The best great views campgrounds near Payson, Arizona

Payson is just 90 miles and a world away from Phoenix. Set in the Tonto National Forest, this tiny town is a hub for Arizona adventures. Hike the Mogollon Rim, canoe on quiet lakes, and camp in the ponderosa pines. As a home base, book a local RV park or campground. Cool off in the swimming holes at Christopher Creek Campground. Steps from your creekside site, ride horses or mountain bikes through the hills. Closer to town, Houston Mesa Campground has tent and horse sites with picnic tables. Choose from tent and RV sites at Sharp Creek Campground, which is ideal for fishing and boating. From April to October, sleep under the pines at Ponderosa Campground. For great fishing in Willow Springs Lake, head to Sinkhole Campground. Bringing a group to Rim Country? The Woods Canyon Lake camping area can host up to 100 people. Near Payson’s downtown, camp in luxury at an RV resort. Clean up at the laundry, and take advantage of the dump stations. Many parks sit in walking distance to local restaurants and pubs.

98% (523)

Top-rated campgrounds near Payson

Payson is just 90 miles and a world away from Phoenix. Set in the Tonto National Forest, this tiny town is a hub for Arizona adventures. Hike the Mogollon Rim, canoe on quiet lakes, and camp in the ponderosa pines. As a home base, book a local RV park or campground. Cool off in the swimming holes at Christopher Creek Campground. Steps from your creekside site, ride horses or mountain bikes through the hills. Closer to town, Houston Mesa Campground has tent and horse sites with picnic tables. Choose from tent and RV sites at Sharp Creek Campground, which is ideal for fishing and boating. From April to October, sleep under the pines at Ponderosa Campground. For great fishing in Willow Springs Lake, head to Sinkhole Campground. Bringing a group to Rim Country? The Woods Canyon Lake camping area can host up to 100 people. Near Payson’s downtown, camp in luxury at an RV resort. Clean up at the laundry, and take advantage of the dump stations. Many parks sit in walking distance to local restaurants and pubs.

98% (523)

Top-rated campgrounds near Payson

1. Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

97%

(173)

48mi from Payson · 5 sites · RVs

*EASY ACCESS WITH LARGE TRAILERS* We invite you to come enjoy our sliver of the Sonoran Desert here in New River. We are situated adjacent to state land that displays a majestic Saguaro forest in the mountains (where our small rural community meets the wilderness). Enjoy easy access to endless mountain trails as you roam through the this densely populated region of saguaros (hike or bring 4WD) . The local wildlife entails a variety of beautiful creatures of varying sizes. All three Saguaro sites provide full RV services (water, electrical, and 30/50 amp hookups) with plenty of space between for enjoyment of the views. Boondocker sites are great for easy in-out dry camping, making for an early start for your trip out of town. Driving paths are covered with gravel throughout the property. Boondocker 2 is by currently closed for renovations. We are just 10 minutes from the I-17 (Lake Pleasant is just a 30-45 minute drive). Phoenix is a close commute, where you will find many more amenities. Rent an off-road vehicle, boat for the lake (or bring yours!), or plan a tour and ENJOY YOUR STAY! We are more than happy to help facilitate your time here. We welcome pets, but do note there are occasional encounters with neighborhood dogs and plenty of wildlife. For their safety, best to keep them leashed or bring an enclosure. In the future, we plan to provide an enclosure for dogs to safely play and run off-leash. Daytime arrival highly recommended! We understand though how travels go, so keep us informed of your ETA and we will help guide you in.

2. Sacred Springs-Private creek access

99%

(194)

