If proximity to city conveniences is your preference, you'll find Payson Campground and RV Resort (paysoncampground.com) has shaded tent sites as well as full hookups at RV sites. The campground is open year-round and provides amenities such as hot showers, laundry, clubhouse, playground and Wi-Fi. You can enjoy sunning by the heated pool, throwing horseshoes and shooting hoops. Pets are welcome but must be on a leash. Travelers can also find several RV resorts within the city of Payson.
The national forests provide campgrounds open seasonally from May through October that have basic amenities including fire pits with grills, level tent pads and picnic tables. A few campgrounds, such as Canyon Point (fs.usda.gov), situated 35 miles east of Payson in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, have hot showers, flush restrooms and electric hookups. Kids will enjoy splashing and fishing in Tonto Creek at Christopher Creek Campground (fs.usda.gov) 15 miles east of Payson's city limits. The campground has sites along both sides of the creek and is open to trailers under 22 feet in length.
Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (fs.usda.gov) has eight campgrounds situated near trailheads that have amenities geared toward horse riders and their stock. Hitching rails, corrals and watering troughs are featured at some of these campgrounds. Closest to Payson, Houston Mesa Equestrian Camp (fs.usda.gov) lies at the trailhead to Houston Mesa Loop Trail, a 9-mile trail through pinyon and juniper forests. You and your horse can make use of the available corrals, and the 30 family sites have tables and grills. Hot showers and restrooms are provided onsite. The campground is suitable for horse trailers and rigs less than 40 feet long.
Four campgrounds in the Tonto National Forest (fs.usda.gov) provide group facilities close to Payson. Christopher Creek Campground's group area can accommodate up to 25 people and is suitable for camping trailers or RVs under 20 feet long. A covered 24-by-48-foot ramada with electricity is available at the Houston Mesa group area, along with two group sites that can accommodate up to 65 people each. Corrals, flush toilets and showers are also provided. Ponderosa Group Campground has an amphitheater and handicapped-acccessible restrooms convenient to two group sites that can accommodate up to 50 people. For a group hike on the Highline National Recreational Trail that runs along the Mogollon Rim, stay at Sharp Creek's group area, which has three sites with large ramadas, fire rings, grills and picnic tables.
The forests near Payson are heavily populated with bears, and the 2012 camping season saw three nighttime attacks on sleeping campers. Bears are most prevalent in the area during years of low moisture when natural berries and other native food is scarce. Rangers in the Payson area close campgrounds or limit camping to hard-sided trailers or RVs when bear danger is high; they provide handouts and ranger-led programs about bear safety in campgrounds with high bear activity. Don't ever feed a bear, and make sure your camp is clear of garbage, food and all scented items including lotions, candy and gum. Use bear-proof dumpsters provided in most campgrounds; cook and store food, scented items and food-soiled clothing in wildlife-resistant containers away from your tent. Change out of clothes you have cooked or eaten in before sleeping, and never bring food or snacks in your tent.
