Mesquite
Mesquite Campground provides privacy and shade. Here you can relax under the shaded canopies of mesquite trees while listening to the sounds of water flowing from the Verde River just a short distance from your site. Designated camp sites have fire rings, grills and picnic tables where families can enjoy time together. There are hiking, fishing, swimming opportunities and more. 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.
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
Amenities & rules
| Fees | Campsites are $16 per night, per site. America the Beautiful Senior or Access Disability passholders are eligible for a 50% discount. Pass must be valid and present with passholder at time of stay. |
- 12 campsites
- No reservations.
- Maximum occupancy per individual campsite is 10.
- 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.
- Portions of the Verde River are deep. Use of motorized watercraft on flowing portions of the Verde River is prohibited.
- Road to campground is unpaved and unmaintained.
- Recommend high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles.
- Not reccommended for trailers.
- Potable water is not available.
- Quiet hours 10:00 pm to 6:00 am (running generators are not permitted during quiet hours).
- THERE ARE NO TRASH SERVICES. PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT.
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. Portions of the Verde River are deep. Not recommended for trailers. Use of motorized watercraft on flowing portions of the Verde River is prohibited. No trash services. PACK IT IN PACK IT OUT. Road to campground is unpaved and unmaintained. Recommend high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles. |
Weather by month
Getting there
The site is 22 miles northeast of Carefree. From Carefree, take Cave Creek Road to Bartlett Dam Road. Turn right and continue for 6 miles to the junction of FR 205 and FR 19. Continue on FR 205 which turns left and becomes an un-maintained, unpaved road to Horseshoe Reservoir.
| Nearest town | Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Coordinates | 33.9659° N, 111.7182° W · Directions ↗ |
Good to know
- Potable water is not available.
Supplies & services
| Dump station | Dump station ↗ | 18.8 mi |
| Outdoor gear | Best Barbeques & Islands ↗ | 25.7 mi |
| RV sales & service | Whiskey Mountain RV ↗ | 34.3 mi |
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.
Explore
Worth a stop
- Horsehoe Reservoir
- Towns of Carefree and Cave Creek
- 9.8 miDesert Vista Ohv Area ↗OHV / range
- 9.9 miBartlett Marina ↗Boat launch
Trails nearby
- 2.4 miSears ↗7.5 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 2.5 miDavenport ↗12.9 mi trail · hiking, horse
- 2.8 miFig Spring3.6 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
This campground sits inside Tonto National Forest.
- inTonto National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 2,966,417 acres
- 3.3 miMazatzal Wilderness ↗Wilderness · Forest Service · 250,760 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
- Verde River Sheep BridgeStructure · Carefree · 7.7 mi
- Bartlett DamStructure · Carefree · 11.3 mi
- Dome HouseBuilding · Cave Creek · 14.7 mi
Natural features
The Verde River is just a short distance from the campground, with swimming, fishing, and non-motorized boating access. Large trees provide plenty of shade.
Recreation
- Swimming
- River and Stream Fishing
- Non-Motorized Boating
- Nearby Hiking Trails
- Nearby OHV Routes
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
Do I need a reservation at Mesquite?
No. Mesquite is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Mesquite?
Campsites are $16 per night, per site. America the Beautiful Senior or Access Disability passholders are eligible for a 50% discount. Pass must be valid and present with passholder at time of stay.
Source: Forest Service
Is Mesquite open right now?
Open as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
What is there to do at Mesquite?
Swimming The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Mesquite?
Scottsdale, Arizona. Horsehoe Reservoir
Source: Getting there
What if Mesquite is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Horseshoe (0.8 mi, first-come), Sheep Bridge (7.8 mi, first-come), and C C C Tonto NF (8.4 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby