Looking for an adventure where you can explore Arizona and then fall asleep in your tent? The Dyrt helps you find campsites in Arizona with tent camping. Search nearby tent campgrounds or find top-rated spots from other campers.
Manzanita Campground is a small, year-round, tent-only facility with campsites that fill up very quickly. Visitors enjoy the campground for its fishing and swimming holes along Oak Creek, beautiful scenery and excellent wildlife watching. Oak Creek Canyon is very crowded, especially on weekends; to get a campsite, it is best to reserve a weekday.
Recreation and relaxation abound in Oak Creek Canyon. Camping, fishing, swimming, wading and hiking are some of the activities awaiting visitors. Anglers have the convenience of creekside campsites, where they can cast a line for trout. Families love driving down the road to nearby Slide Rock State Park, one of Arizona's most popular swimming spots, or trying out several nearby hiking trails.
The campground borders Oak Creek in a lush, forested riparian zone with Arizona ash and box elders, gravel beaches and stream-bed boulders. Colorful songbirds add flashes of brilliance to the trees. The creek's crystal clear waters are cool and refreshing on hot summer days.
For facility specific information, please call (928) 203-0624.
The well-known town of Sedona is popular for its red rock vistas, resorts and shopping. Slide Rock State Park is a great local spot for swimming and only a few minutes away. Campers can also explore the 1.8 million-acre Coconino National Forest, which boasts a spectacular variety of scenery and outdoor activities.
$30 / night
Dispersed camping has increased throughout the Flagstaff wildland urban interface in the past several years. In many areas, this has caused resource impacts such as soil compaction and erosion, loss of vegetation, increased fire risk, displacement of wildlife, and accumulation of trash and human waste. To help prevent unacceptable resource damage, disturbance to wildlife and reduce fire risk from dispersed camping, the Forest Service has designated 14 campsites along the Freidlein Prairie road for dispersed camping. Camping and campfires are allowed only at designated sites along Freidlein Prairie Road. There is a map in the area showing site locations. All designated campsites along Freidlein Prairie (FR 522) are located on the south side of the road, with the exception of campsite #1 and #3. Signs have been placed along the road when entering and leaving the designated camping area. The designated campsites are marked with a brown vertical fiberglass post with a site number and a "Designated Campsite" decal. Each designated dispersed campsite has a place to park, fire ring, a place for a tent and no fees. Once you have found a designated site you will find another fiberglass sign that reads "Camp within 50 feet of this post to reduce impact to forest vegetation. Please take all of your trash with you and leave only one fire ring." The east end of Freidlein Prairie Road (approximately 1.5 miles) has a seasonal camping closure for campsites 10 through 14. This seasonal camping closure means campsites 10 through14 will be closed to camping from March 1 to August 31 to reduce disturbance to Mexican spotted owls during the breeding season. This area has traditionally been used by Mexican spotted owls for nesting and a pair of owls are being impacted by increased recreational use and are failing to reproduce. Most sites cannot accommodate RV. Seasonal closures or fire restrictions/closures may be in place. During both Stage 1 and Stage 2 Fire Restrictions, campfires are prohibited at this site. Gas operated devices with an on/off switch are allowed.
$140 / night
The area is characterized by the river delta where Bright Angel Creek meets the Colorado River. There is a ranger station, emergency phone, pay phones, year-round potable water, and toilets. To reach this campground you can travel the South Kaibab Trail (and cross the black bridge) or the Bright Angel Trail (and cross the silver bridge) from the South Rim, or travel the North Kaibab Trail from the North Rim. Cottonwood trees shade Bright Angel Campground and the creek is a wonderful place to cool off. Deer, ringtail cats, gray foxes, and squirrels are often seen. Popular activities include relaxing, wading in Bright Angel Creek, stargazing, fishing (license required), and day hiking. Day hike destinations include the River Trail and Phantom Overlook. Seasonal ranger programs are offered. Snack items and meals are available for purchase at Phantom Ranch Lodge (meals must be reserved in advance 303-297-2757).
