Best Tent Camping near San Tan Valley, AZ

Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, San Tan Valley, AZ is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. San Tan Valley is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. You're sure to find the perfect spot for your Arizona camping adventure.

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Best Tent Sites Near San Tan Valley, Arizona (12)

    1. Hackamore Road Dispersed

    11 Reviews
    Apache Junction, AZ
    19 miles
    Website
    +1 (623) 580-5500

    "It's on BLM land, so you are out of the reach of the Arizona Land Permits.

    The road is a bit tricky."

    "It’s got great views of the mountains, TONS of awesome trails to walk/ride love the access to the little ghost town nearby."

    2. Peralta Regional Park Primitive Remote Campsites

    3 Reviews
    Gold Canyon, AZ
    16 miles
    Website

    $10 / night

    "Restrooms were great. Each campsite has plenty of space in between. Literally no complaints at all."

    "Very close to popular hiking trails. We enjoyed the rustic campsite. The camp host was very friendly and helpful (Darell)."

    3. The Point Campground

    1 Review
    Tortilla Flat, AZ
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (480) 610-3300

    "About 2 miles upriver from the Mormon Flat Dam, the Tonto National Forest maintains 4 official campsites, complete with a covered picnic table and fire pit at each, as well as composting toilets and a"

    4. McDowell Regional Park-Ironwood

    4 Reviews
    Rio Verde, AZ
    37 miles
    Website
    +1 (602) 506-2930

    "This campground in McDowell Regional park is for tent camping and small Vans, etc. Mix of both walk in sites and back in sites. It is set back a ways from the rest of the park. No showers here."

    "One restroom, flush toilets, water spigot outside, dumpster. Friendly to camper vans. Showers down the road. Lots of hiking and biking."

    5. Devils Canyon Campground

    1 Review
    Superior, AZ
    31 miles
    Website
    +1 (602) 225-5200

    6. Sulphide Del Rey Campground

    2 Reviews
    Globe, AZ
    41 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 402-6200

    "Beautiful campground on a hill surrounded by pines. Gets completely silent at night assuming other campers behave. Perfectly dark except for stars between the trees and your fire."

    7. Shores Recreation Area

    4 Reviews
    Winkelman, AZ
    49 miles
    +1 (520) 258-7200

    "This will be a scorcher in the middle of summer but the sites do have tree cover for shade."

    "Theirs a little highway noise but with the river sounds and a fire it was just what we needed. Theirs sunshine and shade, a bathroom, and garbage."

    8. Diversion Dam

    1 Review
    Roosevelt, AZ
    47 miles
    Website

    "You are allowed to camp there but not in the parking lot you can't take vehicles out of the parking lot so you'll have to hike in to any of the spots."

    9. Kellner Group

    1 Review
    Globe, AZ
    43 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 402-6200

    $75 / night

    10. Bachelor Cove

    Be the first to review!
    Roosevelt, AZ
    42 miles
    Website
    +1 (928) 467-3200
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Recent Tent Camping Photos near San Tan Valley, AZ

4 Photos of 12 San Tan Valley Campgrounds


Tent Camping Reviews near San Tan Valley, AZ

508 Reviews of 12 San Tan Valley Campgrounds


  • Tara S.
    Feb. 22, 2023

    Roosevelt Lake - Cholla Campground

    Peaceful Spot in the Winter

    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.

  • R
    Feb. 29, 2020

    Roosevelt Lake - Schoolhouse Campground

    Quiet with Gorgeous Views

    Right on beautiful Theodore Roosevelt Lake. Nice sites, decently spaced (except 204 and 205 are pretty tight), beautiful 360* mountain views. Well kept. Nick, the host, is friendly and helpful. There are no showers, but there are a few flush toilets. No water hookups, but potable water is available at the restrooms. No electric sites, but we had all the 110 power we needed from our solar panels/inverter system. I’d give this 5 stars if there were a dump station, but there isn’t. The boat launch is very nice.

  • KJ G.
    Feb. 16, 2025

    Pinal County Fairgrounds

    Quick practical spot

    We were dry /primitive campers saving our coins here and there camping! This was an easy quick $10 but I do recommend getting there before closing hrs. As you have to call the camp host to let you in. There is no designated camp zones it is a very dry area ofcourse being in the middle of Arizona. But we were prepared with sleeping pads and tent tarps for comfort. But for 10 bucks you can’t beat that! There was an animal 4H fair of some sort going on which we enjoyed even through all our sleep! The animals did seem to “sleep with us!” There is showers and easy convience to I-10/I20? Also Walmart/standard fast food defiantly more RV friendly but with the right gear you should be fine! I love supporting places like this over the hotel industry

  • Whither W.
    Feb. 1, 2021

    Bartlett Flat

    Crowded and loud on weekends, peaceful when not

    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.

