Best Dispersed Camping near Tortilla Flat, AZ

One of our all-time favorite boondocking spots. There are many forests roads off 188 on the southern shore of Lake Roosevelt where dispersed camping is allowed. Some have spectacular views of the lake but are high up and difficult to get to. We found the most easily accesible dispersed camping off Forest Rd 83 between the national monument and little town of Roosevelt. There are large level sites here right off the forest road. As you go further up the forest road, sites get smaller but more private.

This is all working open range with lots of stock. We woke up many mornings to cattle rooting through our stuff and one morning to a real roundup with cowboys on horses. Amazing. There are lots if Saguaro and jumping Cholla cactus around as well as rattlers and scorpions so be alert.

We stayed nearly three weeks here and will go back. Lots to do around and across the lake.

No amenities but there is a dumpster at the head of FS83. Otherwise nearest towns are Punkin Center to the west and Roosevelt to the east, Globe being the nearest large town about 40 min away.

Note there is also dispersed camping off 88 along the Salt River, also worth taking s look. No cell service along 88, no amenities and roads get much more steep and difficult.

The area itself is reasonably nice desert camping. Lots and lots of spots in both the AZ State Trust land (permit required) and the BLM land.

Pros -Lots of fire rings made from rocks in almost every spot. -Room to spread out. -Free.

Cons -The road coming in is the worst washboarding i have ever seen. Like the worst. Almost un-drivable...and I’ve been down a lot of rutted roads that require high clearance. I didn’t need clearance, i needs a road that isn’t ridiculous. -There is a quarry or something at the end of the road, which you wouldn’t think would matter, but starting at 4:00am...giant, and i mean GIANT rock hauler semi trucks started barreling down the washboarded road every 5-10 minutes until we packed up and left a day early at 10:00am because we couldn’t take the noise anymore. These trucks go down the road at 45mph and just absolutely SHAKE the ground and roar with noises. It was the most absurd thing that had ever happened to me while camping. Do not go here for peaceful camping.

I have camped at every dispersed camping place within 150 miles of Phoenix. 99 percent are over run by noisy, disrespectful ATV AND DIRT BIKE riders. If they see people camping they like to rev their engines really loud and create big dust flumes to show how nasty they really are. Last year I never saw a dirt bike or ATV in blue point, but this year there's been a lot. Come on guys and gals you have control of every single other spot this was just one place the family could go and have some peace and quiet. NOT THIS YEAR!!! the ATV'S AND dirt bikes have been tearing down the roads making sure they really rev their engines and creat dust when they go by campers. Just be jerks. But besides that, compared to any other place, this is the quietest. Don't park near the gate, the sound from the road can get really loud. 6 am every morning a helicopter comes overhead it's extremely loud, just so you know. Make sure you go to the Tonto national Forest Mesa ranger station and get a permit for bulldog canyon on Ingram street in Mesa. You need the gate combination codes to open the gate and be in there. The rangers do come through and check your permit and ID's to make sure you are the one on the permit. Ive only seen coyotes and wild horses in there.the horses actually came up to my window, it was awesome.you can have fires, but there's no water or toilets. Try to stay away on Friday and Saturday nights. Allot of kids go there to drink and party. One more thing, if you open the gate, close and lock it! I have seen people call the rangers and tell and the rangers came down and took the person's permit away.enjoy!

This is a dispersed camping are close to town.

Easy to moderate trails throughout the area. Lots of dispersed camping and miles of trails. Heavy UTV use has made some of the trails even more challenging. Lots of fun.

Drive through the town of Gold Canyon AZ, and you quickly leave behind the sprawl of suburban Phoenix, but embrace the sprawling landscape of the Sonoran Desert which is brimming with life in the spring. The unpaved road leads to multiple pull-offs and side roads where you can find the perfect spot to tuck away and camp for as long as you like.  Embrace the sun and bring your solar panels and plenty of cold drinks -- you'll be rewarded with amazing sunrises and sunsets and all the peace and quiet you can stand.  You may get lucky and find some partial shade under a Palo Verde, too.