This primitive campground offers a scenic view of the San Francisco Peaks and dry camping in the cool aspen trees that surround Lockett Meadow. This is a terrific campground for those who cherish a real mountain camping experience and love to hike wilderness trails. You may catch a glimpse of the natural residents, porcupine or elk or thrill to the song of a hermit thrush that sings his best here. Even black bear have been known to stroll right through groups of picnickers without as much as a glance at their lunches.The San Francisco Peaks are actually the remains of an extinct volcano, which mllions of years ago shattered and reshaped these great peaks, forming four of the highest individual peaks in Arizona and is home to the only region of tundra in Arizona. Inside the now quiet caldera a lush alpine environment has blurred evidence of that cataclysmic event.The Inner Basin Trail that leads into the heart of the ancient volcano begins in beautiful Lockett Meadow. Starting at this island of emerald, which is ringed with quaking aspen stands and majestic high peaks, it leads into the mountains now quiet Inner Basin. The spring and summer wild flowers add a sprinkling of blue, red and yellow to the peaceful scene. While fall turns the extensive stands of aspen, which cover the steep slopes of the caldera, to solid gold, Winter avalanche tracks streak down the talus slopes exposing remnants of old lava flows which bear witness to the mountains turbulent heritage.__Hover mouse over photo to display slideshow controls. View album on Flicker
Cottonwood Campground is a small campground 6.8 miles below the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on the North Kaibab Trail. Bright Angel Creek runs nearby. Seasonally (mid-May to mid-Oct) potable drinking water is available, but at other times of the year campers must be prepared to filter/treat water obtained from the creek. Cottonwood has an emergency phone and toilets. From the campground, day hikes may be made to Roaring Springs, Ribbon Falls, and Manzanita Canyon.
Ranger
Grand Canyon is a professional setup. They know how to do things, while this is the most popular park in the US, they are very organized. Yes, we had to make reservations and we were camping in a tent 3 nights and had to change campsites each night. Plenty of bathrooms with running water/flush toilets, showers are in a central location close to the check in site, and showers were $2.00 for 8 minutes. Shuttles arrive frequently to take you where you need to go, or the marketplace is a short walk. We got our water refilled at the marketplace for free. Mather is a tent campground, RVs are at a separate site.
Guide
The Holbrook KOA is conveniently near Petrified national forest, which makes it an easy place to set up camp because of it's proximity. The campsite was somewhat under construction and it looked like they were adding some additional campsites which is exciting. They offer plenty of amenities (running water, electricity, wifi and playgrounds for the kids.
All of the tent campsites are right next to each other, so you will get to know your neighbors pretty well. When I went I was the only person tent camping which made it great for privacy. My only issue with the campsite is the location of where the tent camps are set up, it is really close to the I-40, you will hear truckers and other cars drive by while your sleeping at night which made it difficult to fall asleep. I think it would be better if they moved the tent camping to the other side of the park that way your farther away from all the highway noise.
TravelerThis is an awesome campground within a short walk to the south rim of Grand Canyon. RVs and tents are allowed. There’s no electrical hook-up at tent sites, but you have fresh dirt, a picnic table and a small charcoal pit with grill rack. Bathrooms are centralized and showers cost $2. Dog friendly, and fun! Just be advised it’s monsoon season in the summer if you plan to tent camp. Also, when we went no campfires were allowed.
Scout
Small town, big heart is what comes to mind when I think of Happy Trails. Extremely hospitable hosts, very welcoming, but will respect your space if you’re not feeling chatty. Free coffee in the mornings and clean bathrooms with a shower. I tent camped with 2 dogs, lots of space on the tent sites. Beautiful skies with visible starry nights, scenic Lake Mead is nearby. I would go out of my way to stay here again.
Guide
This is a great place to camp on the south rim! Walk to Navajo point snack bar/camp store and watchtower! Tent camp sites have shade and a picnic table. Go catch sunset at the tower! But get there before 6! Very quiet campground off tourist path just far enough out of high traffic areas. Highly recommend!
Traveler
I took away one star because there is no showers. This was our favorite campground on our trip through Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon and Sedona. We were tent camping. The campground was very quite and the tent sites level with table and fire pit. There are pit toilets which can really smell bad in the summer. It was really cold when we were there and we were across from the toilets and it was not a problem. In the summer I would make sure to pick a site far away from the toilets. This place was much nicer than the Park campgrounds we stayed in. Also there is a small town near by for food and restaurants. Only a short drive to the South Rim.
