Camping in Arizona

Camping rules worth knowing in Arizona

There are no designated campsites at Parashant

The Park Service states that there are no designated campsites in Parashant National Monument. Backcountry camping is therefore dispersed by default across a place with no water and no help, which is the clearest illustration in Arizona of why self-sufficiency is the whole skill. Source 32

The Coronado’s camping order runs to 2028

Forest Order 03-05-00-24-005 sets a 14-day camping closure on the Coronado, in effect from 22 June 2026 through 22 June 2028. Orders like this replace the general rule for their term, and they are published as alerts rather than shown on the forest map. Source 22

State trust land is not public land, and tribal land is not either

The state says it in those words. Arizona’s trust land is managed by the State Land Department for the schools, and an OHV decal buys you only the right to cross it on existing roads, trails and designated routes. A State Land recreation permit is required to park and stage a tow vehicle, camp, hike or carry out any other recreational activity on trust land; the permits are printed at home and last a year from purchase. A valid hunting or fishing license covers those two activities and nothing else. Tribal lands have their own rules, and to be on them you need the tribe’s permit or permission. Source 44

Fire restrictions come in a year-round order plus seasonal ones

A single year-round order, AZ910-2022-001, runs on all BLM-managed land in Arizona from May 2022 to May 2027 and bans fireworks, sky lanterns, exploding targets, and tracer, incendiary and steel-core ammunition everywhere, all the time. On top of that, each BLM district or field office may issue and rescind its own seasonal restrictions through a separate fire prevention order, and the forests do the same. The BLM points visitors at the Arizona interagency fire restrictions page to see which are in force across agencies. Check it for the district and the forest you are entering, not for the state. Source 14

The full guide to overlanding Arizona