39mi from Payson · 6 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging

For adults 18+ only. Hazardous terrain!! Welcome to Sacred Springs, a tranquil, getaway for adults seeking relaxation. This 8-acre haven is not suitable for children under 18 due to the natural terrain, river access, and steep cliffs. Positioned between Montezuma Castle National Monument and Montezuma Well, Sacred Springs invites you to reconnect with yourself and the ancient beauty surrounding you. A Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary At Sacred Springs, you’re immersed in a thriving ecosystem: River otters, beavers, and endangered fish grace our pristine waters. Deer, raccoons, bobcats, and coyotes roam freely, alongside occasional elk, coatimundi, or mountain lions. Birdwatchers can marvel at Black Hawks, falcons, eagles, ravens, and countless migratory species. This is a sanctuary alive with the rhythms of nature, where life flows seamlessly between the seasons. Witness Echoes of the Past The land at Sacred Springs holds stories of prehistoric cliff-dwelling communities who farmed and thrived here. From our campsites, you’ll see and hear the highway which traces this ancient corridor’s path, a living reminder of those who once traversed this historical route. The Spirit of Sacred Springs Your journey begins as you enter this sacred river valley. A drive through desert vistas leads you along a primitive road to our serene oasis. From panoramic views atop the plateau to the soothing waters below, Sacred Springs offers a retreat like no other. Relax in a hammock by the creek. Wander trails that wind through ancient landscapes. Marvel at sunsets painting the sky with vivid colors. Let the sound of the creek ground you in the timeless rhythms of the earth. A Place of Reverence and Care Sacred Springs is a space for beauty, renewal, and mindfulness. Steep cliffs and rugged terrain remind visitors to tread lightly and stay on marked trails. Each step is an opportunity to honor the land and the life it sustains. A Central Gateway to Adventure Sacred Springs is perfectly located near key attractions: Sedona Wolf Sanctuary (0.2 miles), Montezuma Castle (7 miles), Sedona/Village of Oak Creek (17 miles), and the Grand Canyon (130 miles). Step into the timeless beauty of Sacred Springs—your sanctuary awaits. [Mandatory liability waiver signing upon arrival.]

3. Marguerita Ranch

98%

(70)

45mi from Payson · 5 sites · Tents, RVs, Lodging

Pitch your tent or park your camper among towering Saguaros with stunning mountain views in every direction. Bring your camera or your horses! This is the perfect spot for relaxing, stargazing, and soaking in those famous Arizona sunsets. You’ll have a spacious, private campsite all to yourself—I only allow one booking at a time to ensure a peaceful and personal experience. Please note: This is a working horse ranch, which means you'll see fencing, trailers, and occasional activity from people helping keep the ranch running. While your campsite is private, our property is just over two acres—so you'll also see neighboring homes. If you're looking for complete solitude with no sights, sounds, or smells of ranch life, I recommend dispersed camping elsewhere. My 2.2-acre private horse ranch is home to: • 8 rescue horses • 2 donkeys • 8 mini pigs and a few chickens! …all ready to meet and greet! Trail access? Absolutely. Hiking and horseback riding trails lead directly from the property into Spur Cross Conservation Area—or take a short 10-minute drive to a main trailhead. Black Mountain Hiking Trail is also nearby and offers panoramic views of the valley. You can even ride your horse into town and tie up at the local cowboy bars! ⸻ A few things to note: • The landscape varies with the season—there won’t be green grass in the summer • Please keep pets away from cactus—they bite! • We’re located in a desert neighborhood, so please respect the nearby homes. My house and neighbors house will be in view from your campsite. • A horse corral (50 ft round pen) is available to rent—message me if interested! ⸻ Looking for more adventure? Lake Pleasant, Bartlett Lake, Tonto National Forest, Seven Springs, and other scenic destinations are a short drive away. Need supplies? Walmart, Lowe’s, Tractor Supply, and more are just 10 minutes down the road. Want to explore a truly unique cowboy town? Cave Creek is full of Old West charm, with saloons, quirky shops, live music, and horses sharing the road with motorcycles. Follow and tag us on Instagram: @margueritaranch

4. Red Rock Roping, LLC

100%

(36)

43mi from Payson · 6 sites · RVs, Lodging

Welcome to Red Rock Roping! Where you will be a close 3 mile drive to old town Cave Creek restaurants, bars, and shopping strip. But far enough to enjoy a quiet and peaceful scenery of mountains, sunsets and sunrises. Don’t forget to kick your feet up, and end your night to enjoy a wide open view of the stars! Also, keep your eyes open for desert critters such as rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions, deer, road runners, bob cats, and coyotes. We ask please do not pet, catch, feed or leave any food out that will attract them. Enjoy them from a picture away :) Our 2 accessible acres will give you 360 view of mountains, our Red Rock Roping arena, and a Saloon to gather under to enjoy cool refreshments, and a meal with your friends/family. Right outside our entrance going North on 80th Street you can hike over to the Grapevine Wash which is a short walk away from the Cave Creek Town Trail System for hiking and horseback riding, and if you’re adventurous you can hike up 2 miles of a 800’ climb on a gravel road/trails to “Mexican Hat” for an even more incredible view! We are a 30 amp full hook up (sewer, water & electrical) for 33’ RV’s and living quarters horse trailers. You will also have access to our community laundry area, with a large garbage can to dump a bag if needed. Some suggestions for town; Grab some quick delicous breakfast and coffee at Janey’s. Or American cuisine lunch at The Horny Toad, a Mexican cuisine dinner while watching the turtles in the pond at El Encanto! Ofrenda, right at the end of the road, also has great authentic Mexican cuisine. Many restaurants to choose from all within a short drive. Bashas, Safeway, Target, and Walmart and Sprouts are all within a 3-6 mile drive too! We have two turnout pens for horses. That are located right behind where you will park your trailer. They both have a cover that provides some shade, as well as running water. We do not provide any feed, so please make sure you bring some! We ask that you please do not feed any horses that do not belong to you. Or go into any pen that your horse is not in. For safety and respect :) Thank you in advance. (Horse turnouts are an extra $25 each/per night)

