U.S. Forest Service · Coconino National Forest Recreation · Sedona, AZ

Cave Spring

Cave Springs sits in the scenic Oak Creek Canyon and is one of Coconino National Forest's most popular campgrounds. The campground is nestled in a forested canyon near the town of Sedona, Arizona, and its famous red rock cliffs. The scenery is unmatched, the stream is stocked with trout, and swimming, hiking and birding spots are nearby.

Closed for the season Reservable · Recreation.gov 84 sites 30 ft max No hookupsPets okFires ok

More like this: reservable in Arizona · pets allowed in Arizona

Check availability on Recreation.gov ↗

Photos courtesy of Conservation Legacy · Recreation.gov

4fires
active

Newman Piles Rx (prescribed burn) · 5 mi away · 751 acres

3 more within 50 miles

Incident details ↓

Site mix

Standard, no hookups		64
Host/management		20

Most sites here open on Recreation.gov six months ahead, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Sold out is not final: cancellations come back into the pool, most of them two to three days out. How to catch one

Site guide

64 sites in 4 loops. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.

Site	Loop	Entry	Surface	People / vehicles	Fires
A01	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A02	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A03	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A04	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A05	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A06	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A07	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A08	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A09	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes
A10	A	Back-in	Paved	8 / 1	Yes

Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site. Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Amenities & rules

Hookups	None
Max vehicle length	30 ft
Equipment	RVs & trailers, Tents
Pets	Allowed
Campfires	Allowed, subject to restrictions

Cave Spring is a large campground with 84 campsites, including one tent-only site. All sites have picnic tables, campfire rings and cooking grills. Token-operated showers, drinking water and vault restrooms are provided for convenience. The facility can host RVs, trailers and motor homes up to 36-ft.

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

Season & status

Status	Closed for the season. Forest Service sites close for the season; check the official page for the reopening date.
Forest	Coconino National Forest Recreation
Booking	Recreation.gov. Phone reservations 877-444-6777. TTY 877-833-6777. International 518-885-3639. Review the Camping and Day Use Reservation Policies on Recreation.gov for information on cancellations…
Fees	Campsite: $26 per night (up to 8 people per site. If your party consists of more than 8 people, you will need an additional site.). 2nd vehicle: $10 per vehicle, per night (space permitting). Firewood: $8 per bag (available from campground hosts).
Rules	No radios or amplified devices allowed. Pets must always be restrained or on a leash. No horses allowed in the campground. Motorbikes may only be used for entering or leaving campsite. 7 day stay limit. Quiet hours 10:00 pm to 6:00 am (running generators not permitted during quiet hours). No overflow parking available.

Coconino National Forest Recreation recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →

The line is the average temperature at Oak Creek Canyon, 3 miles from the campground at 5,118 feet, station USC00026037 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020.

Getting there

From Phoenix, take I-17 to Highway 179 north toward Sedona. Turn north on Highway 89A and continue for 11 miles into Oak Creek Canyon. From Flagstaff, take I-17 to Highway 89A south. Follow 89A for 18 miles to Oak Creek Canyon.

Nearest town	Sedona, Arizona
Coordinates	34.9964° N, 111.7392° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

Prescribed
Newman Piles Rx
5 mi from the campground · 751 acres
Prescribed
Newman 2 Piles Rx
5 mi from the campground · 723 acres
Prescribed
Walker Hill 2 Piles Rx
19 mi from the campground · 356 acres
Prescribed
Walker Hill Piles Rx
21 mi from the campground · 725 acres

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

Supplies & services

Outdoor gear	The Hike House ↗	9.4 mi
Dump station	Dump station ↗	13.6 mi
RV sales & service	Little Dealer Little Prices ↗	43.3 mi

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

Explore

Video

Cave Springs Campground, Arizona

Worth a stop

The nearest town is Sedona, popular for its red rock vistas, resorts and shopping. One of Arizona's best swimming spots, Slide Rock State Park, is down the road. Campers can also explore the 1.8-million acre Coconino National Forest, which boasts a spectacular variety of scenery and outdoor activities.

