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Tent Camping near Tonto Basin, AZ

43 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.

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    SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

    Tent campers seeking outdoor experiences in the Tonto Basin area have several options amid the scenic Arizona landscapes. Lower Tonto Creek offers tent sites with picnic tables and fire pits within Tonto National Forest, while Hackamore Road Dispersed camping provides free, primitive tent camping with both drive-in and walk-in access. The Point Campground offers boat-accessible tent sites along the shoreline of Roosevelt Lake, complete with picnic tables and fire rings.

    Most primitive tent sites in the Tonto Basin region have minimal amenities, with vault toilets available at established campgrounds like Lower Tonto Creek and The Point Campground. Dispersed camping areas typically lack facilities altogether, requiring campers to pack in water and pack out waste. Fire restrictions are common during dry periods, particularly in summer months. Terrain varies significantly, with many tent sites situated on uneven ground or requiring campers to clear small rocks before setup. High-clearance vehicles are recommended for accessing more remote tent camping areas. A visitor commented, "The drive is one lane and very steep. Watch for oncoming traffic and be ready to squeeze by another car."

    The proximity to water features provides a key advantage for tent campers in this region. Sites near Tonto Creek offer access to fishing opportunities and the soothing sounds of flowing water. A camper noted, "From your camp site you can hear the rumbling of Tonto Creek which is just perfect for relaxing into sleep." Summer temperatures can exceed 100°F in lower elevations, making shaded sites particularly valuable. The higher elevation campgrounds offer respite from valley heat, with temperatures typically 15-20 degrees cooler than Phoenix. Road noise can be an issue at some locations, particularly those near Highway 260. Wildlife sightings are common, with some areas providing opportunities to spot desert bighorn sheep along the shorelines of Roosevelt Lake.

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    Best Tent Campgrounds near Tonto Basin (43)

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      1. Reynolds Creek Group Camp (Id) — Idaho Panhandle National Forests

      5.0(1)19mi from Tonto Basin1 siteTents

      "Reynolds Creek Group Camp is a solid, no-frills spot tucked into the trees—peaceful, clean, and well maintained."

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      2. Orange Peel

      Be the first to review6mi from Tonto BasinTents
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      3. Greenland Springs

      4.0(1)19mi from Tonto BasinTents

      "Close to Grand Canyon- BUT not crowded with people. Backcountry camping."

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      4. Hackamore Road Dispersed

      3.0(13)29mi from Tonto BasinTents

      "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."

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      5. Schoolhouse Point Dispersed

      4.5(2)21mi from Tonto BasinTents

      "Pretty, dispersed camping near schoolhouse Point in Roosevelt lake."

      "Lots of little spaces, fire rings, little shrubby trees for some privacy."

      6. Mesquite Flats

      5.0(1)21mi from Tonto BasinTents

      7. Bachelor Cove

      Be the first to review11mi from Tonto BasinTents
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      8. Ironwood Campground - McDowell Mountain Regional Park

      4.3(4)25mi from Tonto BasinTents

      "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."

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      9. The Point Campground

      4.0(1)21mi from Tonto BasinTents

      "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"

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      10. Diversion Dam

      4.0(1)26mi from Tonto BasinTents

      "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."

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    Recent Tent Camping Photos near Tonto Basin, AZ

    21 Photos of 43 Tonto Basin Campgrounds

    Tent Camping Reviews near Tonto Basin, AZ

    916 Reviews of 43 Tonto Basin Campgrounds

    • April H.
      Jun. 26, 2026

      Knoll Lake Campground

      Family friendly camping among Ponderosa pines.

      You will travel over 11 miles of dirt road to get here.  Most of it is pretty easy with a few rougher spots here and there.  The roads in are well marked.  This is a fee area run by the forest service.  The fees are cash only-no recreation.gov app use available.  I read before I went that there was an issue with the water so I brought plenty.  There was signage at the spigots explaining what was going on.  I'm glad I brought my own!  The campground itself is small but the sites are good sized and well spaced.  Plus the thick forest provides a decent amount of privacy.  The bathrooms are vault toilets, no showers.  There are tables, fire rings & BBQs at each site.  There were bear boxes in some sites-I don't know why they weren't in all sites-but there was no evidence of bears passing through.  Quiet hours were observed and the hosts were on top of things.  There is a footpath from the campground to the lake, roughly 1/2 mile, and of course you can drive down to it.  There was no real beach at the lake that I could see, no one was swimming, but there were shaded picnic tables & a bathroom available.  Lots of fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding though.  Note-no gasoline powered boats are allowed on the lake.