  • Jeni G.
    Oct. 18, 2019

    Tonto National Forest Riverside Campground

    Cool spot, too much trash

    The river was beautiful! The camp spots were close to the river with nice big fire rings. Just like a lot of low desert camping in Arizona it’s dusty and dry with lots of prickly plans. But the trail and the trees near the river were lush. My biggest complaint about the spot was all the garbage everywhere. Come on people, burn your trash or take it home! There’s no need to trip over piles of water bottles & beer cans, cigarette butts, McDonald’s wrappers and plastic bags.

  • P
    Nov. 24, 2020

    Canyon Lake Marina & Campground

    Noise all night long and not from Campers

    I don’t know why they bother be so strict with noise from campers after 10:00. You can’t see it, but your 20 feet off the main road and if you are there on a weekend the road noise from the motorcycles and cars racing up and down the road to and from the bar will keep you up until 3:00 in the morning. If you manage to fall asleep finally by 3:00 and you are in a tent, be prepared to be woken up again at 4:30 when the boaters start launching their boats 5 feet from the tent area. I did not find the camp staff helpful, including the fact that we got there at 2:00 which is check in time and had to wait 30 minutes for someone to show up to open the gate. We had very little interaction other than that. Obviously the noise is not their fault, but if you are planning on tent camping there you need to be aware. It may be a good spot for RVs that have some insulation from the road noise and are further away from the boat docks, but if your tent camping, find other places. Note - no water available at all to tent sites. Not even a shared spigot. The bathrooms were not working while we were there. They did provide a temporary trailer for showers and toilet but it was poorly stocked and filthy the entire weekend.

  • Crystal D.
    Jan. 15, 2022

    Lost Dutchman State Park Campground

    Beautiful Views

    My husband and I dry camped in our RV here for one night in mid January. Park was very packed, but very clean and quiet. Nice place to get some rest. Gorgeous views of the superstitions. Unfortunately we had to buy an extra day pass to hike in as check in is at 2pm and check out is at noon. If you are planning to hike into the mountains I recommend booking at least 2 nights in the campground. Staff was friendly. Dump station very crowded starting a couple hours before checkout time

  • Matt M.
    Jun. 29, 2018

    Burnt Corral Campground

    Apache Lake, lower Burnt Corral

    Apache Lake is a beautiful desert canyon lake. Getting there is a little difficult via a dirt road known as the Apache Trail. Nice improved maintained sites, most are shoreline and with fire rings, picnic tables. There are some open beach camping spaces as well. Expect a dirt and rock floor, mature desert trees and low scrub. Within the campground is a small boat ramp with dock and a parking lot for your trailer if you bring your watercraft There is a self serve pay station and a camp host. Dumpsters, vault toilets and a few freshwater stations.

  • Danielle A.
    Apr. 6, 2017

    Oak Flat Campground

    Basic, Easy, and Free Campsite with Bouldering Nearby

    Oak Flat is a Forest Service campground in the Tonto National Forest and is about 90 minutes from Phoenix. It's a short distance off a windy mountain highway which means it's easy to get to but traffic can be heard from camp. (Luckily it's not a busy interstate and traffic is pretty infrequent at night.) It's not spectacular location but there are decent views of the oak scrub desert surrounding the camp.

    There are a handful of campsites with picnic tables and firepits, plus several flat and open areas for RVs or tent cities. Some sites are open and others have a few shady tree for hammocks, slacklines, and more. There is a bathroom which was clean and well-stocked with toilet paper, despite the campground being quite full when I stayed here for a few nights in April. There is no water, however, so be prepared with as much as you'll need. The elevation is just shy of 4,000' which means nights are typically a few degrees cooler than in the Phoenix area.

    There are no hiking trails from the campground but there is a network of dirt roads which take you back into the desert scrub oak forest and through hundreds of bouldering problems of all levels. Just a few miles away, however, the Arizona Trail crosses the highway and heads north into the Superstition Wilderness.

    This campsite is pretty basic but is a good place to kill some time, especially given that it's free! It's also a great place to set up your base camp if you want to do some bouldering.


Guide to San Tan Valley

Tent camping near San Tan Valley, Arizona, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors.

Tent campers appreciate these amenities

  • The Hackamore Road Dispersed site allows campfires and is pet-friendly, making it a great choice for families and furry companions.
  • At The Point Campground, you'll find covered picnic tables and fire pits, perfect for a cozy evening under the stars.
  • McDowell Regional Park-Ironwood features drinking water and electric hookups, catering to those who want a bit more comfort while camping.

Tent campers should check out local activities

Unique features of the campgrounds

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near San Tan Valley, AZ?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near San Tan Valley, AZ is Hackamore Road Dispersed with a 2.9-star rating from 11 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near San Tan Valley, AZ?

TheDyrt.com has all 12 tent camping locations near San Tan Valley, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.