Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site
We don’t think it should be. Every campground should hold some sites for whoever drives up.Tell your representative →
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 15 of the next 15 nights read 14:23 UTC
- A night
- $18From, per site
- Sites
- 3228 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 14 notices
In the agency’s own words
Looking for a perfect getaway to immerse yourself in nature? Look no further than the Mingus Mountain Campground! Situated conveniently between the charming towns of Prescott and Cottonwood in Arizona, this campground offers a central location for your outdoor adventures. Whether you're seeking tranquility or thrilling activities, Mingus Mountain Campground is the ideal destination to unwind and reconnect with nature. Enjoy the best of both worlds all season long by beating the summer heat and then being captivated by the magnificent color spectacle that unfolds in the late fall! Keep reading
Recreation
The forest all around provides numerous hiking trails suited for all levels of intensity, ranging from leisurely strolls to exhilarating uphill treks. For campers seeking a respite from hiking, they can unwind amidst the campground, soak in the scenic vistas, and delight in the serenade of the wind rustling through the pine trees. Mingus Lake is located a short .9 miles away where one can enjoy some peace near the water as well as catch trout (limit 4) and bullhead trout (unlimited) with a valid AZ fishing license.
Facilities
Mingus Mountain Campground has 27 campsites available and the campground is open from May 1st to October 31st. 4 vault toilets, garbage service, and potable water (not for filling RV tanks) are available to all campers. Cell Phone Coverage: The campground is conveniently located near cellular towers and as such the reception in the campground is usually decent. Verizon seems to work the best. A Forest Service host is on site. THERE IS NO ICE OR FIREWOOD FOR SALE IN THE CAMPGROUNDS: PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY. The nearby towns of Prescott Valley (18 miles) and Cottonwood (19 miles) have grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, shopping, and other conveniences.
Natural Features
This mountain top campground offers a cool respite from hot Arizona summers -- a classic forest setting for a memorable camping adventure. Connect with your inner naturalist and observe the wildlife and wildflowers found in abundance around the campground. Interesting geology can be found in any direction with many significant rock formations, canyons and mountains within easy driving distance from Mingus Mountain Campground.
Nearby Attractions
Jerome: 11 miles away Prescott Valley: 18 miles away. Prescott: 30 miles away. Clarkdale: 16 miles away • Tuzigoot National Monument: 18 miles away Camp Verde: 40-50 miles away • Hayfield Draw OHV: 29 miles away Cottonwood: 20 miles away • Dead Horse State Park: 20 miles away Contact Info This location has limited staffing. Please call (928) 567-4121 for general information.
What the agency tells you
The maximum stay limit is 14 days within 30 consecutive days in Prescott National Forest including stays at dispersed sites.
Tent camping is permitted at all sites, however no designated pads are provided at any of the sites.
Drinking water is available
Everything else this campground posts · 11
Quiet hours between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Interagency Senior and Access passes are honored for a 50% discount on overnight fees only.
All guests without a reservation (first-come, first-served) or a second vehicle must pay with exact change using the self-pay kiosk as soon as campsite is selected.
This is a high-elevation facility; please use caution when traveling from lower elevations
This region has frequent thunderstorms from mid-June through mid-September, Be Prepared and know the weather.
Pets are welcome but must be on a 6-foot leash or in a cage and never unattended.
Recreational OHV/ATV use is prohibited in the campground
Fireworks, including sparklers, are prohibited at all times on National Forest Lands.
Fire restrictions may be imposed due to dry conditions, at which time smoking, wood, and charcoal fires may be prohibited.
Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.
Click here for more information on the Prescott National Forest.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 32 · 6 tent-only, 1 group
- Hookups
- None
- Longest rig
- 99 ft
- Accessible sites
- 1
- Pets
- Allowed
- Campfires
- Allowed, barring fire bans
- Shade
- Every site
Facilities
- Toilets
- Pit Toilets
- ACCESSIBLE PIT TOILETS on 1 of 28 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- “…4 vault toilets, garbage service, and potable water (not for filling RV tanks) are available to all…”
- Firewood
- Sold here
- Stay limit
- 14 nights
- recreation.gov facility rule maxStay
Around the campground
- On the water
- Lake
- Stargazing
- Wildlife viewing
- Night sky · 183rd darkest of 262 in AZ
- Bortle 4
- Fall color · reported 3 days ago, 31 km away
- Patchy color
Full this Saturdayread 14:23 UTC
How full the weekend is nationally.