    • Brenda Y.The Dyrt PRO User
      Jan. 13, 2026

      Gold Canyon Dispersed Site

      Peaceful, easy big rig sites

      Easy access -- open the gate, drive in, close the gate. There's enough room to pull off the highway in a 43' RV towing a truck, and stop to get the gate open. Pretty easy to navigate and find a spot. Level. Spots are spacious and while others were around us, they were so far away that we couldn't hear generators or see them. Little bit of road noise, little bit of 4-wheeler noise, but not at all intrusive. Pretty clean area where 'leave no trace' is being practiced. Beautiful views of Superstition Mountains. We have a UTV --plenty of trails to access from this area; it takes about a half hour to navigate them and get to the 'fun' trails more in the mountains. Would def stay here again.

    • Vidalia S.The Dyrt PRO User
      Feb. 13, 2026

      Pioneer Pass Campground

      Close to Globe, but a long trip

      Good dirt road with lots of switchbacks which makes for slow going. We averaged about 10 mph in our Transit van. The road was however in great condition with minimal to no ruts, rocks, or washboarding. I would certainly not want to do the drive after dark. Probably not safely passable in any type of snow or ice. The whole mountain seems to have been recently devastated by wildfires. The trees at the campsite itself did well, however. The area is still quite beautiful. Lots of sites clustered together in close vicinity to communal vault toilets, bear boxes picnic tables, and fire rings. We saw several coyotes and heard even more. Plenty of firewood on the ground. No T-Mobile coverage.

    • Tara S.The Dyrt PRO User
      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.

    • Donna V.
      Apr. 8, 2022

      Houston Mesa Campground

      Nice and quiet

      We enjoyed a couple of days car/tent camping at this multiuser campground . We parked on a private shaded pad next to a fire pit and table. Very quiet (mid week). Showers were closed but the bathrooms were spotless. Camp host on grounds firewood for sale. Close by Payson.

    • Audrey R.The Dyrt PRO User
      Oct. 30, 2018

      Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area

      Just don't go on a holiday weekend

      If you go during the winter months (that is, if roads are open), you may likely be the only one there! The lake is not very easily accessible for camping but it's an easy hike down for fishing, photography, and simply enjoying nature. Keep your eyes peeled, you may spot a bald eagle. The actual campground is usually crowded with no privacy. Perhaps suitable for a large group. Restrooms, never mind, just bring a shovel and use the woods; it's cleaner. Just don't be disgusting and leave it all out. Leave No Trace, PLEASE. Also, you'll need to carry out all your trash. On a holiday weekend (Labor Day especially) there are so many visitors but otherwise only a few venture out that way. Your best bet for solitude is to drive 2-4 miles passed the campground which will be on your right and find a good dispersed spot. Just bring ribbon or rope to mark a tree from the road in case you need to travel down to Woods Canyon Lake store or out to a Rim viewpoint for cell service.

    • 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.

    • Shaun S.
      Apr. 11, 2017

      Christopher Creek

      Family Fun!

      So this campground has it all! The creek, bathrooms, paved roads and space! Site's are clean and well taken care of! Bring firewood or buy it from the host because there is none laying around! The creek is stocked with trout and makes for calming background noise! We will be back for sure! $20 a night per site! Group sites available! Bear boxes at every site and trailers are limited to 22'. No hook ups available but there is a dump station a few miles away at ponderosa!

    Guide to Tonto Basin

    Tent campsites near Tonto Basin, Arizona range from established campgrounds to dispersed options throughout the surrounding public lands. Bachelor Cove provides basic tent camping with toilets and trash service, while Hackamore Road Dispersed camping offers free primitive sites for those seeking a more rugged experience. The Point Campground provides an unusual boat-in tent camping experience about two miles upriver from Mormon Flat Dam, with four official tent sites maintained by Tonto National Forest.

    Access roads to many dispersed camping areas require careful navigation, particularly at Hackamore Road where multiple reviews warn of difficult conditions. A visitor commented, "The road is a bit tricky. I got here pretty smooth on my RWD Xterra, so while 4WD isn't necessary, I wouldn't come out here without high clearance and decent suspension." Most tent campsites lack amenities such as drinking water, requiring campers to pack in all necessary supplies. Fire regulations vary seasonally, with some areas permitting campfires while others maintain year-round restrictions due to wildfire concerns.

    The desert landscape provides unique tent camping experiences with minimal tree cover or shade at most sites. Campers should prepare for temperature extremes typical of Arizona's high desert environment. Tent sites at The Point Campground include covered picnic tables and fire pits, with composting toilets available on site. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, "The sites were in a bit of disrepair and the bathroom wasn't stocked and smelled a bit, but the views and location of this site can't be beat!" Wildlife viewing opportunities include desert birds and bighorn sheep, particularly along water corridors. During peak seasons, dispersed tent camping areas may experience increased traffic from off-road vehicles and local visitors, making weekday visits preferable for those seeking quieter experiences.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Tonto Basin, AZ?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Tonto Basin, AZ is Reynolds Creek Group Camp (Id) — Idaho Panhandle National Forests with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Tonto Basin, AZ?

    TheDyrt.com has all 43 tent camping locations near Tonto Basin, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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