Yarnell is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Yarnell, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Find the best campgrounds near Yarnell, AZ. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
"Located in a valley of the Bradshaw mountains just about and hour and a half from Phoenix, this is an awesome getaway- away from it all."
"Lounge at the lake, hike in the fields, or relax in their renovated vineyard. Give them try and share your experience here!"
$25 - $85 / night
"I grew up in Arizona and had never been to Alamo Lake. The lake is kind of in the middle of nowhere but what a hidden treasure. We camped there in March 2018. It was on the warm side. "
"We camped on Campground C38 which had a wonderful view of the lake. The campground we stayed does not have sewer connections, only water and electric."
"There are several fenced in and cleared dirt areas to park and pull through trucks, a camper, tent and car, etc. any vehicle can make it to the staging area, road is easy to travel."
"Huge area to disperse camp with an actual bathroom. If you dont mind occasional off road vehicles driving through during the day, its a good spot with plenty of room."
"The park has beautiful hiking trails and a great nature center, which offers activities and the regional library. There are a couple of playgrounds in the park as well. "
"There was a gate attendant when we checked in around 6 pm on a Monday and we were given an information packet with information on the campground, nearby facilities in the town of Surprise, and trails,"
ScoutI grew up in Arizona and had never been to Alamo Lake. The lake is kind of in the middle of nowhere but what a hidden treasure. We camped there in March 2018. It was on the warm side. The area is best suited for camping October - March. This is the desert people. Or if you have a giant RV with air conditioning and cable television, you could go anytime. Fish early in the morning and late at night.
The campground is rather large with different areas for tent camping and hook-ups. We stayed with an electric and water hook-up in a pop-up tent trailer. There were lots of big rigs and toy haulers. We definitely had toy envy with only our pop-up and kayaks. This is a big ATV area so there were lots of ATVs riding around. People also had speed boat and canoes. The campground was not completely full even though it was Easter weekend. It was also relatively quiet. The bathrooms were sparkling clean and had nice showers with hot water. There was also an AMAZING fish cleaning area at each campsite loop. If you aren't really a campsite person, there is dispersed camping available by the shore but you need to drive down a dirt road through a tiny fork in the road "town" called Wayside. There is a bar/restaurant/store/campground/gas station in Wayside. The next town is about 30 miles away.
We found some great fishing which is unusual for Arizona. We caught bass, bluegill and catfish. We saw people catching a lot of fish. They have bass fishing competitions at this lake and I can see why.
The lake is surrounded by pretty red mountains. The sky is a beautiful blue. I highly recommend the area. Not too crowded, good fishing, nice clean campground. What more could you want but maybe a nice cold beer!
GuideAnother Maricopa County parks campground which is great for hiking and relaxing.
Very well taken care of. The park has beautiful hiking trails and a great nature center, which offers activities and the regional library. There are a couple of playgrounds in the park as well.
Some hiking trails are within walking distance of the campground, others you will need to drive to. Maricopa trail runs through the park.
The campground itself is very clean, including the restrooms and showers. It is quiet and the campsites all have electric and water hookups, picnic table and fire pit. Sites are far enough from each other so it doesn't feel crowded. Not much vegetation on the campground itself, so sunshine in abundance.
LegendGeneral: Located less than an hour from Phoenix, this campground is an easy getaway. There are two campgrounds: The Family Campground (40 sites) with water and 30/50 amp electric hookups and the more“rustic” Willow Canyon Campground (19 sites) with no hookups. This campground is good for tents, campervans, or small (16 feet or less) trailers. There was a gate attendant when we checked in around 6 pm on a Monday and we were given an information packet with information on the campground, nearby facilities in the town of Surprise, and trails, which was very helpful considering we were not familiar with the area.
Site Quality: We stayed in the Family Campground so we could take advantage of the electric hookups. The sites are gravel, a good size, well-maintained, and spaced a decent amount of distance apart. Some are pull-through and some back-in. In addition to the aforementioned water and electric hookups, each site also has a picnic table, bbq grill, and fire pit. Some have covered picnic shelters but not all. Most of these also have space for tents.
