U.S. Forest Service · Tonto National Forest · Scottsdale, AZ

C C C Tonto NF

Civilian Conservation Corps Campground offers spread out camp sites with large sycamore trees providing shade. Picnic tables and firepits with cooking grates are available for families to enjoy while passing the time away together. Cave Creek Trailhead is nearby where you can follow along the Cave Creek Riparian Ecosystem. This spot is popular for bird watching! Camping passes can also be purchased at a Tonto Fee Machine Pass. $16 per site, per night. Nearest fee machine location is at the Cave Creek Ranger Station.

First-come, first-served

Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.

More like this: first-come in Arizona

C C C Tonto NF
Photo from the area. Clay Gilliland (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

  • 10 campsites
  • Maximum occupancy per individual camp unit is 10 people.
  • Maximum number of vehicles per individual camp unit is three. All vehicles must completely fit within the designated parking area.
  • Check-in time is 12:00 pm, and check-out time is 10:00 am.
  • 14 day stay limit.
  • Not recommended for trailers over 16ft.
  • Hikers and equestrians should park at the CCC trailhead to the north.
  • No livestock allowed.
  • Trash cans are available, please keep the campground tidy!
  • No potable water service at campground.

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

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near C C C Tonto NF50°60°70°80°90°January: 1.80 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.60 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.64 inches of precipitationApril: 0.50 inches of precipitationMay: 0.15 inches of precipitationJune: 0.12 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.27 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.30 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.15 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.97 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.77 inches of precipitationDecember: 1.31 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 53.1°F averageFebruary: 55.6°F averageMarch: 61.0°F averageApril: 67.2°F averageMay: 76.1°F averageJune: 85.4°F averageJuly: 89.7°F averageAugust: 89.1°F averageSeptember: 83.7°F averageOctober: 72.8°F averageNovember: 61.5°F averageDecember: 52.5°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 in2 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Carefree, 11 miles from the campground at 2,530 feet, station USC00021282 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 13 inches a year.

Getting there

This site is 20 miles north of Carefree. From Carefree, take Cave Creek Road/Forest Road (FR) 24. The last 9 miles of FR 24 is an all weather gravel road. The gravel portion of the road is narrow with blind curves.

Nearest townScottsdale, Arizona
Coordinates33.9705° N, 111.8653° W · Directions ↗

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗13.4 mi
Outdoor gearBest Barbeques & Islands ↗23.4 mi
RV sales & serviceSun City RV ↗34.4 mi

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

Explore

Video

Tonto National Forest: Rose Creek Campground - March 2016

Worth a stop

- Towns of Carefree and Cave Creek

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • 0.2 mi
    Cave Creek ↗
    10.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.6 mi
    Cottonwood Creek ↗
    10.4 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.7 mi
    Skunk Tank ↗
    4.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.1 mi
    Quien Sabe
    2.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.1 mi
    Bronco
    3.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.7 mi
    Skull Mesa ↗
    5 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

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Tonto National Forest.

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 →

Natural features

Large sycamore trees provide plenty of shade and the Cave Creek Riparian Ecosystem is just steps away from your campsite.

Recreation

  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Creek Access
  • OHV Routes
  • Bird Watching

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.

  • Day & overnight hikes, Arizona's Tonto National Forest
    Tony Padegimas, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Camping Arizona
    Bruce Grubbs, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Tent Camping: Arizona
    Kirstin Olmon Phillips and Kelly Phillips, 2019
    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 C C C Tonto NF?

No. C C C Tonto NF is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: How first-come camping works

What is there to do at C C C Tonto NF?

Camping The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to C C C Tonto NF?

Scottsdale, Arizona. - Towns of Carefree and Cave Creek

Source: Getting there

What if C C C Tonto NF is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Civilian Conservation Corps Campground (under 0.1 mi, first-come), Cave Creek Group Site (0.3 mi), and Mesquite (8.4 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby