Are you an equestrian lover who prefers a more rustic experience when you visit Tolleson? Finding a place to camp in Arizona with your horse is easier than ever. At The Dyrt, you can find top-rated spots for horse camping, as reviewed by campers.
The campground has 138 sites: 68 sites with electric (50/30/20 amp service) and water and the remainder non-hookup sites on paved roads for tents or RVs. Every site has a picnic table and a fire pit with an adjustable grill gate. There are no size restrictions on RVs. Well-mannered pets on leashes are welcome, but please pick after your pets. The office at Lost Dutchman is open until 7 p.m. for campsite check-in, but after hours (with campsite reservations) you can grab a map by the ranger station and head straight to your campsite! If you are staying multiple nights, check-in with the camp host, or a ranger to get a vehicle tag.
$25 - $89 / night
$15 - $45 / night
Set in the northeast Valley of metro Phoenix, McDowell Mountain Regional Park covers 21,099 acres in the lower Verde River basin. Campers choose from 76 individual sites for tent or RV camping, which can accommodate up to a 45-foot RV. These developed sites have water and electrical hook-ups, plus a dump station, picnic table, and barbecue fire ring, while all restrooms offer flush toilets and showers. Group camping is also available.
McDowell Mountain activities range from biking, hiking, and horseback riding on over 50 miles of multi-use trails to picnicking, stargazing, and plenty of park-organized programs and events.
$32 / night
Skyline Regional Park located in Buckeye, Arizona is an 8,700 acre park in the southern White Tank Mountains. The park features 16 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Seven camping sites are also available to rent.
Westworld’s RV Park consists of 398 permanent RV spaces in 8 different lots located across the property. The best part? They all have electric and water and a dump station on site for your convenience.
$57 / night
Bartlett Flat Bartlett Reservoir and the Arizona Upland phase of the Sonoran Desert. This site offers beautiful vistas of the surrounding mountains. Bartlett Flat has primitive boat launch opportunities for small boats. River Access Point (RAP) for Verde River. There are no designated campsites at this shoreline area but camping along the shore is allowed. High water levels will limit the amount of available shoreline in this area.
$10 - $35 / night
Guide
Pretty, some freeway noise from the 8, great camp host. Hiking trails. Just porta potties and dumpster, but you can dump and get water 4 miles away. Most any sized rig can fit. Dirt roads are in pretty darn good shape.
Ranger
We only got to stay here one night, but it is very beautiful. At the base of the Superstition mountains, which are awesome. Out of the city, so nice and quiet. All the sites are paved and fairly level. There are many sites that have pull through, electric, and water. The showers were good. Many hiking trails in the area. Would love to stay here a little longer.
GuideThis State Park campground located in the Superstition Mountains is a frequent quick camp spot for me if I don feel like trying to beat the crowds to some favorite local dispersed sites.
They offer sites with electric and water, and sites for dry camping, along with some cabins and group sites you can reserve. The sites offer as much privacy as one can expect in the desert and are not super close together, except for the site numbers 70+ which are only available in winter typically. There are plenty of hiking trails and activities in the park and nearby. The bathrooms and showers are clean and well maintained, and they even have a small dog “park” for your best pal to run off some energy.
Favorite things about the park: The views and the wild life. We have seen so many beautiful birds, from quail and owls to roadrunners and vultures, along with several different types of squirrels, lizards, hare, and coyotes.
RangerIf traveling near Phoenix you should make this state campground a number one option.
The towering superstition mountain range is a beautiful site and while we were there we were able to watch a hiker who was rescued. This hiker was not injured, just afraid to come back down the trail. Guess going up is easier than coming down.
The site we had had power and water. The showers in the restrooms were not great but something is better than nothing.
TravelerFairly close to our home (30 miles) but we love to do 1-2 nighters here when we have the time. There is plenty to see around the area. Park is well maintained. Spots are close but not too close to each other. Its a little elevated so the valley views are great. Gets a little warm during the summer - after all it is AZ. Theres an old Gold Mine nearby to visit.
