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

Rustler Park Campground

Rustler Park is a wildflower-carpeted meadow high in the Chiricahuas. Around the turn of the century, rustlers concealed stolen stock there while altered brands healed and pursuit cooled. Today, the meadow provides a cool mountain respite from the deserts below. Rimmed with Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine, the meadow is sprinkled with seasonal wildflowers. Campsites at Rustler Park are scattered along access roads that have been purposefully kept out of the meadow to avoid damaging fragile plants and soils. Since the Horseshoe II fire in 2011, the campground has been rebuilt and some campsites now have canopies to give visitors shade. Rustler Park is an excellent place to pursue birdwatching.

Closed for the seasonBooking not publishedDark skyFrom $8 per nightTents only

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

Rustler Park Campground
Photo from the area. Matt Muir (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesTrailhead Day-Use: $8 per vehicle per day or $10 per week. Camping: $15 per night. Buy a pass online, or purchase a pass on-site with cash or check.
Dark sky9.7 miles from Chiricahua National Monument, a certified International Dark Sky Park

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.
SeasonApril 1 to October 31
ForestCoronado National Forest
FeesTrailhead Day-Use: $8 per vehicle per day or $10 per week. Camping: $15 per night. Buy a pass online, or purchase a pass on-site with cash or check.
RulesRV Camping is 22 feet and less. No hook-ups. Trailers limited to 22 feet. Pack it in, pack it out. Pack and saddle stock are not permitted in campground. Limit 2 vehicles and 10 persons per site. 14 day stay limit.

Coronado National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Rustler Park Campground30°40°50°60°70°80°January: 1.14 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.28 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.89 inches of precipitationApril: 0.33 inches of precipitationMay: 0.31 inches of precipitationJune: 0.61 inches of precipitationJuly: 3.58 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.41 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.80 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.01 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.07 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.53 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 39.3°F averageFebruary: 43.4°F averageMarch: 49.1°F averageApril: 55.7°F averageMay: 63.3°F averageJune: 72.3°F averageJuly: 74.1°F averageAugust: 70.9°F averageSeptember: 66.2°F averageOctober: 58.1°F averageNovember: 47.5°F averageDecember: 39.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Paradise, 4 miles from the campground at 5,460 feet, station USC00026242 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 17 inches a year. The shaded span is the published season, April 1 to October 31.

Getting there

Coordinates31.9043° N, 109.2790° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗8.6 mi

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

Explore

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.3 mi
    Bootlegger
    2.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 0.8 mi
    Rock Creek ↗
    7.9 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, motorcycle and 3 more
  • 0.8 mi
    Ida Peak
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 1.8 mi
    Fly
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 1.8 mi
    Centella
    1.4 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2 mi
    Bear Wallow
    0.8 mi trail · hiking, horse

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 →

This campground sits inside Chiricahua Wilderness.

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

How much does it cost to camp at Rustler Park Campground?

Trailhead Day-Use: $8 per vehicle per day or $10 per week. Camping: $15 per night. Buy a pass online, or purchase a pass on-site with cash or check.

Source: Forest Service

Is Rustler Park Campground open right now?

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

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Rustler Park Campground?

Rustler Park Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

Is Rustler Park Campground good for stargazing?

Chiricahua National Monument, a certified International Dark Sky Park, is 9.7 miles away. Skies that dark carry for miles; a moonless night here should show the Milky Way.

Source: DarkSky International

What if Rustler Park Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Herb Martyr Campground (3.4 mi, first-come), Sycamore Campground (4.5 mi, first-come), and Sunny Flat Campground (6.2 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby