Looking for the ultimate pet-friendly camping experience near Winkelman? With The Dyrt, it's easy to find campgrounds near Winkelman that allow pets. Each pet-friendly spot offers quick access to one or more of Winkelman's most popular destinations.
Location is near Park Link Drive - S. Cattle Tanks Road BLM
Pioneer Pass Pioneer is a large site composed of dispersed campgrounds located in the Globe Ranger District of Tonto National Forest. Set in the cool Pinal Mountains South of Pioneer Pass is the Squaw Springs Trail that leads to Pinal Peak along with the East Mountain Trail. These trails are fun for nature viewing, day hikes, and family outings. ACTIVITIES Camping: 23 camp units with tables and fire pit grills Picnicking: tables and fire pit grills available
Over 50 Acres of mesquite shaded land along the Gila River and adjacent to the Needles Eye Wilderness. Enjoy and explore outside in the central Az desert!
NOTE: there is NO cell service!!!!
$75 / night
This area of Mt Lemmon camping is located at the head of a shallow, forested canyon a short distance off the Catalina Highway. Spencer Canyon faces the city of Tucson and the Santa Cruz Valley, both of which are visible as a distant panorama through openings in the forest canopy. Spencer Canyon Campground has 66 sites. Each site has a concrete table, firepit, B-B-Q and bear box for food storage. A beautiful night view of Tucson can be seen from several sites. Spencer is rugged, rustic in layout and close to the hamlet of Summerhaven. Each camping area has clean, stocked vault toilets. Campground hosts live on site. Firewood may be purchased from the hosts. The Catalina Highway is paved, but it can be snow covered in winter when chains and/or 4-wheel drive may be required.
$22 - $36 / night
The site is located along the Gila River upstream from the town of Winkelman, Arizona. The Shores recreation site is minimally developed to provide access to the river for river-related recreation opportunities. River flows during the spring and summer are suitable for river floating activities through outstanding canyon scenery with diverse desert wildlife habitat. Generally, stream flows over 300 cubic feet per second provide small craft floating opportunities, including inflatable kayaks, canoes and tubing. Floating hazards include a fence across the river upstream from the Shores site with an opening for small floating crafts to pass. A permit is not required for private, non-commercial use of the sites. Use of the sites in connection with commercial recreational use requires a BLM Special Recreation Permit. Target shooting is not allowed in developed sites. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is not necessary to access the site or to maneuver into driveways and parking turnouts at the recreation site. However, due to the narrow passages, motor homes and trailer RVs are not suitable in the area. The restrooms are wheelchair accessible; however, access to other recreation opportunities is limited because of uneven ground surfaces, loose soils, steep slopes, and dense vegetation. Primitive camp sites are available at the site. Facilities include parking, fire pits, and vault toilets. The camp site is not suitable for motor homes bigger than a small pickup camper. Lodging is available at hotels and campgrounds in the nearby communities of Winkelman, Kearny, Superior, Mammoth, and Globe. Winkelman has a river park with camping, water, toilets and other facilities available for public use. Restaurants, grocery, fuel and convenience stores are available in the Towns of Winkelman and Mammoth. The nearest medical facilities are in Globe at the Cobre Valley Community Hospital, and in Oro Valley at the Oro Valley Hospital. The Gila River crosses private and Arizona State Trust land. Access across private land requires the land owner’s permission. Please respect private property rights by not stopping on private land without permission and obtain a permit from the Arizona State Land Department before driving across state lands. A valid Arizona Game and Fish Department license is required for hunting or fishing.
Rose Canyon Campground is just 17 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona, off the Catalina Highway Scenic Drive near the summit of Mt. Lemmon. This area is popular for day use as well as overnight camping. With a high elevation, forested setting, two group picnic areas and opportunities for hiking, wildlife viewing and fishing, Rose Canyon offers a great summer respite from the city.
The lake is sheltered by trees and offers a pleasant setting for a walk in the woods, relaxing on the shore or spending an afternoon fishing for stocked trout. A one-mile trail around the lake is convenient for anglers and hikers. The trail is accessible from the lower parking area to a floating dock near a dam. The surrounding national forest boasts a variety of hiking and mountain biking trails, including several that traverse the 9,157-foot Mt. Lemmon.
The campground sits high on the slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Because of its elevation, it can be much cooler than the lower-elevation campgrounds in the area. The campsites are spacious and spread out among stands of large ponderosa pines and clusters of Gambel oak. During the summer rainy season, Rose Creek meanders through the area to the six-acre Rose Canyon Lake at the lower end of the campground. The Coronado National Forest covers 1.78 million acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 3,000 to 10,720 feet in 12 widely scattered mountain ranges, or "sky islands," that rise dramatically from the desert floor, supporting biologically diverse plant communities.
Catalina Highway, also known as General Hitchcock Highway and Sky Island Scenic Byway, is the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Range. It is one of the most scenic highways in the southwest and is a popular day trip. Other notable attractions include Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon and Colossal Cave.
For facility specific information, please call (520) 576-1325.
$97 - $157 / night
Scout
We got to the parking area about 7:40 PM on November 10th. Started up the road to the campsite about 2 miles further up the mountain but at about 1/2 mile the road was so icy that we lost traction. Snow on the ground by the road, lots of deer tracks in the snow. Ended up backing down the road to spend the night in the parking lot, sleeping in the van.
Scout
The county has closed camping on Peralta road, signs are up, and trenches have been dug so no access is available.
Scout
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.
Scout
Be sure to read the fine print and/or ask questions before booking.
Traveler
The campground is nestled in a secluded canyon amongst the Ponderosa Pines and next to an intermittent mountain stream. The views on the drive up from Globe to the campground at 5,900 feet are gorgeous.
The campground and bathrooms were clean. Some of the sites are a little close together, but others are nicely separated.
Each site has a nice fire pit with a grill gate and a concrete picnic table.
Traveler
Beautiful desert camping, lots of birds and wildlife. I heard coyotes in the middle of the night that woke me up, and was glad for a rooftop tent.
Guide
I’ve camped at Redington Pass a few times throughout the years. It’s a fun trail if you like a challenge of off roading. I wouldn’t recommend larger trailers or RVs to travel too far up the trail, we’ve seen them get stuck trying to turn around. The road is rough but if you don’t mind driving slow over the holes and bumps then no big deal.
Easy to find, follow Tanque Verde Rd all the way East until it turns into Redington Road, this then leads to a dirt road with TONS of dispersed camping pull offs with established fire rings. The further east you travel on the pass the less people you have to camp next to. The camping sites closer to the entrance get packed on the weekends.
The further you go you’ll run out of service, no bathrooms, no water hook ups, nothing, just dispersed wild camping!
ScoutAwesome views, secluded spots. Just make sure you have 4wd and go all the way to the back
Traveler
There is State Trust land just off the main road. Free camping. I drove up this road for about a mile and camped. It was tight and had a ton of rough loose rocks. I was driving a Tacoma(not Lifted) and stopped about a mile in because the road got so bad. I hiked about another half mile back and came accross this amazing view of the valley. The Gila river has been busy back there carving some deep canyons. I did not have signal.
ScoutVery crowded on the weekend but the crowd is friendly and respectful. Great way to escape the summer heat of Tucson! Bring your hats and gloves!
Traveler
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. Please be careful with fires, keep them small, because there's already clear fire damage all around the area. Stayed 2 nights on Memorial day weekend. There were three groups that just came for a picnic then left, which surprised me considering the miles of washboard dirt road to get there. Our Honda CRV handled the road ok, I've seen worse roads that I would not drive. Do pack everything you need, don't plan to drive back into town if you can help it. Do not drive your ATV up and down the hill especially after quiet hours. I will say there is very little parking and a couple sites have very little flat ground for tents. One group did seem to have a couple large tents in the sites at the top of the hill, and ours at the entrance was good but we slept in our car.
Ranger
Good place to pull off in a pinch for free. You do hear road noise. Close to Arizona Trail, where it crosses 60 so you can hike both directions if you decide to, or take the trail up to the top of the mountain. Very beautiful area
Scout
Not freen 55 plus
Guide
Remote, private, and free but accessible. Not a standard RV parking lot campground but rather several campsites with ample space between them for privacy, along an unpaved sandy road, just off a quiet paved back road. About 20-30min from gas stations, water, food, etc. It has no facilities or even pit toilets. Exactly what I wanted. This campground is aptly named as it is quite literally in the middle of a Saguaro cactus forest 🌵 along with many other different cactus species and wildlife. This location is tranquil and wild. I couldn't think of a better way to immerse yourself in the middle of this national park than this campground. It's a tight drive in if you go past the 2-3 RV sites at the beginning of the east side. I have a 2015 Toyota Tacoma with a roof top tent pulling a 12x6 enclosed trailer with standard wheels. My trailer made it through without scratches and at no point did I even think about four-wheel drive. A larger camper I couldn't speak for. It is quite sandy and has some mogul sections where the water flows have washed some of the trail away but overall an easy drive.
Disclosures and warnings:
There are three sides to this campground. The east side, west side, and North end. The West side is the most trailer friendly and most visited as it is where the GPS leads you. However, it gets worse the deeper you go in after roughly 10-15 sites. The east side you could probably manage a trailer for the first 2-3 sites. After that there would be no where to turn around and it gets rough off-road quick, like deep dried up sandy river bed crossings (month of May) and is more exposed to the sun with slightly less cacti than the west side. The North end is the most private and remote of the other two and the quietest. However, it is nothing short of a four-wheel drive off-road trail. I would not recommend anything other than off road vehicles in the north end and the sites are small, just for tents or 1 vehicle.
There are almost no rocks to worry about on the way in but the cacti here are more than capable of creating flat tires so take care to avoid pieces that have fallen onto the road. Especially the Jumping Cholla cacti! They are the worst things you will come across in this campground and are everywhere, easily the most dominant species of cactus in this area. They have evolved to break apart into spiny segments when they make contact with someone or something to propagate. Sometimes if the wind blows strong enough they cover the ground around their base with a mound of their spined segments. These segments often roll or blow into the roadways. The spines are hard as stone and sometimes over 2 in long. They have evolved special reversed barbs that you can't see with your eyes on every main spine. They go into anything except metal, including Kevlar reinforced tire sidewalls like a knife through hot butter and then hook in and don't come out unless you rip them out. I rode my adventure bike through the campground to explore, lost my footing in the sand and fell against one of these. I had 3-4 segments stuck to my arm. I spent 10 to 15 minutes ripping these segments out of my arm, pulling my skin away from my body about an inch before they will rip out. Don't make the same mistake as me.
GUNS! In my opinion the biggest downside to this campground is the almost constant gunfire all day long as there is a public shooting area on the south west side of the campground. If you are in the west side and you are looking southwest, there is a tiny little mountain ridgeline about a half mile away. All around the base of that ridgeline people are allowed to pull up and shoot at targets on the hill side. The locals show up as the sun just comes over the trees around 5:00 a.m. and they don't stop until the sun sets almost everyday of the week. They do however, quit at night so you can sleep.
If you camp here you are IN THE desert. During the day is fine. You will likely only run into swarms of flies. At night however, is a different story. ESPECIALLY If you decide to have a fire on a cold night or set up a lantern near the ground while making dinner. I stayed here for 9 days straight and I came across 6 rattlesnakes (mostly sidewinders), more camel spiders than I can count (at least 5+ per night), 3 brown recluse spiders, packs of coyotes rolling through at night and early morning (watch your pets), and 2 killer bee swarms in the trees. All within the campground boundaries, so just be ready for rugged camping.