Guide
Camping for one night and it was 30$. Very clean restrooms and showers!
We were almost only campers there and lots of spots available. Closest campgounds were full or expensive.
Legend
Pros:
Cons:
GuideLost Dutchman State Park isn't just a campground, it's an adventure paradise! I'm giving it a flawless 5-star rating because it truly blew me away. Here's why:
Off-Roading Nirvana: Dust off your UTVs(side-by-sides) and get ready for a blast! The washboard washes (river beds) offer thrilling rides for off-road enthusiasts, with stunning desert landscapes as your backdrop.️
Hikers' Haven: Lace up your boots and conquer one of the park's diverse hiking trails. From challenging climbs to scenic strolls, there's a path for every level and every desire.
Feast for the Eyes: Prepare to be awestruck by the breathtaking scenery. Jagged mountain peaks pierce the azure sky, while the vast desert stretches out before you, creating a postcard-perfect landscape.
History Comes Alive: Immerse yourself in the legendary lore of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine. Uncover the park's rich history and explore the stories that have captivated adventurers for centuries.
Camper's Dream: The park offers spacious campsites with convenient power and water hookups, making it a comfortable home base for your desert exploration.(Note: sewer hookups are not available.)
A Final Note: While you're busy conquering the trails and soaking up the scenery, keep in mind that cell service can be limited in certain areas. This might just be the perfect opportunity to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature! Lost Dutchman State Park is an unforgettable experience for anyone seeking adventure, breathtaking views, and a touch of history. I can't wait to get back and explore more of this desert gem!
GuideLoved staying at lost Dutchman. We are full time in our Rv, stayed for a full week and had access to the bathrooms, showers, dump & fill stations. We dry camped with no hookups but were able to use our generator at certain hours of the day. Great AT&T service through our Insty to get internet for work. Mostly loved the copious amounts of trails to walk, hike and run on. Even did a bike ride up the Apache trail to Boulder lake. Such a beautiful location.
ScoutLost Dutchman has amazing views, super clean facilities and spaced out sites. Highly recommend.
TravelerWe really enjoyed this park. Sites were nicely spaced. Beautiful view of mountain and amazing sunsets. Great hikes right from the campground.
Guide
Stayed here during a 200 mile bikepacking trip around this area in late December. There are mountain bike trails connected to this campground that were very fun! Definitely a great basecamp for mtb and hiking.
We were the only tent campers but it was nice to use the electric outlets to charge our devices. Overall a quiet campground but there is a shooting range nearby, so just a heads up!
GuideWish we could have stayed longer. Great views and nice people.
Legend
General: Very small (7-site) campground. One site is ADA-accessible and paved (the rest are gravel) but there are no hookups at any site.
Site Quality: Generous-sized gravel driveways; Site D sloped uphill slightly. A concrete picnic table, BBQ grill, and fire pit complete the site. I was a little surprised that the picnic tables did not have shelters as it gets quite hot in Arizona (the day-use pavilions were covered).
Restroom: Two-stall, one-sink restroom. No showers. This restroom is also used by the day-use area so by the end of the day, it looks like it has been well-used. It was cleaned at night. It looked like the sink was clogged, but it was just slow draining.
Activities: Hiking! There are several hiking trails directly accessible from the campground and all the trails are well-marked. There is a short (.6 mile) ADA-accessible trail. Horseback riding and mountain biking are also activities although we saw neither in our two days at this park. There was also a wildly popular star-gazing event while we were there.
Final thoughts: IMO, the best sites are B, C, and D. Site D especially has no visible neighbors on either side. Kudos to the city of Buckeye – they could have easily crammed a half-dozen more campsites in this area, but I am glad they did not! As I mentioned, this is a popular day-use area and by 7 am on a weekend in early April, the day-use parking lot was completely full. Despite this, we did not see too many people on the trails.