Guide
Great place for tent camping with a friendly staff and nice amenities. The campground sits on Oak Creek, and is in the perfect location where you are far enough away from Sedona city center to have some peace and quiet, and within an amazing setting of red rocks, tall pines and the sound of a creek surround you. The tent sites are spacious, and offer plenty of privacy. The campground has shower facilities, a small general store where you can get firewood and small groceries, and restrooms. The pit toilets are a bit nasty; I wish they would update them and make them a little cleaner and user-friendly...lol. They can get really disgusting and stink horribly during warmer weather. But the rest of the experience here makes the restrooms the least of the issues. We always stay here when in Sedona.
Legend
I enjoyed my stay here. The terrain is steep, with mountain pines and boulders. This was a welcome change from the surrounding country, as was the lower temperature that comes with higher elevation. It was about 10 °F cooler here than in Kingman when I visited in June. Tent camping is first come first served. I had no problem finding a good spot on a Friday night.
There are two areas to the campground. The front section has paved roads and is mostly cabins with some tent sites mixed in. There are real bathrooms here, though they were in need of a cleaning when I visited. The back section has dirt roads and all tent sites, with a few porta potties. The roads are steep in places, but nicely graded. My front wheel drive passenger car traversed them without difficulty.
It is very quiet and dark here at night. Flashlights are a must, as are water vessels: there are no water spigots in the back section. I also saw what I am 80% sure was a mountain lion crossing the road at night when I was walking to one of the porta potties.
The only real downside I noticed here was the flies. They don't bite, but they buzz around you constantly and can get pretty annoying.
Legend
In the off season, this sweet little national forest campground is a quiet oasis in one of the beautiful “islands of the sky” which are scattered throughout Arizona. Up at 5000 feet, this place becomes a busy retreat for Tucsonians seeking to escape some of the summertime heat, according to the park ranger we spoke too. It's also a haven for birds!
The campground has designated section for RV’s and tents, though they are same price at just $10 per night. Many pull-through sites are available for larger RV’s, as well as some back in spots. Each site has a HUGE cement picnic table and fire ring and are a nice size with plenty of space between sites. There are trash cans (though no recycling) throughout the campground, and a water spigot near the very clean pit toilets, thanks to the dedicated and very friendly camp hosts. The tent sites overlook the Parker Canyon Lake and are quite spacious. There are few tent sites for groups too.
There is a nice boat dock, as well as small store near the water that sells snacks/drinks, bait, and a few camping necessities. You can rent kayaks, paddle boats, SUPs, sailboats and small motorized fishing boats…or bring your own. There is also a nice and easy trail that follows the lake shore for about 6 miles, accessible to both hikers and mountain bikers. From the lake trail, you can also access the Arizona Scenic Trail (the southern terminus is about 15 miles south of the lake). We also saw quite a few fisherman out enjoying the lake during mid-week.
The closest grocery stores and gas stations are in Sonoita, about 30 miles away. Cell coverage is limited here as you are very close to the Mexican border – none in RV campground, just a bit of coverage in the tent campground.
Scout
I don’t know why they bother be so strict with noise from campers after 10:00. You can’t see it, but your 20 feet off the main road and if you are there on a weekend the road noise from the motorcycles and cars racing up and down the road to and from the bar will keep you up until 3:00 in the morning. If you manage to fall asleep finally by 3:00 and you are in a tent, be prepared to be woken up again at 4:30 when the boaters start launching their boats 5 feet from the tent area. I did not find the camp staff helpful, including the fact that we got there at 2:00 which is check in time and had to wait 30 minutes for someone to show up to open the gate. We had very little interaction other than that. Obviously the noise is not their fault, but if you are planning on tent camping there you need to be aware. It may be a good spot for RVs that have some insulation from the road noise and are further away from the boat docks, but if your tent camping, find other places. Note - no water available at all to tent sites. Not even a shared spigot. The bathrooms were not working while we were there. They did provide a temporary trailer for showers and toilet but it was poorly stocked and filthy the entire weekend.
Traveler
We spent 3 nights at this campsite and it is kept very clean, the amenities are well maintained. There is a beautiful view and very little light polution for star gazing. However if you plan on camping in a tent - the sites are very close to eachother with no visual privacy, the ground is very rocky and the tent pads provided are small (I could not fit my bell tent). The gorge act like a wind tunnel so it is extra windy.
I would highly recommend this spot for RVs and Travel Trailers but for tents it's not super comfortable.