Bathhouse: Is located in the center of the loop and was clean. Sites on the inside have paths leading to the bathhouse but if you are on the outside of the loop, access is via a path between sites 34 and 36 or sites 11 and 13. Three stalls, one sink, and one shower. One sink is not really adequate for 40 sites, but I did not encounter more than one other person at a time. Soap dispenser, rack, and air dryer. The way the water faucets are is wasteful: once you turn them on, they run for quite some time before turning off. Hot water was appreciated. Did not use the shower so cannot comment on that.
Activities: Several hiking trails. The most popular one is the waterfall trail, but you need to drive to the trailhead for this. It is paved for the first half mile (shortly after the petroglypghs) and then it is a rocky, gravel path. The waterfall only runs after heavy rain (I would think this would make access very challenging). There was water in the “pool” and it is scenic so it was worthwhile to go despite no running falls. There are restrooms, a picnic area and a playground near this trailhead. Some of the other trails are used by mountain bikers or horseback riders. The information you receive at check-in details the usage for each trail.
This campground was mainly an overnight as we continued to head west but I am glad we took the time to hike the waterfall trail before leaving. If you need groceries or other supplies, the town of Surprise, about 8 miles to the east, would have everything you need. Note there is a nearby air force base and you will hear jets flying by, although this was during daylight hours.
ScoutI currently do not have photos to share. We camped on Campground C38 which had a wonderful view of the lake. The campground we stayed does not have sewer connections, only water and electric. There is a dump station, shower and restroom on site.
We would do it again! P.S. the weather was perfect in March.
GuideFantastic park for seeing the stars and getting away from Phoenix city lights. Lots of well marked trails and access to water and facilities as well as access to a county library and education center at the entrance.
I just camped in this park last night in space 17 - the family camping is about 35 sites in a big loop with a central restroom and marked pathways from each campsite to the facilities. Some sites are pull-in/back-in, and others are pull-through along the road. The lowest and highest numbered sites are closest to the staff "residences" with their RVs. Each site has a fire ring, grill, concrete picnic table and water/electric posts. I think site 18 is my favorite, and sites 17-21 are closest to the family campground trail leg that leads to the Ironwood Trail for hiking access.
I've also joined two ranger-led hikes here (Black Rock Loop for sunrise hikes) as well as a county-sponsored astronomy night with access to multiple large telescopes and an astronomy presentation. Check the park website for their activities calendar as there's a good chance you can take advantage of some organized education during your visit.
LegendLocated at about 203rd Avenue, on the westside of Phoenix, in Waddell Arizona is a tiny little Campground with phenomenal views. There is also a large group campground and a very primitive "camp ground" available, but primitive desert camping requires a LOT of preparation and packing in/out. There are numerous horseback, hiking and biking trails. Family campground has electric and water hookups with a very clean centrally located restroom, that hosts a shower and flushing toilets.
Views are amazing. Maricopa county operates the campground and has made significant improvements with ramada, gathering areas, grills, fire rings, monthly hikes, educational presentations, a huge public library...every bit in caliber with state and federal campgrounds.
ScoutThere are several fenced in and cleared dirt areas to park and pull through trucks, a camper, tent and car, etc. any vehicle can make it to the staging area, road is easy to travel. Sound of ATV and dirt bikes is pretty constant, otherwise it is quiet, great star views, with a outhouse bathroom.
GuideCounty Park located just west of Phoenix metroplex, in White Tanks Mountains. Roomy sites, with a mixture of gravel and sand. Had a picnic table and grill. This was a shakedown for our new travel trailer, so we wanted to be near town in case something went wrong. Lots of nearby hiking trails, and restrooms and showers were clean. Campsites are behind a rise, so you see stars, not city lights.
TravelerA few things. 1st. If you plan on staying overnight with an RV do not reserve the Ramada sites. They’re meant for day use and are super tiny and squished together. We started there, but our 24ft trailer wasn’t even close to fitting. So we had to move.
We moved to the sites with no water and no electric. Super awesome sites, very clean and very quiet.
Donkeys…..there are tons of donkeys, really cool…..the first night. They’re cool until you realize they don’t sleep and all they do is make a lot of noise,lol. Not that I wouldn’t go back again because of the donkeys, but just be prepared they’re not far away and they make the “hee-haw” noise All Night Long, lol.
Don’t camp here without water sports or Side by side. There aren’t any trails for bike riding or hiking. But the water is great to spend a couple of days on and the Side by side trails are endless.
Overall, really nice camping. I would definitely go back, with or without a SxS. Just not in the summer….there’s no shade and it’s desert.
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