ScoutStayed here in a campervan for one night on a weekday and really enjoyed it. The facilities were clean and well kept, your neighbors are obviously pretty close by but people kept to themselves. Loved waking up to the giant saguaros!
Traveler
My first time here was over Veteran’s Day weekend and we woke up to F15s flying low overhead for Veteran’s Day. Campsites are disbursed and pleasantly of area to set up your site. Ground is flat and somewhat sandy like a beach. Other campsites seemed quite respectful and aware we are all sharing the same experience. sides were relatively clean, however, people do venture off into the Forrest area to use the restroom. That is my only concern is people do not pack out their toilet paper or their human feces. Please keep this area beautiful the way it naturally is and pack out your waste which is toxic to wildlife.
GuideQuiet (most of the time) and a beautiful view. Loved that the campsites were spread out. Only complaints are the weekend warriors being noisy at night and no sites have FHU. Only water and electric but still was nice to have those amenities
RangerAfter years of reading rave reviews we finally got the chance to experience Lost Dutchman State Park, and we were fortunate to show up on a delightful Friday spring evening at 7p without a reservation and secure a last minute cancellation of Site 41 with 50 amp electric and water and a stunning view of the sunset on the Superstition Mtns. This is a very nice park, but also very crowded as it is basically within the Phoenix metro area, so it feels a bit congested and overrun compared to many state park campgrounds.
RangerWhile it's on the bottom of our "Fave AZ State Parks" it's only there because, it's busy. It's right outside of Phoenix and folks from the valley frequent it. Being at the entrance to beautiful Tonto NF doesn't help with the traffic either. But, it's still 5 stars. The sites tend to be backwards for hookups vs how you pull in. So, if you have a long hose and power cord, park accordingly. Did not use any bath houses. Thankful we had electricity as we almost hit 100 in April after a chilly AZ winter.
GuideFriendly rangers. Clean restrooms and hot showers. Hiking trails. Start early in the day. It can get hot in April. We hiked the Treasure loop trail to the green rock. Then the PV trail down. 500 feet elevation gain over 2 miles. Loose gavel in some spots. Moderate difficulty.
ScoutMaricopa County has a great park system. This is our third time here. There are tons of trails and the views are awesome.
TravelerVery nice campground. Level site. Great view of mountains and cacti. Go slow, road have big dips to allow water runoff.
GuideRanger Sara ROCKS!!! Her upbeat personality and kindness was greatly appreciated after a long day behind the wheel. The entire staff was welcoming and all the bath houses and showers were cleaned multiple times daily. Our site was spacious and well kept. Not a piece of trash to be found. Very convenient to Goldfield ghost town for a day of fun and a flowy 4 mile mtb loop as well. Our daughter did the jr ranger program and loved it!!! Thanks again, great park!
ScoutWith all this rain and snow melt Bartlett flats is under water
TravelerSpectacular views, quiet and clean. Trails are well maintained.
LegendWhile the sites at Lost Dutchman State Park are quite close together, the views and hiking trails are awesome! We camped in a campervan here (site 106) and it was perfect. We were in the 'rustic' loop, which consisted of sites without water or electric, and we could see Flatiron Mountain from our campsite.
My only complaint with the site is that it was quite a long walk to the restroom! Tent campers may not be able to find a suitable spot to pitch as the sites are small, but if you can get a site between 33 and 40, you should have room to pitch a tent. There are also hiker/biker campsites that require a short walk. These have amazing views, as do the cabins.
We would definitely stay here again - maybe in early March so we can see the wildflowers blooming!
TravelerThis was a highlight on the last stay. The people are mostly quiet, and to themselves. If your young a few night stay is okay. But any longer and you will start to see the looks from fellow older campers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Tolleson, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Tolleson, AZ is Lost Dutchman State Park Campground with a 4.7-star rating from 79 reviews.
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Tolleson, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 20 equestrian camping locations near Tolleson, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
