Looking for an adventure where you can explore Winkelman and then fall asleep in your tent? The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Winkelman with tent camping. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Winkelman's most popular destinations.
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.
The site is located along the Gila River upstream from the town of Winkelman, Arizona. The Christmas 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 campsite 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.
This small, sheltered campground is tucked away just off the Catalina Highway, along the rocky streambed that forms the floor of upper Bear Canyon. Campsites are nestled under a canopy of ponderosa pines, junipers and oaks. Some sites are located right along Bear Creek among large rocks. The Creek generally only flows during rainy periods or during the Spring snowmelt, but be vigilant of flash floods.
$10 / night
Kellner Group Site is nestled at the base of the beautiful Pinal Mountains south of Globe, Arizona. Several picnic areas are separeted from the larger group area creating a semi-secluded setting. This site's interesting rock walls and steps were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It sits in the riparian area of Kellner Canyon, which frequently has a small stream running through it following winter runoff.
Kellner Group Site recreation opportunities include hiking, exploring and wildlife viewing. The Pinal Mountains are considered a "Sky Island" and make for excellent bird watching opportunities. A short seven-mile drive leads to Icehouse Canyon Day Use Area which hosts trailheads for Six Shooter Canyon Trail, Ice House Canyon Trail, Kellner Canyon Trail and the Telephone Trail.
Kellner Group Site boasts spectacular views of the Pinal Mountains, which rise 3,500 feet above it. The riparian area and stream host large sycamore and white oak trees which give it shade. Wildlife in the Pinal Mountains includes a large variety of birds, chipmunks, squirrels, coatimundi, and coos whitetail deer. A fire came very close to this area in the spring of 2017 and has affected some of the vegetation.
Kellner Group Site is next to the City of Globe which offers an array of restaurants, as well as antique, grocery, and feed and tack stores. It is roughly an hour's drive from the Salt River Canyon, where several overlooks allow you to capture the magnificent beauty of "Arizona's other Grand Canyon." Roosevelt Lake and the Apache Trail are also within driving reach.
$75 / night
The name Prison camp came from the Federal Honor Camp begun in 1937 to house federal prisoners supplying labor to build a road providing access into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Prisoners had been convicted of federal crimes ranging from immigration law violations to tax evasion to bank robbery. During World War II, many of the prisoners were conscientious objectors whose religions prohibited them from serving in the military. Some were Japanese Americans protesting the “Japanese American Relocation,” the largest forced removal and incarceration in U.S. History. After the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, over 100,000 Japanese Americans, many American Citizens, were imprisoned in crowded internment camps for fear they would conduct espionage and sabotage along the west coast. Gordon Hirabayashi was a senior at the University of Washington in 1942. He challenged the constitutionality of internment based on race or ancestry. He turned himself in to the FBI rather than report for relocation. He was convicted and sentenced to serve at the honor camp in the Santa Catalina Mountains. In 1987 Hirabayashi’s case was overturned. A federal commission determined that the internment had been motivated by racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. In 1988 the Civil Liberties Act was signed by President Ronald Reagan, which acknowledged the injustice and apologized for the internment. In 1999 the Coronado National Forest renamed the site in honor of Dr. Hirabayashi and the other resisters of conscience who were imprisoned there. Dr. Hirabayashi and others attended the dedication ceremony.
The cool shade of tall ponderosa pines and an overlook of Palisade Canyon from the campgrounds edge make Showers Point Group Site a popular place for groups to spend a weekend or an afternoon. Visitors can relax in shaded campsites, picnic at nearby Rose Canyon, hike and mountain bike on nearby trails or take a scenic drive on Catalina Highway.
Within easy walking distance from Showers Point is one of the most scenic overlooks in the Santa Catalinas. From this towering bluff visitors can see the lower slopes of the Santa Catalina Range and the Santa Cruz Valley stretching toward Mexico. Tall, pyramid-shaped Mt. Wrightson of the Santa Rita Mountains stands prominent on the horizon. Visitors enjoy hiking through the Santa Catalina backcountry, via the Palisade Trail that departs near the campground. The trail drops down the southwestern slopes of the mountain range to the popular Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. Fishing is also available at the nearby six-acre Rose Canyon Lake. A day-use fee is applicable at Rose Canyon
Showers Point Group Campground sits high on the slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains at 7,700 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 big ponderosa pines and clusters of Gambel oak. 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.