Traveler
My grandson and I stayed in a tent campsite for two nights. There are only a 5 tent sites and they don't have a tent pad. After two passes we were able to find a site with a smooth spot without rocks for the tent, B5, a picnic table but no shade. I felt there could have been more bathrooms and water spickets but honestly I did not do much walking in the campground. It is the quiet time of year, before snowbirds come, so we were able to have our pick of electric or not sites. It was quiet; I think three trailers and one other tenter. No generators allowed and 7 day strict limit. The coyotes were very vocal at night, which I enjoyed.This is more of an RV campground but suited us fine for two days. We interacted with the hosts and they were very nice. We explored the trails, visitor center and Sonora Desert Museum, which we loved. Thirty minute drive to Tucson. We went to the Reid Park Zoo, which we thoroughly enjoyed; LOTS of animals for a small zoo. We drove the loop in East Saguaro National Park. Some things closed in West Saguaro park so be aware of that, like Old Tucson, but we found lots to do.
Ranger
We had a lovely time staying at the Willow Lake RV Park on our visit to Prescott. The bathrooms were spacious and there is a trail directly behind the park that leads out to Willow Lake and a plethora of trails for the trail runner/hiker/explorer. They have great wi-fi, the area has lots of trees and shade and picnic tables too!
We actually arrived late for check-in the the office left our our map and information for us.
We had a 30' RV we wanted to pull through and had no problems with this park. I'd recommend a stop-in here for sure! Their neat little tent-camp sites were even closer to the lake and the trails.
RangerThis KOA has lot's of space, from private tent sites to RV with full hookups, fully equipped cabins, even a giant Wigwam to stay at. It also has a pool, playground, small libary, and a well stocked store, everyday they cook food that you can buy instead of cooking yourself. This KOA is in the route 66 town of Holbrook, a small quiet town, with gas, groceries, and fast food all with in a mile of the campsite, the Petirfied Forest is a 30 mintue drive away and worth the trip. During this trip we took a big family group, and normally we tent camp, but we decided to stay in their biggest cabin, it was big and beautiful 3 a/c units, full small kitchen, loft full bathroom and lot's of comfy seat's, all you had to do was bring your clothes and food, everything was there for you. From the gas grill to the fully equipped kitchen, it was a super easy stay. This cabin slept 7 and had a eat in porch as well. It was a little on the pricey side at $160 a night but we felt worth it's price.Check out the video for a video tour of the cabin.
Ranger
We read one review on this campground and it stated the campground was dirt. We pulled up and were taken away by the beauty. So many trees and beautiful campsites. With only 16 campsites, you have your own piece of camping paradise. There is 2 vaulted toilets, very well maintain, and new. There is an easy trail that runs along the campground, maybe a mile and half, easy walk. You can use wood from the forrest or buy some from the host. We did tent camp and I wish we would of brought a rake to remove rocks from our tent site. Our tent is 11ft and fit wonderfully! Plenty of space to put up tent,bbq grill, stove, and have your vehicle along side of you. There are Rv sites there as well. In our spot you could of easily placed a pop up and move it in. There is water at the host area, no cost. Before you get to the campsite there is a general store that has many items if you forgot something. We did wonder down to go find the graces of Scott Stott and Wilson, but we were not able to. We followed the GPS and reviews and people stated it was close to the campground. We walked a good 30 minutes and found nothing. We believe it is in a canyon which we did not feel comfortable hiking down. We road out a crazy storm, and the canyons made the thunder sound like a really mad Greek God. If you enjoy some antiques and thrift stores Heber-Overgaard offer some unique and great stores. Black Canyon Lake is just a shirt trip down the road. beautiful to walk around and lots of room to fish. Lake was low when we went. This campground has made it to the list of favorites!
Ranger
Most amazing experience we’ve ever had tent camping. Right on the edge of the Canyon, watching the Arizona sunrises every morning. It was truly heaven on earth.
Ranger
We've really enjoyed our two nights of tent camping at the Twin Peaks Campground. Cost is $20/night regardless if you're tent camping or RV'ing. Campground has designated tent area (some with ramadas) that adds to peaceful desert experience. Hiking trails available from campground. Flush toilets and showers available. All around a great experience.