5. Mountain View Retreat

96%

(158)

50mi from Payson · 8 sites · RVs

Experience the ambiance of a boutique resort as you escape to our beautifully landscaped and immaculately maintained private 10 acre property in the North Valley. We have several primitive campsites that can accommodate campervans and tents as well as several full hook-up sites (30 amp electric, water and sewer). You will be welcomed into a peaceful, desert oasis with luxurious amenities and find yourself immersed in a tranquil, serene setting surrounded by breathtaking views. Not only will you experience warm hospitality from your hosts, but our friendly farm animals will give you a warm welcome too! Guests are welcome to interact with all of our animals during our afternoon chores. In addition to your personal, spacious campsite you are sure to enjoy all the amenities we offer, including shared access to our entire property with many seating areas, hammocks, covered patios, water fountains, outdoor kitchen, horseshoe pit, games and hot tub. NON-SMOKING adult guests ONLY! Please review entire listing and house rules prior to booking. ……..Discounts offered for long term stays……….

Recent reviews from the Hipcamp community

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Akshay

2 days ago

Tent

Group trip

1 night at Sacred Springs-Private creek access

Sacred Springs is truly a hidden gem. Gary and Daren are amazing hosts and have done a wonderful job with making it a great a experience. You get a nice outdoors experience while also having some basic amenities like showers and a community kitchen. Daren is also extremely kind and helpful. I would highly recommend people to come and stay at Sacred Springs!

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Anna

1 week ago

Tent

1 night at Sacred Springs-Private creek access

I just Love Sacred Springs!! Gary and Daren are the best hosts!! I love that I can car camp there and feel safe as a solo female out on an adventure, I love the whole vibe there , with the flushable toilets and spacious shower.. The property is Amazing and a piece of Heaven to me!! Can’t wait to come back . Thank you Gary and Daren for my Reset !

Kevin

1 week ago

16 ft car

Weekend Trip to Sacred Springs-Private creek access

Absolutely amazing place and hosts! Words don’t do justice to how magical and perfect this place is, it was our 2nd time staying and we already can’t wait to get back! The pics don’t lie, it’s as beautiful as it looks and then some! Gary and Daren are the perfect hosts too, highly recommended!!!

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Emily

3 weeks ago

With kids

Weekend Trip to Marguerita Ranch

It was so much fun staying here! We also loved visiting the town of Cave Creek.

L

Lisa

3 weeks ago

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Sacred Springs-Private creek access

What a beautiful spot! Gary and Daren have thought of everything. We appreciated the hot shower, all the amenities in the community area, and the gorgeous view over the creek in the morning. Highly recommend this spot, we would love to come back the next time we're in Arizona.

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Ashley

3 weeks ago

21 ft travel trailer

With pets

4 nights at Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

What a great spot! We felt secluded for having a full setup; quiet, awesome stargazing, and easy to back-in. The kids loved running around and exploring on the new state land and surrounding saguaro forest. Shawn and Roxy were so kind and helpful to make us feel welcome.

S

Stacey

November 2025

20 ft campervan

2 nights at Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

Aside from being super cool, Roxy and Shawn were very accommodating. The cacti are gorgeous, I had a lovely time spending time at their location. So much that I am going back for the last day of my 2 week journey in AZ before I fly back home to NJ. Highly recommend for a stop after coming in to PHX. Good vibes all around.

J

Jonathan

November 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Sacred Springs-Private creek access

I loved Sacred Springs! The hospitality and amenities were top notch. Would definitely stay here again.

J

Jasper

November 2025

42 ft fifth wheel

With pets

Weekend Trip to Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

The owners are super awesome people and extremely accommodating! Loved my time there and i will be back soon!

E

Emma

November 2025

20 ft campervan

1 night at Sacred Springs-Private creek access

We had a lovely stay at Gary and Daren’s! The views were lovely, and there were lots of little nature walks around the area which were peaceful and quaint. The facilities were great! Hot showers, and a nice little common room with cooking facilities, water, towels, dishes, coffee, etc. Gary was very welcoming and accommodating. There’s lots of attention to detail and love invested in this space! We would definitely stay here again!

K

Katherine

November 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to Sacred Springs-Private creek access

I can’t say enough good things about our experience at sacred Springs. But before I get to the property, let me tell you about the hosts. We had first planned on going to the property a month ago and had some serious car troubles that made that journey impossible. I’m pretty cynical, so typically anywhere that I’ve paid some amount of money to put a deposit down and circumstances have come up that impacted our ability to get somewhere ,not the place we were going, I usually just consider the deposit given as a loss. Never to be see again. “ thanks for playing, but sorry we have to keep your money because we are uncaring un-empathetic, greedy bastards.” That was not even remotely close to the experience we had BEFORE even making it there. We reached out to inform Gary and Darrell that we would be unable to make it, sadly but would be looking forward to coming in the future. These remarkable gentlemen who were so kind throughout the entire communication process before we even booked, continued this kindness and added empathy and sympathy for our situation. Still emailing and talking to us while we were in the midst of a horrific experience with our vehicle, not near our home and dealing with the costs and every other negative you could have. These two were like a ray of sunshine. Their gracious and sincere words in the emails and their hospitality and generosity is like nothing I’ve seen in years… decades even. They refunded us and offered a complimentary stay.

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Ethan

November 2025

22 ft campervan

1 night at Sacred Springs-Private creek access

Beautiful, well-maintained property overlooking I-17. My wife and I only stayed for a short time, but it was great! There was a hot shower and a flush toilet, which was a savior considering that our campervan's toilet wasn't working (don't rent a van from IndieCampers). There were a bunch of other amenities provided as well, and Gary was super nice and welcoming. The ONLY thing I think could be improved is that my tired brain could not figure out which direction to turn the faucet in the shower for hot water, but that was mostly my fault 😁

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Tom

November 2025

23 ft Class B

Weekend Trip to Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

Very gracious host. The place is well kept and area is quiet.

J

Jade

November 2025

Tent

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Sacred Springs-Private creek access

Our group of 4 absolutely loved this beautiful campsite for its scenic views, spacious site, and fun trail that led down to the creek. We were happily surprised by all of the paddle boards and kayaks readily available for us to use as a group of 4 to explore the water and gorgeous fall colors! Gary is hands down the best host with how attentive, caring, and kind he was to us. My husband and I didn’t have the best sleeping bags for the 40-degree nights, so Gary was kind enough to let us borrow 2 sleeping bags that allowed us to sleep so much better the second night of our stay. We cannot wait to come back to Sacred Springs again soon!

MH

November 2025

23 ft travel trailer

With pets

5 nights at Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

The location was lovely and the hosts made everything so simple and convenient for our stay!

T

Tasha

November 2025

45 ft Class A

3 nights at Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

Really great location, beautiful views and friendly people.

Bonnie

November 2025

22 ft Class C

Group trip

Weekend Trip to Sacred Springs-Private creek access

Our stay at Sacred Spring was absolutely wonderful! From the very beginning, our hosts Gary and Daren were exceptional — incredibly kind, thoughtful, and great communicators both before and during our visit. They went above and beyond to help us celebrate my birthday weekend with family, making extra accommodations that made the trip feel truly special. The property itself is magical. The sunsets were breathtaking, the land peaceful and full of beauty. We loved exploring the hike down to the canyon and creek — it felt like a hidden paradise. The paddle boards and kayak added so much fun to our days, and every part of the stay felt relaxing and rejuvenating. You can tell Gary and Daren pour their hearts into this place. It’s the perfect mix of comfort, adventure, and serenity. We can’t wait to come back! 🌿✨

Tony

November 2025

Tent

3 nights at Sacred Springs-Private creek access

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Sacred Springs. Gary and Daren have created a very special place with great energy. You can tell they love this place and want their guests to enjoy it as much as they do. They are happy to make recommendations for great hikes and adventures in the local area or you can just hang out and swim, kayak or paddle board in their beautiful creek front riparian area. My only concern was the proximity to the freeway and the noise associated with it. But I can honestly say that it didn’t bother me or keep me up at all. If anything it was a nice reminder to be grateful that I was chillin’ at Sacred Springs rather than out there on the roads. I am already looking forward to my next visit to the area, and staying again at Sacred Springs.

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Chad

October 2025

45 ft toy hauler

With pets

7 nights at Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

Spent a week here. Great spot away from the traffic and noise, but very close to anything you need. We have a 46ft fith wheel and had plenty of room. We will definitely be back.

Lucky

October 2025

35 ft Class A

Weekend Trip to Saguaro Forrest @ Dragonfly Ranch

Shawn and Roxy’s place is great! Beautiful sunsets, full hookups, and kind hosts. If you are looking for a safe and quiet place, you won’t be disappointed.