Rules · Arizona

Dispersed-camping rules in Arizona

Arizona sits at the intersection of federal public land, state trust land, and a patchwork of state-park, wildlife-area, and private land. The rules that govern free and dispersed camping vary substantially across those categories. Arizona requires the Arizona State Land Department Recreational Permit ($15/year individual, $20/family) for general recreation on state trust land. The federal stay limit applicable to Arizona is generally 14 days in a 28-day period on BLM and USFS land, after which you must move at least 25 miles to a new general area. Some units within Arizona apply tighter local stay limits in popular areas. Fire restrictions in Arizona are issued by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management for state and private land, and by each federal land-management unit independently for federal land. Always check both before lighting anything. The notes below summarize the practical rules most dispersed campers in Arizona need to keep in mind, with links to the authoritative agency pages — bookmark those, because the specifics change yearly.

State trust land in Arizona

Arizona State Land Department Recreational Permit. $15/year individual, $20/family. The authoritative page is land.az.gov — read the actual rule before relying on a third-party summary, because state agencies update permit terms more often than federal land managers do.

Fire restrictions in Arizona

Restrictions in Arizona are issued by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management for state and private land, and by each federal land-management unit independently for federal land. The current statewide picture is published at dffm.az.gov. Always check both sources before lighting anything — even a propane stove can trigger enforcement under Stage II conditions.

Specific quirks worth knowing

Tonto National Forest north of Phoenix has additional dispersed-camping closures within 1/4 mile of paved highways. Coronado National Forest sky-island districts often require campfires only in metal rings. State trust land requires the Recreational Permit even for day use.

Agencies you'll deal with

• BLM Arizona
• Coconino NF
• Tonto NF
• Apache-Sitgreaves NF
• Coronado NF
• Kaibab NF
• Prescott NF
• AZ Game & Fish

How this page interacts with the rest of the directory

The rules above govern every campsite in our Arizona directory. They also govern the regional zones we curate inside Arizona — see the regions index for the named dispersed-camping corridors. None of these rules override unit-specific orders posted at the trailhead; if a sign says "no camping," that's the controlling instruction regardless of what this page says.