Best Tent Camping near Prescott National Forest

We had a lovely time staying at the Willow Lake RV Park on our visit to Prescott. The bathrooms were spacious and there is a trail directly behind the park that leads out to Willow Lake and a plethora of trails for the trail runner/hiker/explorer. They have great wi-fi, the area has lots of trees and shade and picnic tables too!

We actually arrived late for check-in the the office left our our map and information for us. 

We had a 30' RV we wanted to pull through and had no problems with this park. I'd recommend a stop-in here for sure! Their neat little tent-camp sites were even closer to the lake and the trails.

I've been trail riding in the Wickenburg area since I was a kid, and the rodeo grounds across the street from Constellation Park is a gathering site for just about everyone who heads out into the desert on their 4-legged transportation. On my most recent visit to Constellation Park, the park and rodeo grounds were empty, but this place fills up fast whenever there are events scheduled, and the sites are first come, first served with NO reservations system, so plan ahead!

There are 35 dry camp sites along a dirt road north of the rodeo grounds on Constellation Road in Wickenburg - they are primitive dry sites with no tents allowed - all camping must be self contained. Site fees are $8 per night, or $12 per night to have a horse corral included. Yes, I'm confused too - horses are ok, but tents are not? I'm not sure what the logic for self contained camping is for these sites, as they would make excellent car camping/tenting sites, but I'm not the one who makes the rules.

The park opens onto state and BLM land, which you can ride or backpack into with a permit -

https://land.az.gov/recreational-permit-portal

Wickenburg is already a relatively quiet town with not much traffic outside the US 60 / US 93 interchange for people traveling from Phoenix to Las Vegas, so it's nice and quiet up here. The road undulates up over small rises, so unless there's a late night at the rodeo arena, there are no lights to compete with the star gazing show either. Again, tent camping would make so much sense here. . .

I'd give the park 5 stars for the pretty desert views, quiet location and big skies if you were allowed to enjoy them outside of an RV. Oh well, we don't get everything we want, right?

We tent camped here and it was still too hot in late summer months. Campsites were clean and ok size more for tent but kind of small for RV. There were lots of trees. Host was friendly.

I stayed only 1 day. The site itself (tent site) was separate from the RVers. Very well maintained site with a shade structure above your tent and a clean firepit. They also had a facility w/ restrooms and showers. Awesome spot!

No tent camping. Self contained RVs only. Constellation park campground hosts horse events and rodeos that draw crowds from everywhere and of all ages. Campground is directly across the street from all horse and rodeo activities so this is very convenient if you are in the area for horsemanship.

This place has it all. River access, 2 lagoon areas, horseback riding (not affiliated with park), hiking, a playground with a zip line, fishing and Cottonwood is 1 mile away! There are full hook up sites and tent camping plus cabins. I love this state park- camp hosts are helpful.

I've camped here twice, once solo in a tent and once in a cabin with my family and dog.

This facility is clean, quiet (depending on your site neighbors, of course), close to town, and has great amenities.

The tent sites had decent separation from each other with adequate shrubbery in between.

The cabin loop is wonderfully private from the rest of the park and a great getaway for anyone looking for some peace and quiet.

Bathrooms are well maintained, lots of trails, good fishing opportunities in the lagoons.

Absolutely will camp here again.

If the sites had a little more privacy, I'd give five stars. Whenever I take my family, I remind myself I'm not there for the actual tent camping, I'm there for everything else the state park offers. There are about eight small cabins as well. This park offers a much needed break from the Arizona heat in the spring and summer months. The "lakes" are really more like ponds but plenty large enough to fish in as is the Verde River, running through the park. Make sure to go down and take a dip during the warm seasons. They've recently improved the playground for young ones and offer horseback riding as well. Facilities are always clean. If you're tired of camping food, drive down the road to Cottonwood and be sure to visit Larry's Antiques (if you're into that of course).

Camped 5 nights at the desert tortoise campground in my NoBo travel trailer. Semi developed so no hook ups. Bathrooms were clean and the area was well kept. The spot includes a ramada with picnic table. There is also a fire ring pit w/ grill which you’ll need to bring firewood for. I fished off the shoreline which was only a few hundred feet from my spot. The spots are relatively close to each other and tent camping is also allowed. Water is clear and very nice. Wild donkeys from old miners back in the day still roam around. They are very accustomed to humans so won’t hesitate to steal food. Definitely something to watch pets around as well.

This is part of the Encore/Thousand Trails network (although anyone can use it).  They do offer a 20% military discount.

The resort has spacious RV spots with extra room to park your vehicle(if towing). Each spot has a nice concrete slab with a picnic table. The Small trailer, tent camping sites are very big and have a lot of distance between them. Staff are always patrolling around keeping everything nice and clean. Trees are everywhere providing shade. A nice breeze is always blowing and there is a creek down behind the resort where you can cool off. if you're looking for a great relaxing place to stay I highly recommend it.

Close by is Jerome and Sedona for things to do

Newer RV Park in Clarkdale, AZ. It is located right on the main road for easy access, but we did not hear road noise st night. Amazing views of Tuzigoot National Monument and the surrounding mountains, especially from the sites at the rear and west side of the park. 63 RV sites, no tent camping allowed. Sites are average size, level, gravel, with paver patios. Restrooms/showers are private, very large and clean. They have a pool, sauna, and rec/game room. No fires or charcoal grills allowed. Some sites have tables. There are trees, but they are very small. Rain Spirit is located between historic Cottonwood and Clarkdale, about 5 miles from Jerome, and 20 miles from Sedona. Great restaurants, wineries and shops in Cottonwood are close by.

We pulled onto forest road 525 and drove about a little over 5 miles in to a beautiful large camp site that went in deep off of the road. It allowed for multiple visitors and yet still provided lots of space and privacy.

We showed up around noon on a friday afternoon and was able to find this gem.

Remember! Whatever you pack in, pack it out !

We drove a honda civic and had no problems. Just take it slow. Some turn offs have more of a drop off than others. Just drove a little further and find one that’s perfect for you and yours.

I recommend tent camping or atleast leaving something to sort of “hold” your spot while you do your day activities. Otherwise, you might have a difficult time finding somewhere to sleep when you come back in the dark.

Everyone is very nice and respectful of your space.

My goal was to find a nice tent spot nestled in between Cottonwood and Sedona, and along the Verde River for easy canoe access. Upon driving onto the property we were greeting by a very friendly gatekeeper who wished us a great stay and suggested spots for canoeing and exploring the area. 

We were happy to find that the resort had a lovely pool and jacuzzi, (perfect after a day of adventuring or traveling) warm, cozy bathrooms after sleeping in a tent site in 50 degrees, and large clean campsites, many of them with trees and many close enough to hear the Verde River water down below. Being unable to get to the river from our campsite was our only disappointment. We stayed in the "A" section, which has tent and pop-up spots around rows of their mini cabins and RV spots. We were initially worried about the noise from all of the RV's, being more of the backwoods camping sorts, but the entire place is very calm and quiet. 

A short walk across what the property will find you at Alcantara Winery. It was the perfect place to end our day of exploring the area. I'd certainly come back to the park in the future.