Nothing beats the summer Arizona heat like escaping to the top of the Pinaleños.

At 8800 ft elevation, this corral and campsite offers amazing weather in the summer and gorgeous views off the edge of the mountains.

Be prepared to bring in anything you might need, including water. There are only about 3 campsites located near the vault toilets, but their are dispersed sites further down the forest road.

This forest road is gated off during the winter months and this area is not accessible.

-Update- 🛑Currently Closed 🛑

The NFS is repairing the bridge to this site, so it is closed until 2024.

———- Such a nice little campground- perfect for fishing. Right next to the river with trash bins and toilets.

The lack of trees make this site seem more crowded then it actually is

Sites are first come , first served.

This campsite is a repeat location for family. I almost didn’t even want to post a review so I could keep it hidden. Located right next to a large meadow, we almost always see elk or deer. There is also a nice trail next to a creek but the path was over grown when we tried to hike down it. The road down to the campsite is in good shape, but the sites are small. Perfect for 1-2 tents.

Vault toilet and no other amenities. Bring water.

This is a popular site for hunters during elk/deer season. We often find carcasses and bones around the site.

This is a great campsite that is full of amenities for FREE (donations accepted).

There are just a few spots and they are first come , first serve. We enjoyed chatting with the camp host and taking a walk along the hiking trails.

At over 9000 feet elevation, this is a great spot to beat the AZ summer heat. The sites are nestled away among the tree and feel very secluded considering how close together they actually are to each other.

Great for tent camping or a small camping trailer. Site have picnic tables, vault toilets, and drinking water

The Fam Camp on DMAFB is one of the best fam camps offered by the USAF. This site gets very busy during the winter or special events (the air shows). People often rent these spots for long term use as well.

You must have base access in order to stay at this site.

The sites are spacious and offer full hookups. There is a dump station, bathrooms and and laundry on site.

The base also offers a commissary and BX with a food court.

Our small group (8 people/4 vehicles) had a great time at one of the secluded dispersed sites located off the forest road.

We were a short drive from the Blue Ridge Reservoir and we all went for a swim in the water. There were definitely crawfish like creatures in the water that liked toes, but it was nice to rinse off the camp stink.

The trees at the site provided a lot of shade and places to hang up our hammock. We did have to fend off lots of wasps while we were there.

I’d like the seclusion of this site, so I would definitely go back.

Lots of forest roads to explore with 4x4 vehicles or mini bikes

We enjoyed how small this campsite is and we were the only people there during our visit.

I gave it 3 stars because it’s right next to the road, but also next to the water.

It has large trees and flat camping spots. It even has a vault toilet.

We stayed at Mesa Campground during a tour of the Gila National Forest with friends.

The lake views aren’t great, but you can easily walk down to the shore.

The trash bins and running water are really nice amenities. Our site had a table and grill and we were able to fit our truck with a rooftop tent and a truck with a small pull behind, but we were really close to each other.

We’ve also caught and ate trout from Lake Roberts.

We thought this site was surprisingly busy for how secluded it is.

The trees don’t offer much shade either. I wish we had brought a pop up canopy.

Having the vault toilets and trash was nice and we brought in our own water and supplies. There were lots of spiders in the trees.

The road back to the campsite was rocky so be prepared for a shakey ride on loose rocks.

I love going to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It only receives 10% of the annual visitors, compared to the south rim.

In this camping trip, I was traveling alone with another female friend and we didn’t want to disperse camp for safety reasons.

Since I’m used to dispersed camping this site was luxurious. We stayed on Loop B (the tent side) with our roof top tent.

There were 38 single campsites that each had tables and cooking grills. There was drinking water available, vault toilets and trash collection. We also were able to buy firewood from the camp host on site.

BYO…. Everything. This not-so-hidden gem has nothing to offer besides majestic views overlooking Sedona.

There aren’t any toilets and this is a very popular spot, so I highly recommend a bucket and popup privacy “poop tent”.

There is a 2 mile round trip hike up to a view point past buckshand tank.

Definitely check weather conditions before heading out because strong winds would make this a miserable destination.

The Larson Ridge Dispersed camping areas off FR237 don’t have a lot to offer, but it does have space. Plenty of room here to spread out. The further up the road you go, the less rocky the sites become. You are also further away from the vault toilet, if you camp up this far, I wouldn’t expect to use that toilet at all.

This spots are on the ridge, so be prepared for wind. Our last day we had a pop up awning get lifted up into tree branches and aluminum poles snap on an REI tent.

This area is also really dusty which can make you feel like your in a sand blaster when the wind kicks up.

Lots of FR to ride around on ATVs/ mini bikes. We had fun looking at wild flowers and playing bocci ball.

There were lots of pine but it was warm in the sun in the heat of the day. We were there in June though.

Triple check your fire pit before you leave. Make sure it is out

This is one of our favorite springtime camping spots. There aren’t any numbered sites, but there are makeshift campfires and flat areas all around. The site also has trash disposal and vault toilets. Lots of trees for shade and hammocks.

This spot is popular with large crowds and off road vehicle enthusiasts. Expect music until 10pm and the sound of engines. It’s a great place to boondock with a generator.

Lots of easy trails to ride around on with our mini bikes. Plenty of space to set up camp with 2 families and a few smaller tents.

Lake Roberts is just zip the road for fishing opportunities.

Chevelon Canyon Lake Campground is my favorite type of site. 1) vault toilets 2) National Forest location 3) semi established camping sites 4) still classified as dispersed camping.

There isn’t any potable water at this site or trash. Bring your own water. Pack it in, pack it out.

