Tonto National Forest
Dispersed camping is generally allowed
On national forest and grassland, camping outside developed campgrounds is generally permitted unless an area is posted closed or a local order says otherwise. Stay on existing surfaces, camp away from water and trailheads, and check the forest's current orders before you go — fire restrictions change through the season.
Rules change with fire season and local order. Checked 2026-08-05. Confirm on the managing office’s official page
- Area
- 4,635 sq mi
- Managed by
- Forest Service
- Campgrounds
- 39
- Longest rig
- 45 ft
Where the land is, and what fits
The official Forest Service boundary with every campground we hold inside it. Tell it how long your rig is and the map keeps only what takes it — public land rarely matches the shape people picture, and neither does what you can actually get into.
Official unit boundary · USDA Forest Service · 39 campgrounds shown
- Airplane Flat CampgroundSeason not published
- Bagley Flat Campground and Boat DockYear round
- Bulldog Canyon OHV Permit ZoneJanuary through December
- Burnt Corral Campground and Day Use AreaYear round · First-come, first-served
- Catfish Point Dispersed Camping AreaSeason not published
- Cave Creek Group Campground1 sitesYear round · Reservations accepted
- Cholla Campgroundto 32 ft · 167 sites · Pull-throughYear round · First-come, first-served
- Christopher Creek Campground and Group SiteApril – October · First-come, first-served
- Civilian Conservation Corps CampgroundSeason not published
- Colcord Ridge CampgroundSeason not published
- Frazier Group Campgroundto 45 ft · 1 sites · Pull-throughYear round · Reservations accepted
- Frazier Horse CampYear round · Reservations accepted
- Haigler Canyon Campground and Day UseSeason not published
- Horseshoe CampgroundSeason not published
- Houston Mesa Campground and Equestrian SitesApril – December · Reservations accepted
- Indian PointJanuary
- Jones Water CampgroundSeason not published
- Juniper Dispersed Camping AreaSeason not published
- Kellner Group Siteto 15 ft · 1 sitesYear round · Reservations accepted
- Larry Forbis Group SiteReservations accepted
- Lower Tonto Creek Campground13 sitesApril – October
- Mesquite CampgroundSeason not published
- Oak Flat CampgroundYear round
- Pinal & Upper Pinal CampgroundsMay
- Pioneer Pass Camping AreaMay
- Ponderosa Campground and Group SitesApril 1st – November 2nd · Reservations accepted
- Reynolds Creek Group Campgroundto 21 ft · 1 sites · Pull-throughMarch 1 · Reservations accepted
- Riverside CampgroundSeason not published
- Schoolhouse CampgroundYear round · First-come, first-served
- Sharp Creek Campground and Group SitesApril – October · Reservations accepted
- Sheep BridgeYear round
- Sulphide Del Rey CampgroundYear round
- The Point Boat Dock, Campground and Picnic AreaYear round
- Timber Camp Recreation Area and Group Campgroundsto 45 ft · 15 sites · Bear boxesYear round · Reservations accepted
- Tortilla Campgroundto 32 ft · 76 sitesOctober 1 – March 31 · First-come, first-served
- Upper Canyon Creek CampgroundSeason not published
- Upper Tonto Creek Campground13 sitesApril – October
- Valentine Ridge Dispersed Camping AreaSeason not published
- Windy Hill Campgroundto 45 ft · 137 sites · Pull-throughYear round · First-come, first-served
Tonto National Forest
The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres, is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the ninth largest national forest in the United States. The forest has diverse scenery, with elevations ranging from 1,400 feet in the Sonoran Desert to 7,400 feet in the ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Rim. The Tonto National Forest is also one of the most visited "urban" forests in the United States.
Extract from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA. Agency description not published.
No vehicles past these lines
Designated wilderness is closed to every wheeled vehicle, including bicycles. You can walk in and camp; you cannot drive or park a rig inside one.
- Mazatzal Wilderness250,813 acres
- Superstition Wilderness160,169 acres
- Four Peaks Wilderness60,791 acres
- Hellsgate Wilderness37,457 acres
- Salt River Canyon Wilderness32,121 acres
- Sierra Ancha Wilderness20,253 acres
- Salome Wilderness18,534 acres
Byways through this country
Places worth pulling over
Drive to Tonto the long way
Byway plans the road in, not just the destination — real places along the way, weighted to what you like, with nothing invented.