Camping Review: Aspen Campground near Payson/Heber/Woods Canyon

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In May, my family and I camped at Aspen Campground, which is in the Woods Canyon area of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest between Payson and Heber in Arizona, just off AZ-260 in Rim Country. There were some minor annoyances that are commonplace for established campgrounds, but we really enjoyed our family time together. I also got to enjoy some kayaking, and we brought plenty of games to keep our daughter occupied.

Reservable or first come, first served: Both at the time I went. I reserved online.

Established or dispersed: Established

Tent pad: dirt

Bear lockers: I didn’t see any near our site.

Electric: no

Back-in or pull through: back-in

Other amenities: Restrooms; drinking water; fire pit; a nice cement picnic table; ice machine at entry; mixed use paved and dirt trails adjacent to campground; lake near the campground; near the Mogollon Rim

Dumpsters on site: Not that we could find. We packed out our trash.

Site rating:4.5/5.0

Dates: May 22-24 (Thur – Sat)

Nights: 2

Gear:

• Core Equipment Easy-up Ground Tent – I cannot recommend this tent enough
• Kelty 30 sleeping bag
• REI mummy sleeping bag
• Minnie sleeping bag
• Coleman cot
• ust 30-day 1000 Lumen LED Lantern – lasted the entire trip, including running all day after our daughter turned it on
• Ryobi pivoting rechargeable right-angle flashlight
• Headlamps
• Plenty of stuff sacks for laundry, and reused grocery bags for trash
• Collapsible crates
• Collapsible dog bowls
• Fans
• Mosquito repeller (we didn’t need it, fortunately!)
• DIY canopy (didn’t need this either, our site had just enough shade)
• Water cooler (for drinking water)
• Water container (unfiltered tap for hand washing and dishes)
• Camp sinks

• Old Coke crate that doubled as a gear transport and a dish drying rack
• Walmart 4-person table set
• Butane 1-burner camp stove
• Ecoflow power station
• Electric kettle
• Mt Comfort Organic Coffee (pre-ground)
• Aeropress
• Jetboil pan
• Costco camping chairs
• Kid’s camping chair
• Original Penguin duffel bag
• Cotopaxi duffel bag
• Thule packing cubes
• Matador pill containers
• Lifetime Volt kayak + Pelican paddles + YakGrips + GCI adjustable seat
• Table games: Giant checkers; Trouble; Uno; Go Fish
• Yard games: Ring toss; Cornhole

Weather: Mid 50s overnight; Mid-70s to lower 80s highs

Food: Pancakes; breakfast tacos; turkey sandwich; chicken shawarma; PB&J; fruit; Nature Valley bars

Solo: No

Overall experience rating: 4.5/5.0

The good – what I liked about camping at Aspen Campground near Payson/Heber

This camping experience was the first in which my family went camping without it being part of a larger group event. That said, expectations weren’t terribly high – we knew our daughter, an only child, would probably get bored without other kids to play with. As such, we planned several things to do as a family, including yard games, board games, card games, kayaking, and other activities.

• Family time: Bringing plenty to do helped us have a great time together without screens.
• Time of year: Just like my camping stay in Prescott, I selected the time of year according to weather to avoid nights that were too chilly or afternoons that were too hot. The afternoon we got there, the inside of our tent got pretty stuffy, but by the time nightfall arrived, it was fine. It even got chilly overnight, more so than I anticipated but not uncomfortably so.
• Proximity to Woods Canyon Lake / the rim: One of the reasons I chose this campground was its proximity to Woods Canyon Lake, and the breathtaking views of the Mogollon Rim. I was able to kayak solo for an hour or so.
• New entry and pavement: The last time I drove to Woods Canyon Lake, which was probably 2016, Woods Canyon Road/FR 105 was dirt. It is now paved, and there was a new entrance to the campground. For some, replacing the dirt road with pavement takes away from the experience, but I knew my family wouldn’t particularly care for the dirt road experience so it was nice that they didn’t have to deal with that.

The bad

There were some negatives kept our experience at Aspen Campground from being 5 stars, but none of them were dealbreakers, and they were mostly things that are standard fare for a busy campground:

• Fellow campers ignoring fire restrictions: While there were signs everywhere in the campground and miles away from it, and the barbecue and fire pits being taped off at every site, fellow campers chose to ignore the fire restritions and had a big bonfire going. This could have resulted in tragedy, and the Forest Service did not do any night patrols to enforce it.
• Malfunctioning equipment: we brought a cheap inflatable raft so our daughter could go “kayaking” with us, but couldn’t get it to inflate properly. You get what you pay for – we’ll bring a “real” tandem kayak next time.
• Dirt: Yes, we’re outdoors and it’s camping, but there wasn’t a ton of grass for the dog to lay and play in.
• Neighbor kids: Teenagers from the campsites behind ours kept coming extremely close to/into our campsite. Get off my lawn!
• Limited lake parking: I got to the lake quite early, before 7:00 AM and had no problem finding a parking spot. But when I left, which was before 10:00 AM, there as someone waiting for my spot. There’s overflow parking, but it would be really far to walk with paddling equipment.

Would I camp here again?

Yes, my family and I enjoyed our time at Aspen Campground for sure. The campground and campsite were solid. I’ve now camped at two camp grounds in the Payson/Heber/Woods Canyon/Forest Lakes area, and this was definitely a better experience given the lakes and other recreation available.

For more details

For more details and for booking, go to the Aspen Campground’s page on the US Forest Service website.