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Houston Mesa Campground is located in the forested northern section of Tonto National Forest, just one mile north of Payson, Arizona and less than two hours from Phoenix.
With family, equestrian and tent-only campsites, this campground can accommodate a range of visitors and offers plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors, including several miles of hiking and horseback riding trails nearby.
As the fifth largest forest in the United States, the Tonto National Forest is one of the most-visited "urban" forests in the United States (approximately 5.8 million visitors annually). Its boundaries are Phoenix to the south, the Mogollon Rim to the north and the San Carlos and Fort Apache Indian reservations to the east.
Many visitors come to Houston Mesa to horseback ride, hike, camp and picnic. Houston Mesa Loop Trail is a 9-mile round trip through a pinyon and juniper woodland and can be accessed from the horse camping area. The Houston Mesa Interpretive Trail is a 0.5-mile self-guided trail.
Houston Mesa has 74 campsites, including 29 equestrian sites for campers with horses or mules, and 17 tent-only sites for those who want a quieter experience. There are several amenities to make campers feel at home, including showers (coin-operated) and flush toilets. All of the sites are accessible.
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.
The campground is located at an elevation of 5,200 ft. in a mixed forest and shrub area, with spacious campsites offering both sun and shade. Winters are pleasant and cool with cold nighttime temperatures, while summers are warm and sunny, providing a nice getaway from the hotter deserts around Phoenix. Hawks, eagles, javelina, deer, fox, skunk and coyote live in the area.
Campers who make the quick trip to the town of Payson, one mile south, will find restaurants, shopping and other conveniences.
Scenic driving and outdoor recreation abound in the surrounding Tonto National Forest, which embraces almost 3 million acres of rugged and spectacularly beautiful country, ranging from saguaro cactus-studded desert to pine-forested mountains beneath the Mogollon Rim.
From Payson, Arizona, go north for 1 mile to the junction of Highway 87 (Beeline Highway) and Forest Road 199 (Houston Mesa Road). Turn right (east) onto Forest Road 199 for .10 miles. The campground is on the north side of Houston Mesa Road.
We really enjoyed our time at this campground. The sites are very nicely kept. Each site had trees and native plants surrounding them giving you and your site privacy. Nice clean restrooms as well. Our campsite host - Valerie, was very sweet and happily took care of us and our needs.
Great location! And campsites are all taken good care of.. facilities are in great clean conditions. However, close to $30 to camp for an evening.
Everything about this campground was just awesome! Valerie and her husband were exceptional hosts they've been truly great. The campground is clean bathrooms are clean the scenery is perfect I love this campground. I would recommend this to everybody and anybody who comes up to Payson and wants to camp. visit Houston Mesa campground you will not be disappointed.
It's right off of the 260 highway- rather busy outside on the roads. There's a fee to pay if you want to stay overnight and they do have a self-serve machine inside (search for Shower House on Google Maps and it's located there). Looks like the camping is first come, first serve.
There weren't really any clear signs of where to go, and some of the roads seemed to be one way- wish there was clearer signage.
Overall, happy with the concrete paved roads, and the area is clean. There's also restrooms with running water and flushing toilets.
Nothing too scenic or special to see here other than the towering pine trees. If you crave scenic views, I would recommend heading up to the campgrounds closer to Woods Canyon Lake.
We stayed partially during the week and then through the weekend. It was very quiet during the week but as soon as the weekend hit it was packed with large families. There was lines to use the restroom and kids kept walking through our campsite. We were close to the bathroom which we liked and felt very safe. Our campground itself also had good spacing and places for us to set up our tents. Overall a good experience, just very busy.
