Upper Tonto Creek
Its 6 sites are reservable through Recreation.gov, camping costs Single Site: $20 per night, and it is open from May to October. Upper Tonto Creek is a National Forest campground near Star Valley, Arizona.
Closed Reservable: Recreation.gov
1 / 6Tonto Creek nearby Upper Tonto Creek Campground. Photo: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Managed by
- National Forest
Upper Tonto Creek sits inside Tonto National Forest. Its dispersed-camping rule, ranger offices, and boundary are on publiclandsdb.com.
Getting a site
- Managed by
- National Forest
- Reservations
- Recreation.gov Book a site
- Fee
- Single Site: $20 per night
Sources: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29; fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Sites and hookups
- Total sites
- 6
- ✓ Toilets
- ✓ Potable water
- ✓ Fire rings
- ✓ Pets allowed
On site: Toilets, potable water, fire rings, and pets allowed.
Sources: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29; fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Campsites
6 sites. Every site below links to its own page on Recreation.gov, where it is booked. Official site list and booking on recreation.gov.
| Book | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Tonto Creek | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | Yes | Book site 1 |
| 2 | Upper Tonto Creek | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | None | Book site 2 |
| 3 | Upper Tonto Creek | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | None | Book site 3 |
| 4 | Upper Tonto Creek | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | None | Book site 4 |
| 5 | Upper Tonto Creek | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | None | Book site 5 |
| 6 | Upper Tonto Creek | Standard nonelectric | Not on record | Not on record | Not on record | No | None | Book site 6 |
Data source: Recreation.gov , accessed 2026-09-29. Site details are Recreation.gov's own per-site listing and can differ from the campground-wide facts above.
Rules
- Stay limit
- 14 days
- Quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Generators
- Allowed outside quiet hours
- Pets
- Allowed
Sources: recreation.gov, accessed 2026-09-29; fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Access and cell service
- Elevation
- 5,600 ft
Cell coverage by carrier (FCC map)
- AT&T
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE mapped about 0.3 mi away
- T-Mobile
- No coverage at the campground; 4G LTE and 5G mapped about 0.3 mi away
- Verizon
- No coverage mapped
Source: FCC Broadband Data Collection, data as of December 31, 2025
Outdoor coverage each carrier reports to the FCC at this campground's map point, and the nearest mapped coverage within about half a mile. The FCC map only includes 4G LTE at 5/1 Mbps or better and 5G; a weaker signal, a text, or an emergency call may still get through, but don't count on it. These are carrier predictions, not measurements, and can be wrong either way: real service in canyons, under trees, and inside a tent or vehicle is often weaker. 5G speeds are the FCC's 7/1 and 35/3 Mbps tiers. This product uses the FCC Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the FCC.
34.3393, -111.0942 in Gila. Open in OpenStreetMap. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Season and winter services
Upper Tonto Creek is open from May to October , at 5,600 ft.
Source: fs.usda.gov, accessed 2026-09-29
Current conditions
Closed Agency notice, as of 2026-09-29: Closed for the season; a temporary closure order also covers Upper and Lower Tonto Creek campgrounds and the Horton Creek Trailhead parking area.
Common questions
Do you need a reservation at Upper Tonto Creek?
How much does it cost to camp at Upper Tonto Creek?
How many campsites does Upper Tonto Creek have?
Is there drinking water at Upper Tonto Creek?
Are dogs allowed at Upper Tonto Creek?
When is Upper Tonto Creek open?
How long can you stay at Upper Tonto Creek?
Are generators allowed at Upper Tonto Creek?
Is there cell service at Upper Tonto Creek?
Who manages Upper Tonto Creek?
Around Upper Tonto Creek
C.C. Cragin Reservoir's mapped center point is 16 miles from Upper Tonto Creek in a straight line. Current water level: C.C. Cragin Reservoir water level on reservoirfinder.com.
Waterfalls nearby
Nearest to Upper Tonto Creek, in straight-line miles: Waterwheel Falls (waterfall, 11 miles), and Fossil Creek Waterfall (waterfall, 30 miles). Each has its own page on swimholesmap.com.
Reservable Lower Tonto Creek 
Reservable Ponderosa Campground Reservable Ponderosa Group 
Reservable Christopher Creek Campground More campgrounds: camping near Star Valley and campgrounds in Gila.
Sources
- apps.fs.usda.gov (all fields), accessed 2026-09-28
- recreation.gov (reservationSystem, reservationSystemName, reservationUrl, petsAllowed, fireRings, sites, campsites), accessed 2026-09-29
- fs.usda.gov (toilets, water, petsAllowed, season, stayLimit, quietHours, generatorsAllowed, elevationFt, closure, fee, reservationSystem), accessed 2026-09-29
- broadbandmap.fcc.gov (cellCoverage), accessed 2026-09-27
Photo credits
- Photo 1: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 2: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 3: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 4: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 5: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)
- Photo 6: Tonto National Forest, via Recreation.gov, Public domain (US federal government work)