For facility specific information, please call (520) 314-0069.
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 provides a popular day trip. Other notable attractions include Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon and Colossal Cave.
$114 / night
Guide
Camped 14-15 March 2021 - Minutes from the hustle and bustle of Tucson and Oro Valley, but surprisingly quiet. Catalina State Park Campground has two campsite loops- A and B, as well as the Ringtail group tent site. I tent camped at site A16, which was a decent distance from the neighboring sites. The loops and parking slips are asphalt paved. Familiarize yourself with the site map, because most of the campsite numbers were on posts set back a distance from the road, making it tough to locate some of the sites, especially if you’re arriving after dark. Campsites are typical desert sand, with mesquite and palo verde trees. I had plenty of location options within the site for setting up my tent, but had to choose carefully, as to not sleep atop an access hole to the round-tailed ground squirrel burrows that are in abundance throughout the campground. The site had water, an electric hook up (which I didn’t need), a nice sized thermoplastic polyethylene coated metal picnic table (easy to clean), a raised BBQ grill and a beautiful view of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The restroom and shower facility in loop A was clean and adequate, with three toilet stalls (one of which was ADA compliant, as well as two showers (one being ADA compliant). Signage on ADA shower stall indicated adaptive equipment (shower chair, etc.) was available through the camp hosts. An open breezeway between women’s and men’s restrooms includes a sink, soft drink machine, a small “Take a book, share a book” cabinet, and informational bulletin boards. A posted sign indicated wifi password for the campground, but whenever I tried to connect, I got a prompt that it was unavailable. I had a strong Verizon signal. Per another sign posted in the breezeway, the 48-day Bighorn Fire of June 2020 burned almost 120,000 acres / 25% of Catalina State Park. Because of vegetation loss, the Canada del Oro wash (along the main road between the entrance/ranger station and the campground) is prone to flooding when it rains at higher elevations. The wash has been running black with ash, and for longer periods of time than before the fire. The ash coats the sand, preventing the rainwater from being absorbed, creating the potential for flash floods. The Romero Trail to Romero Pools has been closed since the fire, with signs indicating reopening in May 2021. There are still plenty of miles of beautiful desert trails to enjoy. There are two large grocery stores and two gas stations within five miles of the campground.
Guide
Not very much room for a trailer, mostly tent camping.
Did get cell phone service there though.
Guide
Nice, clean campground, along the Mt. Lemmon Highway. Better for tent camping as there are beautiful, individual walk-in sites that are fairly private.
Tons of rec opportunities right from camp: hiking, mountain biking, etc.
TravelerNice RV hookups but great tent sites as well. Desert vegetation so don't count on much shade. Best in the fall or spring. Summer is Hot!
GuideMe and my family did a 1 day tent camping trip to Catalina state park. And we all absolutely loved it there. The bathrooms are super clean, the staff was very helpful. The camping sites are great, lots of space. Would definitely recommend a trip to Catalina state park.
Guide
We tent camped here one night. We’ve stayed at a lot of KOAs across the country and this is the cleanest one I’ve ever been to. Excellent facilities- laundry, bathrooms, pool area, dog run, and clear tent spots. Staff was so helpful and the camp store was well stocked. 10 minutes from Picacho Peak hiking and don’t miss the Ostrich Ranch!
Legend
Spencer Canyon campground in Mt Lemmon is nestled under the pine trees and boasts a 15-20 degree drop in temperature from nearby Tucson. Bear boxes are provided as are vaulted toilets. I’ve seen trailers travel down the canyon, but I wouldn’t try it. The roads are steep and narrow. Perfect for tent camping
Legend
This sky island campground in Mt Lemmon is perfect for a quick weekend getaway from Tucson. The weather here is 10-15 degrees cooler than the city. This campground is small, with tent sites tucked away between pine trees. A vaulted bathroom is at the center of the parking lot.