Though adjacent to Tonto National Forest and the Superstition Mountains Wilderness Area, the camping along Peralta Rd. is on Arizona State Lands. Use of this land, for any reason or purpose, requires a special individual permit. These annual permits are available online, https://asld.secure.force.com/recreationalpermit/ and cost $20 (plus $1 online processing fee). The permit is good for 1 year (deal of the century!) and allows access to any other Arizona State Lands where a permit is required. 

While there are no services available at any of the camping spots, water, gas, or groceries are a short drive back into town. The hiking, and biking opportunities are amazing right around camp via the numerous and unlabeled OHV trails, or a short drive to the Peralta Canyon trailhead. This Forest Service parking area requires either a Tonto Pass, or Interagency Pass, or$10 day pass (available through a self-pay kiosk) serves as the start of many trails that will lead you into the gorgeous Superstition Mountains. Both the road, parking areas and trails are super busy on the weekends, so plan accordingly. During the popular hiking months, Forest Service Volunteers will regulate the parking area, so don't think that you'll get away without buying a pass. The ticket is more expensive.

September 21, 2024: We’ve dispersed camped here many times in last three years, took a trip out there today and every dispersed access point is plowed up with very deep trenches not allowing vehicles or rigs to access. Sad affair with squatters taking advantage and leaving trash, there was not a soul in sight. Maybe they’ll reopen it later when it cools down.

Probably one of the closest places to camp on the east valley of the Phoenix area. This place is most used by OHVs so it can get noisy on the weekends. I’ve also seen spots that people use for shooting. This area is just for dispersed camping, no services, cell phone coverage is good with Verizon.

This area is out there, man, way out there -- but if you want to get further out there, you can. The National Forest to the northeast of Roosevelt Lake is vast and sparsely populated. It is a perfect area to get away, well away, from others. 

Cherry Creek Rd. quickly leaves pavement behind and simply becomes more potholed and steep the further you get in.  With 4WD, and a high clearance vehicle, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. With lots of parking areas and zero services, campsite selection it's dealer's choice. 

We got as far as we wanted, about 5 miles in from the paved road and made camp at a wide area right across from a small horse corral. This area is perfect for exploring by horse. Hiking, biking, and OHV is also are popular. 

The closest water is Cherry Creek, another 3-5 miles further in, so come prepared. A small camping area sits right on the creek which can rise quickly and the ford can become impassible. When we were there, the campground was full, so our dispersed area was just fine with us. 

The closest services are on the southwest bank of Roosevelt Lake, one gas station and marina store. Within 4o minutes to the north and south lie the towns of Payson and Globe respectively which have all the services you could need.

We stayed here in the spring so the weather was great for no a.c. Boondock sites are on the small side and limited. Don't bring a big rig in here. There is a parking lot with a gate code that you need to get from the BLM but you can do that online. Park in the lot and walk in to scope out site availability. That way you aren't stuck trying to turn around. We have a 19' trailer so that wasn't a problem for us but could be for toy haulers, etc. A lot of ATV traffic here so be prepared to hear engine noise but the scenery is beautiful 😀

Turn off Hwy 74 between Apache Junction and Florence, Turn East on Cottonwood Canyon Rd. and there is dispersed camping with ZERO amenities starting in about 2 thru 5 miles on both sides of the road.

This is a very popular off road spot for Motocross motorcycles, Jeeps, ATV's, and Side by Sides so be prepared for some dust and some noise from vehicles. There are lots of trails to ride.

This is Arizona State Trust Land so a permit is required but can be purchased and downloaded from their website at a cost of $21.00 and it is valid for 1 year for the family pass.

The location was clean and well cared for buy the people that camp there, and there are rock rings for fires but you will need to bring your own wood to burn as there is little in the desert and nowhere close to purchase any.

