Free camping near Payson, AZ
Yes. 20 of the 40 camps within 25 straight-line miles of Payson, AZ are listed as free; 10 charge a fee and 10 have no price on record. The closest free one is Flowing Springs Dispersed, 4.6 miles north, on U.S. Forest Service land. The closest camp of any kind is Houston Mesa Campground, 1.8 miles north, with no price on record.
All 40 camps near Payson, AZ
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Mesa Campground | 1.8 | Unpriced | Racetrack Tank (water) | 1.8 mi to Mesa Del Caballo | — |
| Flowing Springs Dispersed | 4.6 | Free | Butcher Creek (stream) | 0.6 mi to Flowing Springs | — |
| Sharp Creek Group | 11 | Free | Donahue Tank (water) | 1.0 mi to Pine | — |
| Ponderosa Campground | 12 | Fee | Boy Tank (water) | 0.9 mi to Thompson Draw Summer Homes Unit #1 | — |
| Ponderosa Group | 12 | Free | Boy Tank (water) | 0.9 mi to Thompson Draw Summer Homes Unit #1 | — |
| Kehl Springs Campground | 13 | Unpriced | Quaking Aspen Canyon (stream) | 2.9 mi to Washington Park | — |
| Lower Tonto Creek | 14 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Kohls Ranch | — |
| Upper Tonto Creek Campground | 14 | Unpriced | Horton Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Tonto Estate | — |
| Christopher Creek Campground | 17 | Unpriced | Christopher Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Christopher Creek | — |
| Knoll Lake Campground | 18 | Unpriced | Clear Creek (stream) | 4.7 mi to Tonto Estate | — |
| Sharp Creek Campground | 19 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Hunter Creek | — |
| Sharp Creek Campground | 19 | Fee | Hunter Creek (stream) | 0.6 mi to Hunter Creek | — |
| Long Valley Work Center Group Campground | 19 | Unpriced | Blazed Tank (water) | 7.6 mi to Washington Park | — |
| Alderwood | 19 | Free | Bar X Tank (water) | 4.9 mi to Spurlock | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ #4 | 20 | Free | Carr Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Forest Road 84 Camping Area | 20 | Free | Carr Lake (water) | 3.1 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ #2 | 20 | Free | Woods Canyon Lake (water) | 1.7 mi to See Canyon Summer Homes | — |
| Haigler Canyon | 20 | Free | Dry Creek Trough (water) | 4.6 mi to Sleepy Hollow | — |
| 9350 Camping Area | 20 | Free | Woods Canyon Lake (water) | 1.8 mi to See Canyon Summer Homes | — |
| Fossil Creek | 21 | Free | Louthan Tank (water) | 7.7 mi to Strawberry | — |
| Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area | 21 | Free | Bear Canyon Lake (water) | 5.2 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Forest Road 9354 Camping Area | 21 | Free | Carr Lake (water) | 3.4 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Promontory Pit Road | 21 | Free | Carr Lake (water) | 3.8 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| 195 Camping Area | 21 | Free | Woods Canyon Lake (water) | 2.7 mi to See Canyon Summer Homes | — |
| Mogollon Rim Campground | 21 | Unpriced | Woods Canyon Lake (water) | 2.6 mi to Sleepy Hollow | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ #3 | 21 | Free | Carr Lake (water) | 3.6 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Promontory Pit Road Campground | 21 | Free | Carr Lake (water) | 3.9 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Clints Well Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Marys Tank (water) | 9.5 mi to Washington Park | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ #8 | 22 | Free | — | 3.2 mi to Christopher Creek | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ | 22 | Fee | Woods Canyon Lake (water) | 2.8 mi to Sleepy Hollow | — |
| Crook Campground | 22 | Fee | Woods Canyon Lake (water) | 2.3 mi to Sleepy Hollow | — |
| Woods Canyon Group Cg | 22 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Christopher Creek | — |
| Spillway Group Campground | 22 | Fee | — | 3.9 mi to Christopher Creek | — |
| Spillway Cg | 23 | Fee | — | 4.1 mi to Christopher Creek | — |
| USFS dispersed camp — AZ #5 | 23 | Free | Deer Lake (water) | 4.6 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Rock Crossing | 23 | Fee | — | 8.3 mi to Blue Ridge | — |
| Childs Dispersed Camping Area | 23 | Free | Tanko Caliente (water) | 12 mi to Strawberry | — |
| Forest Road 169 Camping Area | 23 | Free | Deer Lake (water) | 4.8 mi to Mountain Meadows | — |
| Rim Campground | 24 | Unpriced | Lake Three (water) | 2.5 mi to Sleepy Hollow | — |
| Blue Ridge Campground | 25 | Unpriced | Elk Tank (water) | 12 mi to Washington Park | — |
Who manages the camps near Payson, AZ
Who manages them: 40 on the Forest Service.
- Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests — 19 camps: 13 free, 5 fee, 1 unpriced
- Tonto National Forest — 14 camps: 6 free, 4 fee, 4 unpriced
- Coconino National Forest — 7 camps: 1 free, 1 fee, 5 unpriced
Season read for these camps, today
Our record has no season word for any of these 40 camps today. Call the managing office before you go.
Forecast near Payson, AZ
This is the Weather Service forecast for the town, fetched when the page opens. It is not a forecast for any camp in the table; ground higher up or in a canyon can run colder or windier. It needs JavaScript; without it, see weather.gov.
Camping near other towns close by
The nearest towns that have their own page, with the straight-line miles between the towns.
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Payson, 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.