Recreation Passes and Fees

Passes are available at Tonto National Forest Offices.

Boat Launches

Picnic Sites

Shorelines

Campgrounds

The Tonto National Forest has Automated Fee Machines for your convenience at designated recreation sites. The following campgrounds require camping passes to be bought at these fee machines. Interagency Senior or Access Pass holders receive 50% discount (persons over 62 or have a permanent disability) for single camp units only. The Tonto Daily Pass, Discovery Passes, and Interagency Annual Passes are no longer accepted as a “camping” pass for these sites. Campsite fees must be purchased/paid at the designated fee machines.

District	Campground	Fee Machine Site Location	Price per site / per night	Senior Discount Fee for single sites
Cave Creek:	CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Campground	Cave Creek District Office at entrance gate and Bartlett Vista	$16	$8
	Horseshoe Campground	Cave Creek District Office at entrance gate and Bartlett Vista	$16	$8
	Mesquite Campground	Cave Creek District Office at entrance gate and Bartlett Vista	$16	$8
	Riverside Campground	Cave Creek District Office at entrance gate and Bartlett Vista	$16	$8
Globe:	Timber Camp	Timber Camp Campground	$16	$8
Mesa:	Tortilla Campground	Tortilla Campground	$20	$10
Payson:	Christopher Creek Campground	Christopher Creek Campground	$24	$12
	Houston Mesa Campground	Houston Mesa Campground	$29 standard; $22 equestrian	$14.50 standard; $11 equestrian
	Lower Tonto Creek Campground	No fee machine, Scan & Pay available	$20	$10
	Ponderosa Campground	Ponderosa Campground	$22	$11
	Sharp Creek Campground	Sharp Creek Campground	$29	$14.50
	Upper Tonto Creek Campground	No fee machine, Scan & Pay available	$20; $38 for double	$10
Tonto Basin:	Burnt Corral Campground	Burnt Corral Campground	$20; $40 for double	$10
	Cholla Campground	Cholla Campground	$25; $50 for double	$12.50
	Frazier Horse Camp	Windy Hill Campground	$16	$8
	Schoolhouse Campground	Schoolhouse Campground	$20; $40 for double	$10
	Windy Hill Campground	Windy Hill Campground	$25; $50 for double	$12.50

Fee Information

Site(s)	Fee Type	Fees
All boat launches, pinic sites, and shoreline access areas where daily and overnight use fees are currently charged.	Day-use (24 hours from time of validation)	$8.00 per vehicle plus $4.00 per watercraft
Many sites listed above except developed campgrounds (see campground table above).	Discovery Pass	$80.00 or $60.00 (for Seniors) per year
Lower Salt River:  Coon Bluff	Overnight at 2 sites only (Oct 1 - Mar 31)	$8.00 per vehicle
Larry Forbis Group Site	Group-Use Day -Use Site	$60.00 per unit, per day, plus a $10.00 non-refundable deposit. Call the Mesa Ranger District for Reservations  (480) 610-3300.
Group Campgrounds forest-wide:  Cave Creek Christopher Creek Campground and Group Site Frazier Grapevine Houston Mesa Campground and Equestrian Sites Kellner Ponderosa Campground and Group Sites Reynolds Creek Sharp Creek Campground and Group Sites Timber Camp	Group-Use	Fees vary by site  Visit Recreation.gov to make reservations and pay fees.