0.4 mi
Call Of The Canyon Picnic Site ↗Day use
2 mi
Bootlegger Picnic Area ↗Day use
14.1 mi
Lake Mary Narrows Boat Launch And Picnic Area ↗Boat launch

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →

0.2 mi
Cave Springs
0.4 mi trail
0.3 mi
Harding Springs
0.9 mi trail
0.4 mi
Telephone
0.9 mi trail
0.5 mi
West Fork
3.2 mi trail
0.6 mi
Thomas Point
1 mi trail
0.7 mi
Oak Creek Spur C
0.7 mi trail

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 Coconino National Forest.

in
Coconino National Forest ↗
National Forest · Forest Service · 2,000,952 acres
1.7 mi
Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 48,314 acres
9.4 mi
Munds Mountain Wilderness ↗
Wilderness · Forest Service · 18,109 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

FS · AZ

Pine Flat Campground West

Reservable1.1 mi

FS · AZ

Manzanita

Partly reservable3.8 mi

Cabin and lookout rentals nearby

FS · AZ

Fernow Cabin

Cabin rental6.406823289665023 mi

FS · AZ

Crescent Moon Ranch Cabin

Cabin rental12.344687225621781 mi

FS · AZ

Apache Maid Cabin

Cabin rental23.27622340967012 mi

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Pumphouse Wash BridgeStructure · Flagstaff · 2 mi
W. W. Midgley BridgeStructure · Sedona · 7.7 mi
Jordan RanchBuilding · Sedona · 8.3 mi

Natural features

The area is a heavily wooded, lush riparian zone. Campsites are located in a shady stand of ponderosa pines in the upper reaches of the canyon. Many of the campsites are located right on the banks of Oak Creek. The creek has crystal clear, cool water that is refreshing on hot summer days.

Recreation

There are several hiking trails in the vicinity. Some lead up the canyon slopes to offer good views of the surrounding scenery. The creek is bordered with paths that lead along its picturesque course, offering great bird watching and fishing.

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

Do I need a reservation at Cave Spring?

Sites at Cave Spring are reservable on Recreation.gov. Recreation.gov. Any walk-up sites are listed on the booking page.

Source: Recreation.gov

How much does it cost to camp at Cave Spring?

Campsite: $26 per night (up to 8 people per site. If your party consists of more than 8 people, you will need an additional site.). 2nd vehicle: $10 per vehicle, per night (space permitting).

Source: Recreation.gov

What time is check-in at Cave Spring?

Check-in 02:00 PM, checkout 11:00 AM.

Source: Recreation.gov

Is Cave Spring open right now?

Closed for the season as of Oct 16, 2026.

Source: Forest Service status

How many sites does Cave Spring have?

84 sites, including 64 standard sites without power.

Source: Recreation.gov

Will my RV fit at Cave Spring?

The longest site here provides 30 feet of vehicle capacity. Most sites are shorter. The sidebar tool checks a trailer or motorhome length against every site.

Source: Will my RV fit

Are there showers or a dump station at Cave Spring?

Token-operated showers, drinking water and vault restrooms are provided for convenience.

Source: Recreation.gov

Are pets allowed at Cave Spring?

Yes, pets are allowed at Cave Spring. Leash rules apply.

Source: Recreation.gov

Can I have a campfire at Cave Spring?

Fires are allowed in the provided rings under normal conditions. As of 2026-10-16, there are 4 active fires within 50 miles, so check current restrictions before you light one. No radios or amplified devices allowed.

Source: Fire nearby

Is there cell service at Cave Spring?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 4G LTE, and T-Mobile 5G at the campground point. Terrain changes that from one site to the next.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

What is there to do at Cave Spring?

There are several hiking trails in the vicinity. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.

Source: Recreation

What is the nearest town to Cave Spring?

Sedona, Arizona. The nearest town is Sedona, popular for its red rock vistas, resorts and shopping.

Source: Getting there