We stayed with a group in November and the weather and the sunrise and the sunsets were absolutely amazing to behold. We will definitely be back both for the wide open spaces and the great places to ride.

The Superstition Mountains are stunning, everywhere you look!  Both sunrise and sunset from this area are absolutely incredible.  So, any camping experience is going to be memorable.   Hutch started and ended his "50 Mile Something" for his 5oth birthday from this spot, so it's especially memorable for us.  Check this out:  https://youtu.be/75aOgtrnB44

If you are self-contained, or follow LNT principles, continue up the Apache Trail to the summit between the west side and the east. Just 2 miles before the Fish Creek Overlook, lie several dispersed areas off the dirt road to camp for up to 14 days. The road to the overlook is busy on weekend days, despite the generally poor condition of the dirt road. Hey, let’s not make it any worse, SLOW DOWN to prevent further rutting! 

During 2021, the road to Apache Lake was closed at the overlook as the result of a landslide. Options for reaching that lake include driving back to Apache Junction and following the pavement all the way around through Globe, AZ– a three-hour drive. Camping here was quiet and serene at night when nearly all the day-time traffic had disappeared. Hiking and biking opportunities were within close proximity, as well as paddling on Canyon lake, 10 miles down the valley. 

The closest services for food and ice are in the quaint town of Tortilla Flat, 7 miles down the valley. This is an incredibly popular day-time spot for lunch, even on weekdays. It can be a little crazy, even during the COVID year, so just a heads up. Further down the valley 15 miles or so is the Phoenix suburb of Apache Junction which has all the usual stuff for groceries, gas, and more RV parks than you can shake a stick at. Since it’s one way in and one way out at the time of this review, it makes sense to fill up before you get here.

This would be the perfect camping spot if it weren’t for all of the inconsiderate people on dirt bikes, ATV’s and utility vehicles. They whiz by all hours of the day and night and will not hesitate to sit right next to your camper and shout as loud as they can to each other. A few nights ago, they were going up and down the road, shouting WOOHOO from 1:30am to 3:30am. I’m all for people having fun but people out here can’t seem to do it while being courteous and respectful of those around them. We’ve also had someone park right in our campsite and then left to walk their dog. If you want to get away from people, this isn’t the place to do it. Beautiful views though.

Easy to get a permit from the ranger station. Just email your name, address, phone number and driver's license number to sm.fs.mesa_ohs@usda.gov and you'll get your permit within 2 days for free. I love that it's not far out of town but an easy place to forget you live in town. I've seen all types of vehicles out there. Better to have a 4 wheel drive with decent clearance for some of the trails. Most camp spots aren't too deep in so it's easiest to access.

Our first night we campednat the 2nd or 3rd campsite which wasn't too difficult to get to. Big rocks and ruts but no biggie. The next morning we woke up to a forest ranger saying we had to camp 2 miles from the road. We took our 30 foot camper the 2 miles and boy was it insane off roading for a travel trailer! Dont recommend it as my tire exploded a week later probably from the abuse. The 2 miles rule seems like it is a new rule and they say it's to stop erosion but it seems to stop campers. Because there's only 2 camp spots past 2 miles deep but tons of other awesome campsites on the way. They also just changed the price from $6 for 6 monthes to $80 for the year

We were actually a bit south of this (but the app won't let me add a new camping area). This is on AZ State Trust land d and a permit is required. https://land.az.gov/

There are wide open spaces for solo or group camping and it is close to town. This is a great winter camping spot!

This really ticks me off. One of the more beautiful spots to spend a day has been closed to campers and trail riders.  We were shocked to see all access except to the park and trailhead are closed. I agree a few camping spots were over used but that shouldn't have closed the whole area.  This is shameful and a government power grab!

Sites are spacious and well dispersed, but the free-roaming cattle make this less than ideal for tent/car campers. It's a little unnerving to step out in the dark!

Busy during the weekend. Get there early to get a good spot.

Great to go on hike or to lake after.

Went a second time and took a 4x4 trail to get a more isolated spot