LegendCampground Review
Catalina State Park is just a bit outside of Tucson Arizona, and more importantly, Saguaro National Park. We used this State Park as a jumping-off point for our trip to Saguaro and it was a pretty good location for that.
Oro Valley is a modern area with tons of shopping and dining options right outside the park. This was very convenient for us to pick up McDonalds or grab something we forgot from the store.
The Park itself is stunning. Right up against the mountains, the views are gorgeous, especially at sunset. We were in campsite #A-23, which was AMAZING. Perfect for tent camping, the space is large and flat. You could easily fit several tents in this site.
We drove around campgrounds A and B and found the sites to be much more spaced out in A. Most of the sites were occupied by RVs, which made for a very quiet and non-stressful night!
Our site had electric hook ups and a water faucet. Also a BBQ grill and picnic table are provided. Wood fires are NOT permitted in the park.
Overall we LOVED this place. We will for sure return in the near future!
The Park also has a lot of amazing trails, including a very short hike to see Hohokam ruins which were so cool to see!! The kids loved this hike and the views were amazing.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - at Catalina State Park we had the opportunity to try out the Wenzel Camp Quilt (or 2!). These quilts are so great! Our old camp blanket had to be carefully folded in a particular way and then zipped up. These quilts come with stuff bags and you can just stuff the quilt in them when you are done! I now keep these in the car with me at all time, because you never know when you need a picnic blanket, or something to keep you warm!
For us, it is a no-brainer to just toss one or two of these in with your camping gear. Here in Arizona, the temperature drops fast once the sun goes down. Although it was over 100F during the day, it was still FREEZING cold in our tent at night. We were so grateful to have these quilts to snuggle up and keep us warm!
Campground Video
LegendWe have stayed here a couple of times on trips to the West Coast. The park is beautiful at the foot is the mountains overlooking Tucson. The elevation is fairly high up. So, the temps are quite moderate compared to Tucson. They have a mix of reservation and non reservation sites all ranges from large RVs to tent camper. Great showers and restrooms and good roadways all the way into the sites. Tucson is just minutes always and the State Park Entrance is near a residential neighborhood. The mountains are beautiful in the morning. I would highly recommend this site if you are wanting to camp near Tucson, Arizona.
ScoutWe were dry /primitive campers saving our coins here and there camping! This was an easy quick $10 but I do recommend getting there before closing hrs. As you have to call the camp host to let you in. There is no designated camp zones it is a very dry area ofcourse being in the middle of Arizona. But we were prepared with sleeping pads and tent tarps for comfort. But for 10 bucks you can’t beat that! There was an animal 4H fair of some sort going on which we enjoyed even through all our sleep! The animals did seem to “sleep with us!” There is showers and easy convience to I-10/I20? Also Walmart/standard fast food defiantly more RV friendly but with the right gear you should be fine! I love supporting places like this over the hotel industry
TravelerWe arrived on a Wednesday afternoon in late February and were pleasantly surprised to find this first come, first serve campground nearly empty. We drove toward the back of the campground to explore open sites and selected walk up site 23. Perched away from the road and surrounding campsites with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountainside. Equipped with a large bear locker, table, fire ring, lantern post and flat open space to pitch our tent.
Conveniently located a short walk to the restroom, which was very clean.
On our first night we walked down to the empty group site to pick up part of the Arizona Trail for a quick hike before dinner.
This campground is a great base location to explore. One morning we did the Sky Island Scenic Byway to the top of Mt. Lemmon and visited the cute little general store to grab souvenir stickers for the kids. In the afternoon we drove the 30 minutes to Saguaro National Park East which was the highlight of this trip.
Guide
camping in a 2 man tent, traveling in a raised 2WD. We took the dirt road to the end looking for a nice secluded spot, we passed a handful of sites for both rvs and tent. We found a small site in a dried out run off area past the second cattle guard.
We ventured down as far as we could go and carried our tent the remaining 20 or so meters.
Lots of dried wood around for kindling, enough stones to make a fire ring.
