Available sites
60 total sites
RV Sites
Tent Sites
About Houston Mesa
Activities & Attractions
Nearby
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Year-round
Hiking
Horseback Riding
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Open year round
This campground is open year round, providing flexibility for your stay.
Campground Amenities
Most popular amenities
Equestrian-Friendly
Restrooms
Water and Hygiene
- Potable Water
- Restrooms
Pets and Policies
- Equestrian-Friendly
Rates, Sites & Availability
60 Sites Available
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Site Details
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60 Sites Available
No available sites
All sites are booked for your selected dates. Try showing all sites to see booked options, create an alert to be notified when something opens up, or adjust your dates.
Reviews (784)
What Guests Are Saying
Houston Mesa campground offers a pleasant experience with spacious, well-maintained sites nestled among trees, providing a nice atmosphere for relaxation. Many reviewers appreciated the campground's cleanliness, helpful hosts, and convenient location near town amenities. However, some noted issues such as road noise, limited shade, and maintenance concerns with the bathrooms and showers, which could detract from the overall experience.
What Guests Are Saying
Houston Mesa campground offers a pleasant experience with spacious, well-maintained sites nestled among trees, providing a nice atmosphere for relaxation. Many reviewers appreciated the campground's cleanliness, helpful hosts, and convenient location near town amenities. However, some noted issues such as road noise, limited shade, and maintenance concerns with the bathrooms and showers, which could detract from the overall experience.
Review Summary
Cindy H
VerifiedSeptember 22, 2020 • Stayed at: 048, Loop: BEAR
Mon - Thurs the campground is nice, but on the weekend it's a free-for-all party. Hundreds of people screaming & playing loud music & letting their dogs bark for hours. Both weekends I was there same situation. The 20 person party (during this Covid time) across from us yelled the F-word constantly until 4 a.m. I bet they yelled F_ _k 200 times while they partied around their campfire. It felt very unsafe...appears there are a lot of people doing heavy drinking. People come up to Houston Mesa Camp from Phoenix to gather in large numbers and do heavy partying. NOT a family friendly place on Fri, Sat and Sun.
Cindy H
VerifiedSeptember 22, 2020 • Stayed at: 048, Loop: BEAR
Mon - Thurs the campground is nice, but on the weekend it's a free-for-all party. Hundreds of people screaming & playing loud music & letting their dogs bark for hours. Both weekends I was there same situation. The 20 person party (during this Covid time) across from us yelled the F-word constantly until 4 a.m. I bet they yelled F_ _k 200 times while they partied around their campfire. It felt very unsafe...appears there are a lot of people doing heavy drinking. People come up to Houston Mesa Camp from Phoenix to gather in large numbers and do heavy partying. NOT a family friendly place on Fri, Sat and Sun.
Karin B
VerifiedSeptember 20, 2020 • Stayed at: 066, Loop: MOUN
Really enjoy this campground. Have camped there twice now. The sites are really nice, and the whole campground is very well maintained. The camp hosts are always very nice and helpful. Love this place....we will be back!
Laura L
VerifiedSeptember 20, 2020 • Stayed at: 072, Loop: MOUN
Nicely managed campground and convenient location. Had plenty of space to spread out but didn’t have to worry and put the noise and disrespect during our last experience dispersed camping. Restrooms were open during COVID and were extremely clean and even smelled nice!
Karin B
VerifiedSeptember 20, 2020 • Stayed at: 066, Loop: MOUN
Really enjoy this campground. Have camped there twice now. The sites are really nice, and the whole campground is very well maintained. The camp hosts are always very nice and helpful. Love this place....we will be back!
Laura L
VerifiedSeptember 20, 2020 • Stayed at: 072, Loop: MOUN
Nicely managed campground and convenient location. Had plenty of space to spread out but didn’t have to worry and put the noise and disrespect during our last experience dispersed camping. Restrooms were open during COVID and were extremely clean and even smelled nice!
Tracy S
VerifiedSeptember 18, 2020 • Stayed at: 070, Loop: MOUN
This was our second stay at Houston Mesa. We had a wonderful first stay and were hoping for the same this time around, and Houston Mesa did not disappoint. It was a holiday weekend (Labor Day), so the entire campground was full. Given the holiday weekend, we had fully expected things to be somewhat rowdy and were expecting things to be less quiet than our initial visit. We were pleasantly surprised however, to experience an equally quiet and calm weekend the second time around, so props to the camp hosts if this was the result of due diligence on their part. Our campsite was once again impeccable, as was the rest of the campground. Our camp host (Joep - pronounced Yupe), was fantastic! Between chats with him here and there, and his delivery of our firewood, we couldn't ask for more personable and courteous service. The other camp hosts we encountered were equally friendly and helpful, and our second stay was as good as our first. We will definitely be back!
Tracy S
VerifiedSeptember 18, 2020 • Stayed at: 070, Loop: MOUN
This was our second stay at Houston Mesa. We had a wonderful first stay and were hoping for the same this time around, and Houston Mesa did not disappoint. It was a holiday weekend (Labor Day), so the entire campground was full. Given the holiday weekend, we had fully expected things to be somewhat rowdy and were expecting things to be less quiet than our initial visit. We were pleasantly surprised however, to experience an equally quiet and calm weekend the second time around, so props to the camp hosts if this was the result of due diligence on their part. Our campsite was once again impeccable, as was the rest of the campground. Our camp host (Joep - pronounced Yupe), was fantastic! Between chats with him here and there, and his delivery of our firewood, we couldn't ask for more personable and courteous service. The other camp hosts we encountered were equally friendly and helpful, and our second stay was as good as our first. We will definitely be back!
Sachindranath T
VerifiedSeptember 15, 2020 • Stayed at: 042, Loop: BEAR
Very neat campground.
Sachindranath T
VerifiedSeptember 15, 2020 • Stayed at: 042, Loop: BEAR
Very neat campground.
Location & Directions for Houston Mesa
2100 Houston Mesa Rd, Payson, AZ 85541 United States
Elevation: 1,546 ft
Getting There
From Payson, Arizona, go north for 1 mi to the junction of Highway 87 (Beeline Highway) and Forest Road 199 (Houston Mesa Road). Turn right (east) onto Forest Road 199 for .10 mi. The campground is on the north side of Houston Mesa Road.
Highway access
The campground is accessible via Highway 87 (Beeline Highway), which is located approximately 1 mile south of the junction with Houston Mesa Road.
Policies & Rules
Arrival & departure
Check in time
2PM
Check out time
11AM
General
- Extra vehicle charge of $8 per night is required. Fee can be bundled with online reservation or purchased on-site at fee machine.
- No firewood sales available at campground. Plan to purchase ahead of time.
- Fireworks are always prohibited on National Forest Land.
- For first come first serve sites, you must physically arrive at the campground to see if the campsite is available. There is no guarantee this site will be available to purchase upon your arrival.
- Campers who reserve sites 7 - 18 in Horse Camp (Mule Loop) are required to have horses or mules present. You do not need to have any to use sites 2 - 6 and 19 - 30
Nearby Campgrounds
Nearby destinations
Last updated: October 18, 2026
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