Established Camping
Pine Flat Campground West
About
USDA Forest Service
Coconino National Forest Recreation
Overview
Pine Flat Campground is a popular camping spot in scenic Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona's Coconino National Forest. The campground is nestled in a forested canyon near the well-known town of Sedona, Arizona, and its red rock cliffs. The scenery is unmatched, the stream is stocked with trout, and swimming, hiking and birding spots can be accessed from the facility.
Recreation
There are several hiking trails in the vicinity, with some leading up the canyon slopes to offer sweeping views of the surrounding scenery. The creek is bordered with paths that lead along its picturesque course, offering excellent birding and abundant fishing.
Facilities
There are 59 single unit sites at Pine Flat Campground, including two accessible sites. Picnic tables, campfire rings and cooking grills, as well as vault restrooms and drinking water, are provided. No hookups or showers are available.__
Natural Features
The area is a heavily wooded, lush riparian zone. Campsites are located in a shady stand of ponderosa pines in the upper reaches of the canyon. Many of the campsites are located right on the banks of Oak Creek. The creek has crystal clear, cool water that is refreshing on hot summer days.
Nearby Attractions
The nearest town is Sedona, popular for its red rock vistas, resorts and shopping. One of Arizona's best swimming spots, Slide Rock State Park, is down the road. Campers can also explore the 1.8-million acre Coconino National Forest, which boasts a spectacular variety of scenery and outdoor activities.
contact_info
For facility specific information, please call (928) 203-0624.
Location
Pine Flat Campground West is located in Arizona
Directions
From Phoenix, take I-17 north to Highway 179 toward Sedona. Turn north on Highway 89A and continue for 12 miles into Oak Creek Canyon. From Flagstaff take I-17 to highway 89A South. Follow 89A for 17 miles to Oak Creek Caynon
Address
COCONINO
AZ
Coordinates
35.0125 N
111.7380556 W
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Walk-InPark in a lot, walk to your site.
Stay Connected
- WiFiAvailable
- VerizonGood
- AT&TGood
- T-MobileUnknown
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- RV Sites
- Standard (Tent/RV)
- Group
Features
For Campers
- Market
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Firewood Available
- Phone Service
- WiFi
- Drinking Water
- Toilets
- Alcohol
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Sanitary Dump
Great stay
We stayed 4 nights to explore Sedona. Campground in the forest between the creek and the highway. Beautiful. Friendly hosts.
- (9) View All
Lovely camp hosts
Turned in here hoping for a FCFS spot, got lucky on a Friday night. The campground was packed, each site had somebody. Really well maintained campground the hosts were lovely and very helpful. Great service on Verizon and att. No showers. Pit toilets. Each site had fire ring and hosts had firewood and ice for sale. Bit of road noise during rush hour as it’s right off the road and there’s construction just passed this on the road.
Summar Camping
Nice place with spring, close to river, clean, the camp host is really nice, they also sell wood and ice there.
Great spot to camp and close to Sedona town
We really enjoyed our stay here! We were fortunate to grab a first come first serve spot and stayed for 2 days. Unfortunately, the weekend was all booked up, so we had to move on. Very tidy restrooms, no showers. There’s a natural spring/ aquaphor at the entrance with the absolute freshest tasting water you will ever have in your life! 20 minute drive into Sedona through a winding and twisty road. A bit noisy with traffic since it’s basically on the road, but we really enjoyed our stay.
- (5) View All
Love it
Very cool campground.
Quick night
Spent one night here in pine. Easy to find, camp host was nice. If you plan on staying in September I would call ahead, they close the other half of the campgrounds that are FF sometime then. We came the day they closed that half. Luckily we got a site for one not that wasn’t reserved. Road noise wasn’t bad at night. Amazing views!
Nice views next to busy road
Nice views but next to road & traffic made sleeping difficult. Creek access is better a couple of miles down the road. No electric hook ups. Excellent Verizon service.
- (5) View All
Full nature moment
Very quiet and clean bathroom fly free, so relaxing we wanted to nap all the time, staff was friendly, and the views were amazing
Family 2021 Camp Sedona
Took a family trip to Sedona and chose to stay here, Place was beautiful and people were very welcoming as well… very easy to locate and they had clean bathrooms the only thing that I did not realize before bringing my RV is that it had no hook ups but we made it work … breathtaking view and very clean …
Camping
I went there during May. It was a nice and quiet area to camp at.
A great spot just outside Sedona
This is a convenient campground for hiking and exploring Sedona! Located just off the main road, oak creek runs right through the grounds , which were extremely well maintained. Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table. Easy to buy firewood and ice from the camp hosts. No water hookups or dump station however. All around great time!
Amazing views
Great views, right off the creek. Had toilets with hand sanitizer outside.
Great Campsite!
This campsite is very well maintained if you are looking for nice amenities. The bathrooms are super clean, drinking water is available, and you’re less than 10 minutes away from Slide Rock State Park. We went in April and it was pretty cold at night but beautiful during the day. The only thing is you are right next to the main road so don’t go here if you are looking for isolation. Overall, amazing campground!
Perfect spot!
