U.S. Forest Service · Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest · Arizona

KP Cienega Campground

At 9,000 feet, this is one of the highest campgrounds in Arizona. With that in mind, you might suspect that it's cool up here. Well you would be right, deliciously cool--when it's hot everywhere else. 5 single unit sites. Trailers and motorhomes up to 16 foot. No hookups. Pets must be restrained or on a leash. Lodge and restaurant at nearby Hannagan Meadow. Tables. Fire rings with cooking grills. The KP Trailhead, directly adjacent to the campground, provides hiking and backpacking opportunities into the Blue Range Primitive Area via the KP Trail (# 70) with connections to many other trails within the area.

Open nowBooking not publishedFreeTents only

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

KP Cienega Campground
Photo from the area. Laura Gaudette (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
D3 Hagen Rx (prescribed burn) · 8 mi away · 5,757 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesNo fee

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

Season & status

StatusOpen
ForestApache-Sitgreaves National Forest
FeesNo fee

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near KP Cienega Campground30°40°50°60°70°January: 1.26 inches of precipitation, 10.7 inches of snowFebruary: 1.13 inches of precipitation, 9.9 inches of snowMarch: 0.92 inches of precipitation, 8.2 inches of snowApril: 0.53 inches of precipitation, 1.7 inches of snowMay: 0.71 inches of precipitation, 0.5 inches of snowJune: 0.83 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 3.91 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.31 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 2.34 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 1.61 inches of precipitation, 1.3 inches of snowNovember: 1.16 inches of precipitation, 4.6 inches of snowDecember: 1.44 inches of precipitation, 7.9 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.5°F averageFebruary: 33.2°F averageMarch: 38.2°F averageApril: 43.4°F averageMay: 50.1°F averageJune: 58.4°F averageJuly: 62.6°F averageAugust: 61.2°F averageSeptember: 55.5°F averageOctober: 46.7°F averageNovember: 37.8°F averageDecember: 30.9°F average0 in5 in10 in15 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Alpine, 22 miles from the campground at 8,050 feet, station USC00020159 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 20 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 45 inches a year on the same inches scale.

Getting there

Coordinates33.5845° N, 109.3601° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D3 Hagen Rx

    8 mi from the campground · 5,757 acres

  • Prescribed
    D3 Bear Rx

    10 mi from the campground · 5,072 acres

  • Prescribed
    D6 - Heifer Rx

    14 mi from the campground · 3,116 acres

  • Prescribed
    D6 Wallow West Unit 6 Rx

    15 mi from the campground · 7,605 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗20 mi
RV sales & serviceTrek RV ↗55.5 mi

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

Explore

Video

Video of KP Cienega Campground, AZ from Beth G.

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 1.2 mi
    Salthouse ↗
    6.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 1.4 mi
    Blue Vista Trail
    0.3 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.1 mi
    Chitty Creek
    4.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.5 mi
    Bear Wallow ↗
    7.9 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.7 mi
    North Fork KP
    2.3 mi trail · hiking, horse
  • 2.7 mi
    Double Cienega
    3.4 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 →

This campground sits inside Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

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.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

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 KP Cienega Campground?

Nothing. KP Cienega Campground is listed as free. No fee

Source: Forest Service

Is KP Cienega Campground open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to KP Cienega Campground?

KP Cienega Campground is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if KP Cienega Campground is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Hannagan Campground (4 mi, first-come), Honeymoon Campground (10.3 mi, first-come), and Horse Springs Campground (14.2 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby