A gravel road curving into a high mountain valley at first light, the peaks catching the sun.

Forest Service campground

Manzanita.

Forest Service campground in Coconino National Forest Recreation, Coconino County, Arizona. 6,066 feet. 6.4 miles from Sedona.

Managed by
Forest Service Coconino National Forest Recreation
Elevation
6,066 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
14 14 tent only non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Manzanita Campground is a small, year-round, tent-only facility with campsites that fill up very quickly. Visitors enjoy the campground for its fishing and swimming holes along Oak Creek, beautiful scenery and excellent wildlife watching. Oak Creek Canyon is very crowded, especially on weekends; to get a campsite, it is best to reserve a weekday.

Recreation

Recreation and relaxation abound in Oak Creek Canyon. Camping, fishing, swimming, wading and hiking are some of the activities awaiting visitors. Anglers have the convenience of creekside campsites, where they can cast a line for trout.

Families love driving down the road to nearby Slide Rock State Park, one of Arizona's most popular swimming spots, or trying out several nearby hiking trails.

Facilities

The campground is very easy to access and has paved parking. It is made up of single-family campsites that are fairly close together. Each site has a picnic table, campfire ring and grill. A campground host is available for visitor assistance. Firewood can be purchased on-site. Campground has 4 first-come-first-serve sites which are often occupied. Campground host is unable to "hold" any first-come-first-serve sites for customers.

Natural Features

The campground borders Oak Creek in a lush, forested riparian zone with Arizona ash and box elders, gravel beaches and stream-bed boulders. Colorful songbirds add flashes of brilliance to the trees. The creek's crystal clear waters are cool and refreshing on hot summer days.

Nearby Attractions

The well-known town of Sedona is popular for its red rock vistas, resorts and shopping. Slide Rock State Park is a great local spot for swimming and only a few minutes away.

Campers can also explore the 1.8 million-acre Coconino National Forest, which boasts a spectacular variety of scenery and outdoor activities.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • swimming

The land around Manzanita.

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.