Free camping near Rye, AZ
Within 25 straight-line miles of Rye, AZ there are 23 camps: 14 free, 5 fee, 4 unpriced. The closest is Houston Mesa Campground, 12 miles north of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Flowing Springs Dispersed, 15 miles out. One of them is a camp Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 22 on the Forest Service; 1 on Federal.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Mesa Campground | 12 | Unpriced | Racetrack Tank (water) | 1.8 mi to Mesa Del Caballo | — |
| Flowing Springs Dispersed | 15 | Free | Butcher Creek (stream) | 0.6 mi to Flowing Springs | — |
| Ponderosa Group | 19 | Free | Boy Tank (water) | 0.9 mi to Thompson Draw Summer Homes Unit #1 | — |
| Ponderosa Campground | 19 | Fee | Boy Tank (water) | 0.9 mi to Thompson Draw Summer Homes Unit #1 | — |
| Sharp Creek Group | 20 | Free | Donahue Tank (water) | 1.0 mi to Pine | — |
| Yavapai CountyDave slept here | 20 | Free | — | — | — |
| Bartlett Flat | 21 | Fee | — | 11 mi to Rio Verde | — |
| Bartlett Flat Dispersed | 21 | Free | Alder Creek (stream) | 8.4 mi to Sunflower | — |
| Lower Tonto Creek | 22 | Fee | — | 0.9 mi to Kohls Ranch | — |
| Ocotillo Rec and Boating Site Dispersed | 22 | Free | Verde River (river) | 14 mi to Road Junction Windmill | — |
| Horseshoe Dispersed Camping | 22 | Free | Verde River (river) | 14 mi to Road Junction Windmill | — |
| Upper Tonto Creek Campground | 22 | Unpriced | Horton Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Tonto Estate | — |
| SB Cove Dispersed | 22 | Free | Verde River (river) | 8.7 mi to Sunflower | — |
| Alderwood | 23 | Free | Bar X Tank (water) | 4.9 mi to Spurlock | — |
| Mesquite Dispersed Camping | 23 | Free | Verde River (river) | 14 mi to Road Junction Windmill | — |
| Christopher Creek Campground | 23 | Unpriced | Christopher Creek (stream) | 1.2 mi to Christopher Creek | — |
| Kehl Springs Campground | 23 | Unpriced | Quaking Aspen Canyon (stream) | 2.9 mi to Washington Park | — |
| Rattlesnake Group | 24 | Free | Verde River (river) | 8.7 mi to Rio Verde | — |
| Indian Point | 24 | Free | Twin Butte Tank (water) | 2.3 mi to North Bay Estates | — |
| Haigler Canyon | 24 | Free | Dry Creek Trough (water) | 4.6 mi to Sleepy Hollow | — |
| Indian Point Campground | 24 | Free | Twin Butte Tank (water) | 2.4 mi to North Bay Estates | — |
| Sharp Creek Campground | 25 | Fee | — | 1.0 mi to Hunter Creek | — |
| Sharp Creek Campground | 25 | Fee | Hunter Creek (stream) | 0.6 mi to Hunter Creek | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Rye, 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.