What to Know Before You Go
Looking for a quiet, no-reservation, no-fee camping spot where your closest neighbor might be a chipmunk doing parkour? Let us share our experience at Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping—where the views are endless, the stars are bright, and the chipmunks are surprisingly bold.
Location & How to Get There
Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping is located on Arizona’s Mogollon Rim, just north of the popular Woods Canyon Lake.
Directions from Payson, AZ:
Take AZ-260 E for about 29 miles. Turn left onto Forest Road 300 (Rim Road). Stay on 300 (paved) until you see Fire Road 195; turn right onto 195 (dirt road). Dispersed sites start along this road.
Note: This is not the fee-based Woods Canyon Lake campground that requires reservations months in advance.
What to Expect at Camp
Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping offers free campsites with no reservation or fee required, though a friendly camp host will stop by to collect basic details like your name, number of campers and pets, vehicle information, and how long you plan to stay. The campsites are numbered and each has a firepit, although fires weren’t allowed during our visit. There’s no water available, so be sure to bring plenty—we recommend 7-gallon containers. You won’t find toilets or picnic tables here either, so plan to bring a shovel and your own seating and table. And don’t forget: there’s no trash service, so whatever you pack in, you’ll need to pack out!
Activities to Enjoy
There’s no shortage of things to do at Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping. It’s about a 15-minute walk or easy hike along a road/trail to reach the lake, where you can spend the day fishing. The calm waters are perfect for stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you might try foraging; we found exactly one wild strawberry, though it had already been well-roasted by the sun!
Wildlife Spottings
Wildlife sightings were one of the highlights of our stay at Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping. We watched a majestic bald eagle soar over the lake while a snake swam calmly past, clearly unbothered by our presence. The crawdads kept us entertained with what looked like crustacean championship sparring matches. Around camp, squirrels and chipmunks showed off their Olympic-level acrobatics, leaping and climbing on our mosquito net. We also spotted a coyote during a morning walk, lizards sunning on rocks, colorful butterflies fluttering by, and even a fuzzy caterpillar that decided my leg was the perfect spot for a stroll.
Nighttime Experience at Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping
Nights were wonderfully quiet and peaceful—aside from what may or may not have been a snoring squirrel (we’ll let you decide!). The stargazing was absolutely breathtaking, with the Milky Way stretching across the sky like a private cosmic show. When the moon finally rose, it was so massive and bright it felt like someone had flipped on a spotlight just for our campsite.
Horses at Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping
We saw campers with horses. Some brought pens; others used lead lines to let their horses roam near camp safely.
Cell & Internet
When it came to staying connected, our Starlink setup worked great throughout our stay (we’ll be sharing a full review soon with tips. Click here for a referral code if you’re considering it. A free month for you to test it out and a free month for us. For cell service, T-Mobile texting worked reliably, while 4G data was hit or miss—but having a booster definitely helped improve the signal at times.
Camping Gear We Recommend
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- Folding camping shovel — trust us, you’ll need it.
- 7-gallon rigid water containers — critical since there’s no water source.
- Pop-up canopy — shade = happiness.
- Comfortable camping chairs — unless you like sitting on dirt.
- Cooking table — helpful for food prep.
Why We Loved Woods Canyon Lake Dispersed Camping
If you’re craving quiet, stunning views, and a quick walk to Woods Canyon Lake without the crowds (or reservation stress), this is your spot.
What’s the best season to go? We suggest spring and fall when temperatures are cooler, so you’re not sweating all day. Or, if you visit in summer, you can always jump in the lake to cool off!
How busy was it during your visit? We camped in the middle of the week in June 2025 to avoid the crowds. About half the sites were occupied, and we left before the weekend since we suspected it would fill up.
Are RVs or trailers suitable for these sites? That depends on the size. The camp host had a pop-up tent trailer, the horse campers had a truck with a 5th-wheel horse trailer, and we were in our camper van. The dirt road was no problem—just take it slow.
Want more Mogollon Rim camping ideas? Check out our blog about Bear Canyon Lake dispersed camping—another gem nearby!
