★ Field-verified · Dave's ownUSFS · dispersedFree
Tonto National Forest
Drive-up · U.S. Forest Service · Pinal County, AZ · 33.35194, -111.21058
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on U.S. Forest Service land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A beautiful desert canyon primitive campsite with a stone fire ring. Surrounded by saguaro cacti, mountains, and canyons. Very remote and peaceful. Tonto National Forest. Four wheel drive required. Poor cell service. Enough room for two or three vehicles. Only con is that it isn't very flat. Lush and green. A lot of roads to explore. Some OHV traffic. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 2,531 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- WWater6 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- GGrocery6 mi
- AAir-up6 mi
- DDump7 mi
- @Mail8 mi
- +Urgent care13 mi
- MMechanic13 mi
- RxPharmacy14 mi
- ShShower18 mi
- OOutfitter20 mi
- HHardware20 mi
- LLaundry20 mi
- PPropane31 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water is basically at camp, fuel & food sit about 6 mi out.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
U.S. Forest Service · dispersed
Elevation
2,531 ft
County
Pinal County, AZ
Coordinates
33.35194, -111.21058
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureStream · nearby
- Nearest townQueen Valley · ~5.9 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~5.8 mi
- FuelFuel · ~5.8 mi
- Propane / LPGLPG · ~23.5 mi
- Dump stationDump station · ~7.1 mi
- GroceriesFitzStop · ~5.8 mi
- PharmacyWalgreens · ~14.2 mi
- Hospital / clinicfirst-aid · ~12.6 mi
- HardwareFrontier Ace Hardware · ~20.3 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
High clearance / 4×4
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletPicketpost T H · ~5.9 mi S · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletPeralta Th · ~8.5 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletFish Creek Vista · ~14.0 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletFirst Water Th · ~16.0 mi NW · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Picket Post Dispersed~5.5 mi
- Picket Post Dispersed~5.8 mi
- Picket Post Dispersed~5.9 mi
- Oak Flat~9.7 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Pinal County, AZ). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →What “dispersed” means here →Hot-weather camping →Off-grid communication →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →