Free camping near Cottonwood, AZ
Within 25 straight-line miles of Cottonwood, AZ there are 27 camps: 18 free, 7 fee, 2 unpriced. The closest is Rockview Dispersed Camping Area, 5.5 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Rockview Dispersed Camping Area, 5.5 miles out. 6 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 22 on the Forest Service; 5 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockview Dispersed Camping Area | 5.5 | Free | Triangle Tank (water) | 5.7 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Javalina Dispersed Camping Area | 6.6 | Free | White Flat Tank (water) | 4.5 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Surprise Dispersed Camping Area | 6.7 | Free | Dad Jones Tank (water) | 5.1 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Angel Valley Dispersed Camping Area | 7.0 | Free | White Flat Tank (water) | 3.9 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Yavapai CountyDave slept here | 7.7 | Free | Juniper Tank (water) | 5.7 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Yavapai CountyDave slept here | 8.7 | Free | Jackass Tank (water) | 5.6 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Mingus Mountain Campground | 8.7 | Fee | — | 3.8 mi to Jerome | — |
| Playground Group Campground | 9.3 | Fee | Mingus Lake (water) | 3.7 mi to Jerome | — |
| Cockscomb Dispersed Camping Area | 9.3 | Free | Jackass Tank (water) | 5.8 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Greasy Spoon Dispersed Camping Area | 9.7 | Free | Nolan Tank (water) | 6.1 mi to Red Rock | — |
| Potato Patch Campground | 10 | Fee | — | 3.7 mi to Jerome | — |
| Nolan Dispersed Camping Area | 10 | Free | Nolan Tank (water) | 6.6 mi to Red Rock | — |
| FR 120A Dispersed | 10 | Free | Stud Horse Tank (water) | 6.1 mi to Baldwins Crossing | — |
| Prescott National ForestDave slept here | 13 | Free | — | 10 mi to Verde | — |
| Powell Springs Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Hackberry Wash (stream) | 1.6 mi to Cherry | — |
| Yavapai CountyDave slept here | 13 | Free | — | 10 mi to Verde | — |
| Chavez Crossing Group Campground | 13 | Fee | Oak Creek (river) | 2.0 mi to Sedona | — |
| Lawrence Crossing Dispersed Camping Area | 16 | Free | Walker Creek (stream) | 2.9 mi to Lake Montezuma | — |
| Coconino CountyDave slept here | 18 | Free | — | 5.3 mi to Sedona | — |
| Coconino CountyDave slept here | 19 | Free | Casner Canyon (stream) | 2.2 mi to Indian Gardens | — |
| Manzanita | 19 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Oak Creek Canyon | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ #2 | 19 | Free | Lower Rattlesnake Tank (water) | 8.2 mi to Stoneman Lake | — |
| Clear Creek National Forest Campground | 20 | Unpriced | Cochran Tank (water) | 5.9 mi to Camp Verde | — |
| Schnebly Hill Road Dispersed | 21 | Free | Mason Tank (water) | 3.3 mi to Munds Park | — |
| Bull Pen Dispersed Campground | 22 | Free | Cedar Bench Tank Number Two (water) | 7.7 mi to Lake Montezuma | — |
| Cave Springs Campground | 22 | Fee | West Fork Oak Creek (stream) | 5.7 mi to Indian Gardens | — |
| Pine Flat Campground | 23 | Fee | Ritter Butte Tank (water) | 6.4 mi to Kachina Village | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Cottonwood, AZ, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.