The sunrise and sunset here were spectacular, the lake provides an awesome blue.
Guide
Oak Flat is a Forest Service campground in the Tonto National Forest and is about 90 minutes from Phoenix. It's a short distance off a windy mountain highway which means it's easy to get to but traffic can be heard from camp. (Luckily it's not a busy interstate and traffic is pretty infrequent at night.) It's not spectacular location but there are decent views of the oak scrub desert surrounding the camp.
There are a handful of campsites with picnic tables and firepits, plus several flat and open areas for RVs or tent cities. Some sites are open and others have a few shady tree for hammocks, slacklines, and more. There is a bathroom which was clean and well-stocked with toilet paper, despite the campground being quite full when I stayed here for a few nights in April. There is no water, however, so be prepared with as much as you'll need. The elevation is just shy of 4,000' which means nights are typically a few degrees cooler than in the Phoenix area.
There are no hiking trails from the campground but there is a network of dirt roads which take you back into the desert scrub oak forest and through hundreds of bouldering problems of all levels. Just a few miles away, however, the Arizona Trail crosses the highway and heads north into the Superstition Wilderness.
This campsite is pretty basic but is a good place to kill some time, especially given that it's free! It's also a great place to set up your base camp if you want to do some bouldering.
Guide
Stayed here one night driving through. Came after hours and set up a tent.
TravelerVery clean. Loved the designated tent area. Everything was in great condition and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful.
LegendAnother super clean and new Arizona state park. Free hot showers in a beautiful location.
Traveler
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!
TravelerBeautiful 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.
TravelerA national campground on the edge of Tucson Arizona with spectacular views, mountains, hiking, and biking trails. Quiet and campers spaced far apart. Beautiful!
Scout
Filthy, crowded and loud. Music festival environment. Reserved RV spot but someone had taken. Trash all over, broken down cars, tents on side of road. Not beautiful, peaceful or relaxing. Not worth the drive.
GuideI have stayed there multiple times, and every time that i have people bring their dogs to run in the woods. No leashes and no poop bags. i have had to clean up stranger's dog poop in front of my tent.
TravelerBeautiful 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.
LegendA beautiful park with a challenging hike. Great stop off or home base to see a lot of great arizona attractions like saguaro national park, tombstone and tucson.
LegendThis is a beautiful place to camp most of the year. The Summer sun ☀️ can be brutal of course. I love to stop here on my way to New Mexico. There is something about being in the middle of the desert with the backdrop of the mountains and cactus 🌵 that just helps you breath a little better. Watching the sunset each night is breathtaking. This campground is just off the road but far enough back that you don’t hear all the road noise. Each spot has a picnic table with awning so you have some protection from the sun. Each spot has a fire pit and smaller rocks that make a nice “bed” for your tent ⛺️. The spots are pretty far apart so you don’t feel like you’re right next to your neighbor.
The campground has a total of 85 electric sites for both tent and RV camping. Sites are suitable for RVs and/or tents. You can have up to 4 cars on each site. There are 4 sites that are handicapped-accessible. Unfortunately there aren’t any water or sewer hookups available. There is a dump station available. Access to all sites is paved. Sites are fairly level and are located in a natural Sonoran Desert setting.
$30 per night / per vehicle (October – May) $25 per night / per vehicle (June – September) Additional vehicle $15 per night / per vehicle Group Camp Areas: $15 per night / per vehicle + Group Reservation FeeBoth back-ins and pull-throughs are available. No maximum size limit (except no tractor-trailers allowed).
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
Ranger
Affordable campground for mostly tent and "car camping". Vault toilets we lacking locks. At the time of this writing, the water was not working because the previous years fire melted the water supply line to the camp but the ranger indicated that it was being fixed in the next couple of months. No cell service whatsoever. Get there early, it fills up!
Winkelman, Arizona, offers a variety of tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature. With access to beautiful landscapes and the Gila River, campers can enjoy a range of amenities and activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Winkelman, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Winkelman, AZ is Shores Recreation Area with a 3-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Winkelman, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Winkelman, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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