Upper Canyon Creek Campground

About

Upper Canyon Creek Campground provides a rustic, dispersed camping experience in the Tonto National Forest's high country. The 10 designated sites are scattered through a mature Ponderosa pine forest interspersed with white and Douglas fir, offering shade and a mountain atmosphere at elevation. Canyon Creek runs nearby, drawing anglers for rainbow trout fishing under special regulations: artificial flies and lures only with a four-trout limit. This is a true pack-it-in, pack-it-out campground with no water, no trash services, and no hookups. Vault toilets are available and serviced weekly. Picnic tables are provided at sites. The campground operates on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations accepted. Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 6 p.m., and generators are prohibited during these times. Wildlife is abundant, including Abert squirrels and black bears. Bear-proof your camp and store food properly. Access roads FR 512 and FR 33 are unpaved; four-wheel-drive or chains are advised after heavy rain or snow. The nearby Arizona Game and Fish Department Canyon Creek Fish Hatchery is worth a visit.

Directions

From Payson: Travel 33 miles east on State Highway 260. Turn right on Young Road/Forest Road 512 and continue 3 miles to FR 33 (unpaved). Turn left on FR 33 and travel 1.5 miles to the campground. From Young: Take State Highway 288/FR 512 north for 23 miles to FR 33. Turn right onto FR 33 and continue about 5 miles to the site. Four-wheel-drive or chains advised after heavy rain or snow.