Upper Tonto Creek Campground Tonto National Forest Arizona
Upper Tonto Creek Overview
Upper Tonto Creek campground has 6 single-family campsites in a forested area next to Tonto and Horton creeks. It’s also across the road from the Horton Creek trailhead.
The campground is generally open early May to early November. Amenities include vault water, vault toilets and trash collection. Cell service is not available in the area.
Campsites are best suited for tent camping but small trailers/RVs are okay. Each campsite also has a table, lantern post, fire ring and grill.  Three of the campsites have been converted to picnic sites.
Upper Tonto Creek – Area Recreation
Outdoor recreation includes hiking, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding and picnicking. Wildlife viewing is also nice in the area. The Tonto Fish Hatchery is 4 miles north on Highway 260 on Forest Road 289. Self-guided tours are available at the hatchery.
Other campgrounds in the area include Christopher Creek, Sharp Creek and Ponderosa.
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Amenities
- BBQ Grills
- Campsite Tables
- Cell Service - None
- Drinking Water
- Equestrian trail
- Fire Pit
- Fire Rings
- Golden Age & Access Passports accepted
- Grills
- Lantern Post
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Restrooms (Vault Toilets)
- Trash Collection
Activities
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historic Sites
- Horseback riding
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Stargazing
- Wildlife Viewing
Payson, Arizona 85541
928 474-7900
Lat / Long:
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Campsite Types
- ADA
- Camper Van
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
# of Campsites:
6
Campsite Vehicle Size:
Up to 23 feet.
Season:
Early May – Early November
Elevation:
5,510
Upper Tonto Creek Photos
Upper Tonto Creek Comments & Reviews
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I gave the campsite 1 star because I wasn’t able to actually stay there! Its a small campground close to the Horton creek trailhead and very quiet. However, we arrived at 12 noon on May 29 to find one open spot #9. We checked the tag on the tree and the space had been paid for thru 5/30. However, the spot was empty, so we checked with the campers in the next spot and they confirmed the previous campers had packed up and left. So at 12:30 we paid our fee (which ended up being $16 for the night and the website says $8) dropped the payment in the box and attached the receipt to the tree. Set up camp and went for a hike. When we returned at 5pm the host told us she didn’t receive payment so gave up the spot to someone else! The receipt was on the tree in which she removed and then gave us our payment back from the box! Needless to say, we packed up our stuff and left. Not a good way to run a site. We thought we did everything right and somehow got booted from our site. very disappointing.