If you consider camping to be waking up in a forest, the desert, or alongside a lake or stream to the sound of birds singing, camping in Arizona has everything you’re searching for.
Here, camping options range from warm nights in the desert to lounging around a campfire behind ponderosa pines or even lazing by a lake with a fishing rod.
Winter campgrounds at higher elevations, such as Payson, Prescott, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon, are frequently blanketed in snow, but for warmer temps, head to the desert campgrounds in Tucson, Phoenix, and regions further south.
Summary
| Guide | Camping In Arizona |
|---|---|
| Things to bring | Cots, pads and more |
| Best Places to Visit near Arizona State Parks | Bisbee, Tombstone |
| Beach Destination | The Grand Canyon, Lake Havasu State Park, and more |
| Situated | Arizona |
Camping In Arizona
1. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is often overlooked in Arizona’s deep south, near the Mexican border.
This is the spot to go if you want to get away and camp under a star-filled sky in the desert.
Location: 10 Organ Pipe Drive, Ajo, AZ 85321
2. The Grand Canyon
Camping at the Grand Canyon is a terrific opportunity to avoid the daily throng and have this amazing natural wonder almost entirely to yourself.
Nothing beats the thrill of seeing the sunrise or sunset over the Grand Canyon before all of the day-trippers arrive or depart.
Location: Northwest corner of Arizona, in the borders of Utah and Nevada.
3. Lake Powell, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
You may pitch a tent or park your RV along the beach of gorgeous Lake Powell and wake up to views of the sandstone towers that flank the lake.
Location: 691 Scenic View Rd Dr, Page, AZ 86040
4. Gilbert Ray Campground, Tucson
This Campground in Tucson Mountain Park is another exceptional campground that provides you the impression of wilderness camping despite being only 15 minutes from Tucson’s main attractions.
Location: 8451 W McCain Loop, Tucson, AZ 85735
5. Lake Havasu State Park
While beaches are probably not what you think of when you think of camping in Arizona, they are what you can anticipate if you camp in Lake Havasu.
Location: 699 London Bridge Rd, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
6. Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon
Oak Creek Canyon is one of Sedona’s highlights, and it also has three excellent campgrounds.
Slide Rock State Park is only a short drive away, as are some of Sedona’s top hikes.
These campgrounds accept reservations up to six months in advance on a rolling basis.
Location: Coconino National Forest – Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive. 1824 S. Thompson St.
7. Chiricahua National Monument, Bonita Canyon Campground
Chiricahua National Monument, located in southern Arizona near the border with Mexico, protects a sky island, a small mountain range that stands out from the surrounding highlands. Location:
Location: 12856, E Rhyolite Creek Rd, Willcox, AZ 85643
8. Spillway Campground Near Payson
It is located on the banks of Wood’s Lake, is modest, charming, and quaint by camping standards.
The campground is located at 7,500 feet on the Mogollon Rim in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, a region famous for outdoor recreational activities. Location:
Location: Forest Service Rd 105, Payson, AZ 85541
9. Catalina State Park, Campground A or B
This is the spot to camp if you want to camp in a reasonably urban area close to a city, with conveniences like showers while still enjoying nature.
Catalina State Park’s Campground A or Campground B, located just outside Tucson, offers big sites with paved parking pads in a wide-open region with level terrain. Location:
Location: 11570 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85737
10. Prescott, Lynx Campground
Lynx Campground, located on Lynx Lake about 10 minutes outside of Prescott, allows you to camp beneath giant ponderosa pines, enjoy the lake’s recreational options, and quickly drive back to town to pick up any supplies you may have forgotten.
The area is rich in birdlife, has excellent fishing, and has various hiking and mountain biking paths nearby. Location:
Location: Walker Rd, Prescott, AZ 86303
Best Places To Visit Near Arizona
Bisbee
Bisbee, located in the foothills of the Mule Mountains, was once one of the world’s wealthiest mining towns.
The Old West mining camp, on the other hand, stayed the course over the years without becoming a typical ghost town.
Bisbee is now a cultural and artistic hotspot, thanks to the closure of the mine.
You’ll find various boutique businesses, warm cafes, and local art galleries along the charming and wooded lanes.
All within the typical structures that thrived throughout the mining era.
Bisbee retains approximately 45 saloons and the original library and opera theatre as a homage to the good old days.
Tombstone
Tombstone, a historic town best known as the location of the Gunfight at the OK Corral, was one of the last boomtowns.
It was a rugged region that drew hardy prospectors, strong gunslingers, and lawless gamblers looking to strike it rich in the silver mines.
While a tourist trap, Tombstone is a fun destination to visit in Arizona and learn about how the West was colonized.
With the old town district perfectly preserved, walk back in time and visit the saloons or see a reenactment of the Gunfight.
Because the area is aimed toward tourists, there are numerous inexpensive cafes, souvenir stores, restaurants, and hotels.
Checklist Before Camping In Arizona
We rely on memory or experience to prepare for a camping trip. Without a comprehensive camping checklist, we might get into a less-than-ideal situation.
Whether you’ve been camping for years or are new to outdoor lifestyle, this camping advice may be handy in Arizona!
- Cots, pads, and mattresses
- Coolers
- Tent
- Bedding
- Kitchen utensils
FAQ
Is camping in Arizona dangerous?
If you are not too out in the wild, they are not dangerous.
Does camping in Arizona offer public camping areas?
Yes, most of the camping places we have talked about in this article are public, but you might still need to pay for some stuff.
Can I get private camping in Arizona?
Yes, there are a lot of private camping areas in Arizona that allow you to rent a place or a house for camping purposes.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
