Houston Mesa Campground Tonto National Forest Arizona
Houston Mesa Overview
Houston Mesa has 74 campsites and is located just outside of Payson in a forested northern section of Tonto National Forest at an elevation of 5,200 feet. The campground has 29 sites for equestrian-0nly camping, 17 tent-only and 28 mixed-used sites. Campsite #29 is a group site.
Campground amenities include drinking water (water spigots), flush toilets and showers ($). Each campsite also has a table, fire ring and grate.
The horse camping section (Mule Deer Loop) is across the street from the main campground and features 29 individual sites with tables and grills. Corrals are also available. Campers who reserve these sites must have horses or mules.
Houston Mesa – Area Recreation
Outdoor activities include horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking and stargazing. Wildlife viewing is also pretty nice here.
You may also be interested in Ponderosa campground. It’s located about 15 miles east on AZ-260.
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Amenities
- BBQ Grills
- Campground Host
- Campsite Tables
- Cell Service - Good
- Corrals
- Drinking Water
- Dump Station
- Equestrian Facilities
- Equestrian trail
- Fire Pit
- Fire Rings
- Firewood Available
- Golden Age & Access Passports accepted
- Grills
- Group Camping
- Lantern Post
- Overflow Parking
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Restrooms (Flush Toilets)
- Showers
- Trash Collection
Activities
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Hiking
- Horseback riding
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Stargazing
- Walking Trails
- Wildlife Viewing
Payson, Arizona 85541
928 468-7135
Lat / Long:
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Campsite Types
- ADA
- Equestrian
- Group
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
# of Campsites:
74 ( 29 Equestrian)
Season:
Year Round
Elevation:
5,200
Houston Mesa Comments & Reviews
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Both times we went to Houston Mesa which was the 4th of Sept and the 10th were great times! We stayed in the Black Bear Tent Only Section. On the 4th we stayed at site 005 which is very private and though the website will say full shade it’s not. The 10th we stayed at site 23B and very pleased with it. More shade. The bathrooms are flush toilets which is nice. Be warned if you make a left out of the campground to go up to fishing the bathrooms there are outhouses and they are FULL OF FLIES! Bring your own toilet paper to those bathrooms. The bathrooms at the campgrounds are clean and well maintained. We had an occasion to use the showers and they are $2 for 6 minutes and you should have plenty of time. I enjoy the self pay system and the staff there is very nice. Each site has its own table and fire pit. I’m not sure about electricity for RV’s as we only had tents and no electricity was available. It’s very nice to be able to look up into the sky at night and see the stars. If you’re up early enough you will probably see an Elk or two walking the grounds which is pretty cool. BRING AN AIR MATTRESS. Oh and don’t forget to stop at the Bee Line Cafe on your way out of town. They have the best food ever! Burgers are great and so is breakfast. It’s a short trip from Phoenix and worth it.
My wife & I spent a beautiful time @ Houston Mesa Campground. Our host, Sharon, kept things clean, and sites in great shape. Most of any of the staff we would pass bye were almost always waving & friendly! The Campgrounds reflected care for the campers! We would recommend these and other sites the hosts’ company represent.
The Q’s in Az
We went last year for my husband’s birthday weekend with several family members and we all had a blast! We stayed in Bear 4 (I believe) and the close proximity to the bathrooms were awesome. The only drawback was when people passed by our site at night and talked loudly. It wasn’t the best as we were kept awake from their talking. That along with the main roadway being not far from us. But that was not on the campground or its staff whatsoever. Speaking of the staff, they were super friendly and always had a smile when we passed them. I don’t remember how much the wood bundles were (like $6-$7 a bundle), but they were pleasant to speak with. Plus the close proximity to town was nice when we forgot things (which happened a lot when it came to food. Oops!). Looking forward to going back again later this year. Different campsite but it’ll be a ton of fun nonetheless. Being only about 90 minutes to 2 hours away from the Phoenix Metro area, the drive isn’t bad at all. I 100% recommend this campground to anyone.