OpenBooked
Every one of the 24 sites on offer is taken this Saturday. 19 are free on Mon, Oct 19. read 14:23 UTC Why the weekend fills and the week doesn’t
Watch for a cancellation
Watch this campground
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
Tell me when the season opens
Watch for the season to open
One email when the season goes on sale, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We check once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time the agency has that season on sale.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 13
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $18 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 14:23 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
32 sites · the site map
All 32 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 1 of the 32 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 31 of the 32 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| 104a | 1 | standard nonelectric | 60 ft | $18 | |||
| 104a | 2 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 1 | standard nonelectric | 55 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 10 | standard nonelectric | 80 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 11 | standard nonelectric | 80 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 12 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 13 | standard nonelectric | 85 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 14 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 15 | standard nonelectric | 70 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 16 | standard nonelectric | 99 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 17 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 18 | standard nonelectric | 85 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 19 | standard nonelectric | 35 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 2 | standard nonelectric | 60 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 3 | standard nonelectric | 99 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 4 | standard nonelectric | 50 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 5 | standard nonelectric | 90 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 6 | standard nonelectric | 85 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 7 | standard nonelectric | 40 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 8 | standard nonelectric | 90 ft | $18 | |||
| A | 9 | standard nonelectric | 45 ft | $18 | |||
| B | 1 | tent only nonelectric | 35 ft | $18 | |||
| B | 2 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | $18 | |||
| B | 3 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | $18 | |||
| B | 4 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | $18 | |||
| B | 5 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | $18 | |||
| B | 6 | tent only nonelectric | 20 ft | $18 | |||
| C | Mingus Group | group standard nonelectric | yes | Accessible Pit Toilets listed | |||
| Scan and Pay | ScanPay 2 | type not stated | $18 | ||||
| Scan and Pay | ScanPay 3 | type not stated | $18 | ||||
| Scan and Pay | ScanPay 4 | type not stated | $18 | ||||
| Scan and Pay | Standard | type not stated | 2.8 mi | 284 ft | $18 |
25 of 32 listed
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Playground Group1.0 mi
Potato Patch CampgroundPrescott National Forest · 2.2 miPowell Springs CampgroundPrescott National Forest · 8.4 mi
Lynx CampgroundPrescott National Forest · 20 mi
Hilltop Campground (AZ)Prescott National Forest · 20 mi
Eagle Ridge Group CampgroundPrescott National Forest · 20 miFrom Prescott, Arizona, take U.S. Highway 89 north to U.S. Highway 89A. Turn right onto Highway 89A and go about 19 miles to the junction with Forest Road 104 at the summit. Forest Road 104 is on your right as you approach the summit. Turn right onto Forest Road 104, which is dirt but suitable for all types of vehicles when dry, and travel about 4 miles. At this point, the road makes a “T” with a parking lot directly in front of you. You can park here and explore or take the right fork and proceed to the campground, which has toilets and campsites, but no water.
From the Camp Verde, Arizona (junction of Interstate 17 and Arizona Highway 260), take Highway 260 north for about 20 miles to the junction with U.S. Highway 89A. This route will take you through the communities of Bridgeport, Cottonwood, and Clarkdale. At Clarkdale, turn left staying on Highway 89A, and travel for about 14 miles through the historic mining town of Jerome to the junction with Forest Road 104 just before the highway descends towards Prescott Valley. Turn left onto Forest Road 104 and go about 4 miles to the campground/day-use area.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for Clarkdale, AZ
Typical weather
Typical October night 36°F, day 67°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 21°F, below freezing. Bring a bag rated colder than that, and expect ice in the water bottle.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Julys are colder than the July line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
what threatens it · who answers for it · a letter you can send
Roadless country, and what’s coming for it
You’re camping on ground somebody wants. We track the threats and the comment deadlines.
Who answers for this land
Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site is in Arizona’s 2nd congressional district. Its representative, Eli Crane (R), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: F. See every public-lands vote →
Who can change it · 3
Two offices, two different asks. The draft to the agency asks it to set aside a published share of the sites here for whoever drives up. The draft to Congress asks why that share is zero and presses for a published minimum at the campgrounds it funds.
- The member who votes the moneyElijah CraneU.S. Representative · Arizona’s 2nd district
- Your senator, on the same appropriationMark KellyU.S. Senator · Arizona
- Your senator, on the same appropriationRuben GallegoU.S. Senator · Arizona
No contact form we could verify, so that link is their own site. Contact is inside it. Washington office: 202-224-4521.
Read the draft, or change the wording
For the camper who turned up, or tried to book, and couldn’t get in. Every draft is written from this campground’s own record (its agency, its unit, its site count and its own weekend) and the buttons above copy whichever wording is selected here.
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, Prescott National Forest, Arizona
Dear Elijah Crane, I’m a constituent in Arizona’s 2nd district. I tried to camp at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, Prescott National Forest, Arizona, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 28 of the 32 campsites the agency files at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 24 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site (Prescott National Forest, Arizona) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, Prescott National Forest, Arizona
Dear Mark Kelly, I’m a constituent in Arizona. I tried to camp at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, Prescott National Forest, Arizona, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 28 of the 32 campsites the agency files at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 24 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site (Prescott National Forest, Arizona) via campanac.com
Asks them to put the question to the agency in writing, and to press for a published minimum share of walk-up sites across the campgrounds they fund.
Subject Walk-up camping at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, Prescott National Forest, Arizona
Dear Ruben Gallego, I’m a constituent in Arizona. I tried to camp at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, Prescott National Forest, Arizona, and couldn’t. recreation.gov lists 28 of the 32 campsites the agency files at Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site, and every one of them is booked ahead, and the agency's own record lists none held back for somebody who drives up. On Saturday, October 17, all 24 sites recreation.gov was offering there were already booked. 1,623 of the 7,647 federal campgrounds in this country still keep at least some sites for whoever arrives first. Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site keeps none, and that’s a choice somebody made rather than a rule. I’m not asking you to run Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site. I’m asking you to put it to the U.S. Forest Service in writing: why is the share of first-come sites there zero, and what would a published minimum share cost? Please press for that minimum at the federal campgrounds you fund. The people who open these campgrounds, collect the fees and keep the water running are seasonal positions. At GS-5, base pay plus the government's own 36.25% benefit factor, one costs about $47,414 a year. One percent of the $13.3 billion the USS Gerald R. Ford cost to procure would pay for about 2,800 of them for a year. Both figures are the government's own (a Congressional Research Service report and an OPM pay table), and I’m glad to send them. Sent about Mingus Mountain Campground and Group Site (Prescott National Forest, Arizona) via campanac.com