US Southwest Dispersed Camping Tonto NF, Arizona

[Tango Tiger]

I am planning a trip to Tonto National Forest with my family in late November. We have never been to this part of Arizona so we’re looking forward to seeing new things. I use Gaia, Google Earth, iOverlander, and Free Roam for trip planning; however, I’m interested in any input from people with experience in Tonto NF. Is there any particular area of Tonto NF better for dispersed camping than others?

 

[bhunter74]

I live 5 minutes from Tonto, so many great places to see. Check out Sheep Bridge. Much of the forest was burned this summer unfortunately.

 

[Tango Tiger]

I live 5 minutes from Tonto, so many great places to see. Check out Sheep Bridge. Much of the forest was burned this summer unfortunately.

Thanks so much for the tip. Is that an area with good spots to camp or something better to check out as just a day activity?

 

[KrelleKryl]

A ton of great primitive secluded campsites up on the Rim Road if you want higher elevation. Not a lot of people around on the Northern part, but even the Southern part was pretty quiet when we drove up there a couple of weeks ago.

A couple of sites we stayed at:

Topo Maps, Trail Maps, and Satellite Imagery

Access free topo maps online and use intuitive mapping tools to plan your next adventure. The Gaia GPS map catalog includes detailed satellite imagery, worldwide trail maps, weather forecasting overlays, and avalanche data overlays.

www.gaiagps.com

Topo Maps, Trail Maps, and Satellite Imagery

Access free topo maps online and use intuitive mapping tools to plan your next adventure. The Gaia GPS map catalog includes detailed satellite imagery, worldwide trail maps, weather forecasting overlays, and avalanche data overlays.

www.gaiagps.com

Oh, and one thing to keep in mind - the Bush fire has made a lot of the lower Tonto NF inaccessible (e.g., Four Peaks) - biiiig fire.

 

[Tango Tiger]

A ton of great primitive secluded campsites up on the Rim Road if you want higher elevation. Not a lot of people around on the Northern part, but even the Southern part was pretty quiet when we drove up there a couple of weeks ago.

A couple of sites we stayed at:

Topo Maps, Trail Maps, and Satellite Imagery

Access free topo maps online and use intuitive mapping tools to plan your next adventure. The Gaia GPS map catalog includes detailed satellite imagery, worldwide trail maps, weather forecasting overlays, and avalanche data overlays.

www.gaiagps.com

Topo Maps, Trail Maps, and Satellite Imagery

Access free topo maps online and use intuitive mapping tools to plan your next adventure. The Gaia GPS map catalog includes detailed satellite imagery, worldwide trail maps, weather forecasting overlays, and avalanche data overlays.

www.gaiagps.com

Oh, and one thing to keep in mind - the Bush fire has made a lot of the lower Tonto NF inaccessible (e.g., Four Peaks) - biiiig fire.

Thanks a bunch for the information. It sounds like you must have been in that area just before the Horton fire I read about, which was in that area. Based on what I read, it seems they were able to get that fire under control fairly quickly without it spreading beyond a few acres.