The sites are large in the camp site area. We were there on a non-holiday weekend and it stayed busy. The sites are first come, first serve and free. We camped in site #1 which had 2 fire rings, a metal picnic table, and large trees to provide shaded areas throughout the day. In mid-September, highs were mid 70 degrees Fahrenheit and lows were in the mid 50s. Our whole group commented on how nice the weather was on this trip.

We went during a new moon and the stars were fabulous.

There was definitely some rough road the last .5 mile before you reach the camp on FR 169B. Some of it had washed out and there are a few step areas. We had no issues with our group of stock 4x4 pickup trucks and Subarus. Our neighbor at the next campsite over even had a Fiat.

As for the lake, we were not prepared for how long of a hike down it was to the water. According to my watch, it was over a mile and 550 feet of elevation. It is not an easy hike back up. It’s almost all non stop elevation gain and extremely rocky. We brought our mini bike and didn’t dare take it down to the water. We ended up on carrying 1 kayak down to the water because no one wanted to have to hike it back up. It took 2 fit men, 90 mins to bring that kayak back up from the water the day we left. We even had a kayak cart. We were very jealous of the people with quads. Our group only caught 1 small trout but we met other people that were having better luck. Note: live bait is not permitted.

I would go back, but I wouldn’t even try to kayak or paddle board again. I’d just take our time walking to water and brining a picnic to the lake. Maybe just cast a few lines from the shore.

We were not impressed with this USDA Forest Service operated campground. There are better places to stay in the Tonto National Forest area. I’d only stay here again if everything else was full.

It was toilets. That was about it. No cell service either (T-Mobile). No water or trash. Pack it in, pack it out. There are also some protests going on in the area right now. The land is sacred to Western Apache tribes and it might be opened up to copper mining.

The picnic tables and fire pits are nice. I highly recommend driving along the Gila-Pinal Scenic Route. Breath taking vistas.

For a free site, this place is amazing. We stumbled across this city run campsite after a trip to the Tonto National Forest. I almost didn’t post a review because I wanted to keep this place a secret.

This small campground has a dozen sites that are completely free. Site 2 even has electric hookups and sewage drainage. The other sites are non-electric. Each site had a fire pit and picnic table. It has flush toilets with a sink! There are also fish cleaning areas.

The sites don’t have a water view, but there are day use areas around the lake. Additional flush toilets in the day use area as well. Calling this a lake is also a stretch, it more of a pond. We didn’t have fishing gear with us, but based off some internet research, I don’t think there are any fish in the pond.

This would be a great place to stop for a night, but not stay for an extended period of time. There isn’t much to do in the area besides the pond and a Dollar General. However, free is free and that means something on an extended road trip. Expect 10% gradients along AZ Hwy 177. Excellent cell service (T-Mobile).

We had a great time here over the weekend. The sites are large and spaced out. Each space has a fire pit and picnic table. There is water available but it’s located next to the pit toilets, not at the individual sites.

You can see the lake from the sites, but we had to walk about 1/2 mile to get to the water. We did catch 3 trouts, so it was worth it.

Over half of the spaces were occupied on a Saturday in February. Several large and loud groups as well.

Several miles of dispersed campsites along a gas line road south of the Superstition Mountains. Lots of folks out there on a weekend after a few good rain storms. Great place to ride your ATVs in the mud.

You definitely are going to want to navigate the roads slowly if you go far back. The roads are uneven and washed out in some spots.

We even had some cell service (T Mobile)

No amenities but perfect place to base out of for off-roading adventures. This place is really popular, so it’s a cool place to ride with other people and check out their rigs.

Make sure you pay for your Arizona State Trust pass before you get there.

Trailers/RVs are fine. It’s mostly just dirt, so I wouldn’t recommend tents if it’s been raining. There is also a great restaurant/bar down the road (the River Bottom Grill) that has live music on the weekends.

We were surprised on the number of people who ventured out to this BLM spot off Park Link Road in the Cactus Forest over a rainy weekend in Tucson.

The first dozen dispersed spots were full with camper vans, small trailers and trucks. We continued to drive down the gravel dirt road to a more secluded spot. We didn’t see anyone in our one-night stay beside a mountain biker in the morning.

Even though It was raining in the area for about 24 hours before we travelled to the campsite, we didn’t have any issues navigating the 1.5 miles down to the site we chose. The truck has some mud in it and the 4x4 wasn’t needed (but made it easier). I would recommend a high clearance vehicle to reach the further back spots. Also, the road was narrow, our F250 brushed a few bushes on the way.

Most dispersed sites had a fire ring (check locally fire conditions first). I’d suggest bringing in fire wood unless you just want to burn the few fallen twig and limbs. It’s a cactus forest- so the terrain is mostly saguaros, chollas, Palo verde trees and shrubs.

Our site had a beautiful view of the sunset and a view of Picacho Peak in the distance. We visited in February and the weather was nice (on the chilly side) for our roof top tent. I wouldn’t come here in the summer unless we had a rig with air conditioning. Impressive view of the stars at night. Some traffic noise from I-10.

No water, toilets, or trash. So be prepared to take out what you bring in. We had 2 bars of LTE slcell service with T-Mobile.

It’s BLM land close to Tucson, so locals use the area for gun target practice. We heard gun shots until the sunset and starting again the morning. It was basically non-stop. If you want a place to shoot, this would be a good spot to camp.

🌵 Saguaro Facts: Saguaros can live to be 150-200 years old and grow as tall at 40 feet. A 10 year old saguaro Is about 1.5 inches tall (please watch where you drive, park and step). At 80 years old, it’s around 6 feet tall and starts to bloom. The best time to see saguaro blooms is mid-May through mid-June. At age 95-100, it’s around 15 feet tall and starts to grow it’s first arm. 🌵