Guide
I've been trail riding in the Wickenburg area since I was a kid, and the rodeo grounds across the street from Constellation Park is a gathering site for just about everyone who heads out into the desert on their 4-legged transportation. On my most recent visit to Constellation Park, the park and rodeo grounds were empty, but this place fills up fast whenever there are events scheduled, and the sites are first come, first served with NO reservations system, so plan ahead!
There are 35 dry camp sites along a dirt road north of the rodeo grounds on Constellation Road in Wickenburg - they are primitive dry sites with no tents allowed - all camping must be self contained. Site fees are $8 per night, or $12 per night to have a horse corral included. Yes, I'm confused too - horses are ok, but tents are not? I'm not sure what the logic for self contained camping is for these sites, as they would make excellent car camping/tenting sites, but I'm not the one who makes the rules.
The park opens onto state and BLM land, which you can ride or backpack into with a permit -
https://land.az.gov/recreational-permit-portal
Wickenburg is already a relatively quiet town with not much traffic outside the US 60 / US 93 interchange for people traveling from Phoenix to Las Vegas, so it's nice and quiet up here. The road undulates up over small rises, so unless there's a late night at the rodeo arena, there are no lights to compete with the star gazing show either. Again, tent camping would make so much sense here. . .
I'd give the park 5 stars for the pretty desert views, quiet location and big skies if you were allowed to enjoy them outside of an RV. Oh well, we don't get everything we want, right?
Legend
I wanted to find a site as close to Oatman as I could. It took me three trips that way to find this campground and finally I was happy I did. Located only about 8 miles away from Oatman, it allowed me to have a full day to explore Oatman and surrounding areas including the many mines which are closed but "open" to the person wanting to really explore.
This place is a smaller park and though mostly they do have RV campers they do accept tent campers. The owners are very friendly and you meet them when you check in, this is not a chain so they take pride in what they give in way of service to those passing through.
My space was clean and level for camping in a tent. I only paid $15 which was very reasonable and like I said location was key!! My site had a picnic table and was pretty basic but it was peaceful and I had a great night there as a result.
They do offer long term RV camping at a very reasonable rate, however when I was there it didn't look like they had a ton of that traffic at the time. I will say that unlike a lot of long term lots which appear to be a bit trashy this one was maintained.
TIPS:
Use this as a basecamp for going to Oatman where there are a lot of stores, a great cafe, mines to explore and of course pictures to take.
Bring what you need with you. The closest full grocer is in Kingman which is about 25 minutes away so if you don't want to have to drive into town then just pack it in your car.
Traveler
Probably the most beautiful campground in Arizona. Just outside Show Low, in the eastern part of the state, you are nestled in the pine & juniper of the region. Despite being in the middle of a developed area, once in the park, you feel appropriately isolated. We were at a reserved tent site (Osprey 12). All tent sites overlook the lake & a couple of them even have creeks running through them after rain. Visited family on a full hookup site & while the pads are huge, it seemed like you were more exposed to your neighbors. The tent loops all have access to a vault toilet & the middle loop has showers as well (the other loops are still walking distance from showers). There are several day use areas & boat ramps to the lake. Saw (& heard) many different birds & animals. Can't wait to go back.
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.
Traveler
Just spent one night tent camping, but it was a wonderful experience.
Traveler
Had a great time here, clean bathrooms, spacious area to tent camp and friendly staff.
Guide
Not very much room for a trailer, mostly tent camping.
Did get cell phone service there though.
Scout33$ for a primitive tent site
Ranger
We needed a quick place to tent camp close to flagstaff, AZ and we found this campsite on the Dyrt. We tent camped for one night at a cost of 23.00$. Our site was fine, cell service was good, they only have port-a-potty’s, it they were clean, and had auto lights for night time. The campground sold out while we were there, it seems they have a lot of groups attending this camp. There is an extreme course in the same park, lots of activities. No showers, water is extra, location was great, and the host was nice and accommodating.
GuideLoved this spot for a night. Practically in the NP, hard to tell the park bounds of Saguaro. Camp hosts were orderly and extremely friendly and available. Grounds were tidy! Bathrooms were clean. Felt really safe as a solo camper. Tent only sites are secluded to themselves. I was in B2 and I’d book that one or B3 if I ever go back. This tent site cluster has a little shade whereas the other two tent sites down the road are pretty exposed.
Tent camping in Arizona offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and diverse outdoor experiences, making it a favorite for nature enthusiasts.
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