Scout
Great place to camp 🏕
ScoutIf you are tired of over crowded campsites you will love this place. No internet,no phone, no stress. Just peace and quiet, time to unwind, you are the only guests there. Nice camper to live in, clean and plenty of room. Heat and really cool air. Bring your favorite food, Cook inside or outside on a coal fired grill or over a wood fired pit. Plenty of nice dry wood for you to use. I cooked inside but ate outside at the picnic table. If you like the outdoors you will feel at home here. Lois Carroll
Legend
Stayed here a night in early April 2024. There were a lot of positive things about this place. Both vault toilets were very clean. The sites that weren’t overgrown with brush had cement tables and fire rings. The roads were narrow and easily managed in my Forester however much of the road, and camp sites, were covered in brush and overgrown trees. I could only locate about 4 sites that weren’t overgrown. The campsite is off of the highway so there is some road noise. Around 7:30 AM someone stopped by a nearby unoccupied site and started cutting wood for about an hour, and then they left. Overall not a bad place for an escape from the heat not far from Globe.
Traveler
Camped here April 1 since dispersed area was still in snow. Great sites and easy access with toilets, fire pits and bear box.
Traveler
Great easy little spot that is highly used so make sure you plan ahead. Not all sites have fire circle and if you don’t have a toilet there are only a few bushes tall enough. Works for a quick one nighter.
Scout
I’ve never been out here. Got a state land trust family pass for the area just in case we needed it. The cottonwood canyon rd is dirt/gravel and it is very flat and not washboarded. Cars can drive in. Just be aware that many of the pull offs from the road have dips or hills but there are also plenty of flat pull offs that lower ground clearance vehicles can pass. For tent camping finding a spot without a lot of sharp rocks and prickles from the various cacti can be a little challenging but it’s totally doable. Use caution when walking about between the cacti. Lots of prickles you can’t see well on the ground. Be extra careful if you have dogs. Probably want to have tweezers or pliers with you to remove the spines. We came out when it was covered in grass but I can imagine it might get pretty dusty if there isn’t any grass. There’s basically no shade to speak of but plenty of bushes/cacti etc for privacy. Very easy to find spots away from other campers on the weekend. There’s lots of gunfire and explosions in the distance during the day and at night. Many ATVs/OHVs driving up and down the main road at night. It got pretty much silent at about 11pm. There are probably a lot of places a decent way from the main road that may be quieter but there are no signs anywhere so you just kind of have to pull off and drive around. Camp was raided by quail early in the morning and we had some cows visit but they didn’t come too close. All in all pretty cool area will definitely come back
Scout
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
TravelerThe amenities at this place are great for the price. Nice pool, hot tub, laundry, bath & showers. There is a mix of full time residents, part time, and traveling campers. Apparently not the best place if you have kids though… not even sure if they “allow” them. Sites are typical RV park style… not much to them/no privacy… but if this is what you’re after I’d imagine you’ll be happy.
Scout
We parked car on dirt road above canyon. We were only ones for a week. Then other young group showed up.
ScoutGreat site - a bit of a drive in
GuideReally well maintained spots, great views, nice and quiet.
Guide
January Rv 24 ft Cell service. Att 2 and o 3 bars. Able to stream
This is a beautiful spot. The spots are a little close together.
Not good for dogs really cus of cholla cactus everywhere. Watch where you walk and be sire to check shoes before entering your home for the night.
There is an outdoor shooting range close enough to Hear semi auto’s all day and as late as 10:45 pm. They were at it again at 8 am. Not sure if it is some military training area or what. That gets a bit old. It’s a good distance away so it’s not real loud, just present Road is good to drive big rv or 5th wheel no lroblem
TravelerGreat spot to go camping! The trail into the campground was great, you will need a 4x4 in certain spots, but mostly it’s a smooth ride. At night the view of the stars was beautiful since there was hardly any light pollution. 10/10 recommended
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