Lower Tonto Creek

Tonto National Forest — fishing, hiking

Location: Payson, AZ, AZ

Price: From $20 per night

Rating: 3.9 out of 5 (14 reviews)

Season: May through October

The Lower Tonto Creek Campground is tucked away right next to the main highway just south of where the Tonto and Horton Creeks merge. Families may enjoy fishing at both Tonto and Horton Creeks or pass time hiking through nearby Horton Creek Trail or Derrick Trail. The Lower Tonto Creek Campground has a large open-space parking lot and paved walkway makes it accessible with only a light hike to the creek.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/lower-tonto-creek to be notified when sites open up.

Lower Tonto Creek offers a scenic riverside setting with well-maintained facilities and excellent access to fishing at both Tonto and Horton Creeks, plus nearby hiking trails. Campers consistently praise the cleanliness of bathrooms and spacious parking area.

Wildlife alert: Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Wapiti/American Elk, Common Raccoon, Steller's Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Greater Short-horned Lizard, and Arizona Mountain Kingsnake documented in the area

Insider tips for Lower Tonto Creek: Book early—this is a federal campground with only 9 tent sites on first-come, first-served basis Consider Lower Tonto Creek as alternative if Upper Tonto Creek is full; reviewers noted it offers more spacious parking Paved walkway and large parking lot provide easy access to creek without extensive hiking

Skip Lower Tonto Creek if: You need RV hookups—no hookups available at most sites. You require guaranteed reservations—first-come, first-served only.

Best time to visit Lower Tonto Creek: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Upper Tonto Creek (Payson, AZ), Ponderosa (Az) (PAYSON, AZ), Christopher Creek (PAYSON, AZ), Sharp Creek (PAYSON, AZ).

Cell Phone Coverage at Lower Tonto Creek

Cell signal at Lower Tonto Creek (Payson, AZ): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Tonto National Forest — fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Lower Tonto Creek

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Payson, AZ, AZ★ 3.9 (14 reviews)From $20/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

The Lower Tonto Creek Campground is tucked away right next to the main highway just south of where the Tonto and Horton Creeks merge. Families may enjoy fishing at both Tonto and Horton Creeks or pass time hiking through nearby Horton Creek Trail or Derrick Trail. The Lower Tonto Creek Campground has a large open-space parking lot and paved walkway makes it accessible with only a light hike to the creek.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire Rings
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Fishing

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups—no hookups available at most sites✕ You require guaranteed reservations—first-come, first-served only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 9 tent sites on first-come, first-served basis

Consider Lower Tonto Creek as alternative if Upper Tonto Creek is full; reviewers noted it offers more spacious parking

Paved walkway and large parking lot provide easy access to creek without extensive hiking

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Arizona Black Rattlesnake, Wapiti/American Elk, Common Raccoon, Steller's Jay, Dark-eyed Junco, Greater Short-horned Lizard, and Arizona Mountain Kingsnake documented in the area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
N/A· Tonto National Forest
Getting there →

This site is 15 miles northeast of Payson. From Payson, travel 15 miles east on State Hwy. 260. Just east of mile marker 269 at Kohl’s Ranch, turn left (north) on Forest Road (FR) 289.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Tonto National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Tonto National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Lower Tonto Creek cost per night?+
Lower Tonto Creek costs $20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Lower Tonto Creek open?+
Lower Tonto Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Lower Tonto Creek have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Lower Tonto Creek?+
Lower Tonto Creek is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Lower Tonto Creek?+
Lower Tonto Creek is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Lower Tonto Creek?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Lower Tonto Creek is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Lower Tonto Creek open, and what are check-in times?+
Lower Tonto Creek is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Lower Tonto Campground Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$20 /night★ 3.9 (14)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Lower Tonto Creek cost per night?+
What season is Lower Tonto Creek open?+
Does Lower Tonto Creek have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Upper Tonto Creek

Payson, AZ

From $20/night

Ponderosa (Az)

PAYSON, AZ

From $22/night

Christopher Creek

PAYSON, AZ

From $24/night

Sharp Creek

PAYSON, AZ

From $29/night

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Lower Tonto Creek — Tonto National Forest | CamperWatch