Valentine Ridge Dispersed Camping Area
Situated near Canyon Creek, known for its rainbow trout fishing. A 9-mile all-terrain bicycle loop trail starts at the campground. Wildlife includes: Abert squirrel, black bear, mountain lion, elk, turkey and deer. Arizona Game & Fish Department Canyon Creek Fish Hatchery is nearby. Public is welcome.
More like this: first-come in Arizona · tent only in Arizona
Amenities & rules
| Equipment | Tents |
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Open |
| Forest | Tonto National Forest |
| Rules | 14-day stay limit. Trailers under 16 feet. FR 512 and FR 188 are unpaved roads suitable for passenger vehicles. Four-wheel drive and or chains may be advisable after heavy snows. Bear-proof your camp especially food. The regulations for trout in Canyon Creek are upstream of OW Bridge. The limit for trout is 4. |
Weather by month
Getting there
| Coordinates | 34.2436° N, 110.7969° W · Directions ↗ |
Fire nearby
- PrescribedD2 Sinkhole Rx
7 mi from the campground · 875 acres
- PrescribedD2 Dye Rx
15 mi from the campground · 5,246 acres
- PrescribedWolfe-Tillman Rx
15 mi from the campground · 50 acres
- PrescribedD2 Vincent Rx
17 mi from the campground · 2,258 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 5.9 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Sportsman's Warehouse ↗ | 44.2 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- 5.4 miHorse Trap Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 5.6 miSardine Point Day Use Area ↗Day use
- 6.3 miWillow Springs Lake Fishing And Boating Site ↗Fishing site
- 6.4 miLarson Ridge Trailhead ↗Trailhead
- 6.7 mi
- 7.8 miBlack Canyon Lake Fishing And Boating Site ↗Fishing site
Trails nearby
- 0.9 miValentine1.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 1.1 miDans ↗4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
- 3.9 miBack Alley2.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
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
This campground sits inside Tonto National Forest.
- inTonto National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,966,417 acres
- 11 miHellsgate Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 37,457 acres
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.
Other campgrounds nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Pleasant Valley Ranger StationBuilding · Young · 12.1 mi
- Perkins StoreBuilding · Young · 13.9 mi
- Promontory Butte Lookout ComplexStructure · Beaver Park · 15 mi
Guidebooks for Tonto National Forest and Arizona
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Is Valentine Ridge Dispersed Camping Area open right now?
Open as of Oct 26, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
Can I bring an RV to Valentine Ridge Dispersed Camping Area?
Valentine Ridge Dispersed Camping Area is listed for tents only.
Source: Forest Service
What if Valentine Ridge Dispersed Camping Area is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Black Canyon Rim Campground (5.1 mi), FR 171 Campground (5.2 mi, first-come), and Canyon Point (5.8 mi).
Source: Campgrounds nearby