U.S. Forest Service · Coronado National Forest · Arizona

Idlewilde Campground

Idlewilde Campground is the first campground you encounter as you enter Cave Creek Canyon from the east. Cave Creek Canyon is well known for its spectacular scenery and excellent birding. In addition, a short distance from the entrance, you’ll find the trailhead for the Cave Creek Nature Trail, which spans the lower Cave Creek Canyon from Sunny Flat Campground to the Silver Peak Trailhead. Sites at Idlewilde are best suited for camping in tents, vans, or pickup truck campers. No trailers are permitted. Note: Black bears are common in the area.

Closed for the seasonFirst-come, first-servedFrom $20 per nightTents only

More like this: first-come in Arizona · tent only in Arizona

Idlewilde Campground
Photo from the area. HarmonyonPlanetEarth (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Site map

8 campsite locations mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The site numbers are theirs and may not match the posts at the campground. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesSingle site: $20. With Golden Age/Access or Interagency Senior/Access pass $10. Payable with cash or check.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusClosed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
SeasonMay 1 to October 31
ForestCoronado National Forest
BookingNo reservations.
FeesSingle site: $20. With Golden Age/Access or Interagency Senior/Access pass $10. Payable with cash or check.
RulesTents, vans, or pickup truck campers only. No trailers are permitted. Pack and saddle stock are not permitted in the campground. Limit 2 vehicles and 10 persons per site. 14-day stay limit. No hook-ups

Coronado National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Idlewilde Campground40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.42 inches of precipitation, 1.4 inches of snowFebruary: 1.12 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowMarch: 0.93 inches of precipitation, 0.2 inches of snowApril: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowMay: 0.46 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 0.88 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.86 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.35 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.12 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.10 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowNovember: 1.28 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowDecember: 1.68 inches of precipitation, 1.2 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 40.5°F averageFebruary: 44.3°F averageMarch: 49.0°F averageApril: 55.1°F averageMay: 62.2°F averageJune: 70.5°F averageJuly: 72.8°F averageAugust: 71.0°F averageSeptember: 66.1°F averageOctober: 57.9°F averageNovember: 48.0°F averageDecember: 40.8°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Portal 4 SW, 2 miles from the campground at 5,390 feet, station USC00026716 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 4 inches a year on the same inches scale. The shaded span is the published season, May 1 to October 31.

Getting there

Coordinates31.8943° N, 109.1660° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗13.7 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.3 mi
    Silver Peak ↗
    4.6 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.3 mi
    Sunny Flat
    1.2 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.2 mi
    South Fork ↗
    6.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.5 mi
    Snowshed ↗
    7.9 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3 mi
    Crystal Cave
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 3.6 mi
    Burro ↗
    6.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Chiricahua Wilderness begins about 1.1 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

Guidebooks for Arizona

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Camping Arizona
    Bruce Grubbs, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Tent Camping: Arizona
    Kirstin Olmon Phillips and Kelly Phillips, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico
    Mike White and Douglas Lorain, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Idlewilde Campground?

No. Idlewilde Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Idlewilde Campground?

Single site: $20. With Golden Age/Access or Interagency Senior/Access pass $10. Payable with cash or check.

Source: Forest Service

Is Idlewilde Campground open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 26, 2026. Season May 1 to October 31.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Idlewilde Campground?

Idlewilde Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Idlewilde Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Stewart Campground (0.3 mi, first-come), Sunny Flat Campground (0.9 mi, first-come), and Herb Martyr Campground (4.3 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby