Best Tent Camping near Show Low, AZ
Several established and dispersed tent camping options exist near Show Low, Arizona, with sites scattered through the surrounding forests and reservation lands. Brown Creek Campground receives high ratings from tent campers seeking seclusion, while Beehive Spring Camp offers dispersed camping at 9,200 feet elevation with diverse tree coverage beyond just Ponderosa Pine. Some Apache Indian Reservation camping areas like Shush Bezahze provide facilities including drinking water, picnic tables, and vault toilets, though access requirements vary.
Most tent sites in the Show Low area feature minimal amenities, with several campgrounds offering only basic facilities. Brown Creek Campground has no established facilities, requiring campers to pack in water and pack out waste. Shush Bezahze offers more developed sites with picnic tables, vault toilets, and trash service. The terrain at most campgrounds consists of forest floor with varying degrees of tree coverage providing shade. Roads to many sites like Chevelon Canyon Lake Campground can be rough, with visitors noting some "washed out" sections that may challenge passenger vehicles, particularly during monsoon season from late June through August.
The camping experience varies significantly by location, with higher elevation sites like Beehive Spring Camp providing cooler temperatures that drop considerably at night even in September. Sites near lakes often require substantial hiking to reach the water, as one visitor noted about Chevelon Canyon: "The lake is a 45 minute hike down through the canyon. But once you're at the lake it's beautiful." Many tent campers appreciate the solitude of more remote sites, especially during weekdays. Brown Creek Campground receives praise for its seclusion, with one camper describing it as "very secluded and not at all developed" with ample firewood but limited space for larger groups or vehicles.
