cliffs or dangerous drop-offs, they aren't really there. There were gradual declines from the top, and they aren't immediately near where you'd park.
We will be back--this was a real gem... but expect wind throughout the night being this exposed!
Traveler
Has 48 spots to camp. Some are great for rv, and some are very rocky. The road along sites are rv friendly. We spent 14 days in July and 20 days total. August went back for 12 days. September, it rained once every day.
Guide
A nice campground has about seven spots, sign said it was a fee area. However, the camp host said it was free.
Traveler
About like most Forest Service campgrounds. Quiet. Easy access. Some nice big sycamores for shade.
Ranger
Pristine and usually unoccupied lake off the beaten path. 17 miles of dirt road from Highway to the lake and the last 7 are truly a challenge for anything other than a slightly lifted vehicle. Four camping areas near or with access to Lake with two of them having boat ramps. Skip the first turn off to the right as that is the very narrow part of the lake and rather ugly. The second turn off has two to four campsites with vault toilets and access to the lake through a boat ramp which allows camping and small trailer access lakeside. The churn out to the right is, Really rough and has very little camping or RV access. One of the pictures shows how rough the road is. I took the fourth turn off which is 747 and has one to two camping sites with a fire pit and good RV access along with a boat ramp. Note that fires are allowed in the fire pits because this is above 6, 000 feet but there is no water or trash. Pack it in, pack it out.
Guidebeautiful views! super duper underrated and conveniently close to sedona access: 3stars (for my car, yours will do way better lmao) easy to find on the map! not a difficult road (at first), but gravelly for sure. i drive a 1995 ford f150 2 wheel drive and found that after 2-3 miles in, the road up to the overlook becomes too steep and rocky for my truck to climb, but a 4x4 definitely can do it! if u have a car like mine take it nice and slow and you will do just fine :3 business/safety/people: 5stars! not a SINGLE other camper here and i arrived on a friday night! its like i have the whole desert to myself. all you hear are crickets and very very distant highway sounds. maybe its because i came in early september but this is by far the most quiet of blms ive ever been to sites: sites are easy to back in and most come with rock firepits! in the site im at, people left piles of firewood close to the pit which was an amazing help bc i arrived so late
the only con that i can think of is that there r a lot of bugs (ants and moths especially), which doesnt bother me at all but for some it could be a little annoying. if you have full cover (tent, rv, camper, van, etc) then do not worry at all, but i camp in the bed of my truck so its a lil different for me.
if u want solitude come check this place out !
Traveler
Beautiful desert camping, lots of birds and wildlife. I heard coyotes in the middle of the night that woke me up, and was glad for a rooftop tent.
Traveler
Went down here mid August and it was a beautiful view. Thick tree coverage which hid us from the winds that day / night and the rim was a 200 foot walk away. Able to get there in my Chevy Trax which is front wheel drive only, without any problems. There are there are plenty of spot to pull off into on that forest road. If you don’t get this exact spot just keep driving the road and you’ll find something in no time. A lot of dead trees laying around for firewood, but did need axe and hacksaw to cut size them down. Area had a lot of pine needles on the ground.
Scout
34.335842 - 110.973221
Numbered free camp sites. First come first served. Beautiful cool high country with many overlooks over the rim. There is a lake near by for fishing, has a small store and you can rent kyaks and small boats.
Camp sites are not near each other, but within sight. Campfires allowed when conditions permit. We stayed 3 nights while on our way home with our new R-Pod 192 Hood River Edition. We will definately go back again. The guy who came buy later to check us in was super nice and very informative.
Guide
Nice place to cool of and set up camp. The only reason it's not getting 5 stars is there isn't great views in this area.
Guide
It rained every afternoon we were there for 3 days, but loved every bit of it. There is a camp host here even though it's free. His name is Steve and is super nice and helpful . He told us some spots in the are alto check out. Will stay here again
GuideHad a great time camping here. The road is easy , don't need any clearance. The views are amazing!
Travelerpretty secluded and pretty remote. sites are of different sizes, anyone can camp, big trailers etc. very quiet except for nature and birds. no Verizon for the most part, nice place to explore.
ScoutMy friend and I stayed and the host was very respectful and sweet. Make sure you keep your shoes close because he has some cool pups but they love to take shoes haha
ScoutDispersed
Traveler
I wanted to get out of the southern Arizona heat. This place did just that. Only the opposite side of the highway of Woods Canyon Lake and Willow Springs Lake. Both are just a 15min drive. Plenty of room for big rigs (40’+). I brought my 37’ Motorhome and had no problem finding a big enough site. Sites are marked and plenty spread out from other campers. Great views and perfect summer weather.
Guide
A wonderful spot that is secluded and away from the busy FR300 traffic. 8 miles off of Hwy 87. There are no services but close to Kehl Springs Campground where there are restrooms.
There is no cell service but close to the Rim where you have service.
LegendJust under 50 sites off the dirt road. All sites have fire rings and are numbered. There were fire restrictions during my stay so definitely look into that beforehand, as with any other place. The sites were nicely spread out. The first few sites were along the rim. The others were within forested areas, well off the dirt road.
TravelerTakes a little 4 wheeling to get there or you can access it from the water. Basic dispersed camping but gets a little warm during the summer months. Views are nice and its a nice pack it in, pack it out spot.
Tent camping near Payson, Arizona offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in nature, with stunning views and a variety of outdoor activities to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Payson, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Payson, AZ is Molitor Spot Along Rim Road - Dispersed with a 5-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Payson, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 40 tent camping locations near Payson, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