This campground was the perfect place to stay at for my trip to Sedona! It’s a very short drive to Slide Rock State. There are plenty of pine trees to attach hammocks to. The fire pit comes with a grill which was very convenient for cooking, and the bathrooms are well-maintained. It’s far enough away from the business of Sedona, but the drive into town is not far at all. Highly recommend!
Pro tips...
All the other reviews are spot on - Clean sites, fire rings and the hosts are spectacular. Wood/ice available. We stayed in mid October. We were pleasantly surprised that while we weren’t allowed to use the charcoal grill, we were allowed to have a small campfire. Tips for this popular campground:
- Since the first come sites are booked by midday...come early and talk to the hosts about who is scheduled to leave that day. You can then pre-pay for your chosen site and go to town until after checkout time (1:00pm).
- Best first come sites: Site # 4, no doubt. It’s farthest from the highway and farthest from other tent pads.
The heavy tree canopy keeps you in the shade and is near the river. Site # 3 is also good, but gets full sun mid afternoon and is closer to the bathrooms. 3. Bring your telescope or binoculars. Set up a star gazing perch at night.....it’s spectacular. The downside of the first come area....both tents and RVs (generator noise) will be side by side. It’s very popular for families: we had a home schooling family on one side and a generator(RV) on the other. Busy as to be expected in this area, especially in October.
One of the Best
Pine Flat is a great spot in Sedona. The canyon area is beautiful and there is a wonderful hike right near the campground.
The best thing about the camp is the hosts. They are so great at keeping the campground looking perfect. The grounds are always clean, the bathrooms are spotless, and they have plentiful wood and ice for sale.
Only downside is the sites are a bit close together and close to the roadway as well.
By the highway, but a beautiful spot
As a low maintenance car sleeper when camping, this spot is perfect for us. This location is a getaway from the high cost city life in Sedona, and provides easy water access without crowds. Being next to the highway isn’t ideal, so kids and dog owners be aware. Cars passing through the canyon may wake you up at night if you’re a light sleeper. The hosts for the smaller side of the campground, Mary specifically, is a fantastic host and remembered us from prior visits. She keeps the location thoroughly cleaned, each site raked and all campsites in perfect condition. This location also often has space available when popular Manzanita and Cave Springs campgrounds fill up. It gets chilly in the canyon (as a phx local) so I always suggest bringing layers.
Pine Forest along Oak Creek
Amazing campground on one of the most senic drives in AZ. National Forest land, some sites first come first served, some reservations available. No hookups. Right along Oak Creek. Dark nights make for good stargazing through the forest canopy, although a little narrow field of view.
Not Perfect But Close
Other than being close to the highway, we love this campground. It is in a heavily wooded forest next to Oak Creek. It has multiple bathrooms and accessible drinking water. A decent distance from other campers and a large camping area. Staff is friendly, and close to all that Sedona, Arizona has to offer. Its only a few miles from Oak Creek Canyon’s West Fork trail where we hiked the 6 mile round trip trail, would recommend. There’s also a campsite a mile south that allows visitors to use their shower for only 4 dollars, which we utilized. Highly recommend this campground!
An unexpected gem!
After four failed attempts to find a place to land for the night (two campgrounds not yet open for the season in mid-April and two dispersed sites that would not have been navigable in our low clearance van), we would have camped just about anywhere! Fortunately there were spots available here and we were greeted by a super friendly and welcoming camp host. Sites were all flat with tent pads; most had decent privacy between sites. All have fire rings, large picnic tables in good shape, grills, and lantern hooks. Vault toilets were clean. Artesian well that some reviews said the water quality was questionable; camp host says she drinks it but others do not. We filled up our water jugs and will give it a go. If it weren’t for the proximity to the road (89A) and the noise that goes with it (site 18 you might as well BE in the road!), I would have given this place 5 stars! For $11 (50% off with senior pass), this place was perfect for us!
Great views and access to trails
A nice little campground with one loop. What I liked about this was the great hosts (who seemed on constant patrol in their golf cart), the level sites for tents, and the great access to trails. There was a trail that went under the road that led to the lake and another that went up to great views and the Arizona Trail. There was tons of elk scat on the upper Trail but I never saw any elk. At the top of the trail you had to go thru a gate into open range to get to the Arizona Trail. It was obvious from the cow patties that this was a popular spot for the cows as well. As for amenities, the tent pads were level and clean, there were fire pits (no fire due to the ban), and clean vault toilets. I’d stay here again.
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Simple campground
campground is right off the main highway. fairly close to hear driving cars depending on the campground. very close to Sedona and rock slide park. spots are big enough for a small party of campers. facilities are nice and well maintained. campsites are close together but private enough.
Beautiful scenery
We camped 2 nights at Pine Flat. The surrounding scenery is beautiful but there wasn’t good access to the creek like we had hoped. The path to the creek and the creek itself are overgrown with thorny berry bushes. There are pit toilets and a water source for filling up drinking water only so bring some extra water for other needs. Showers are available at the campground a mile away and can be used by Pine Flat campers. You have to purchase shower tokens during business hours ($4 for an 8 minute shower) There were a couple of loud groups but they seemed to follow the quiet hour rules so it wasn’t a huge issue. Sites are on the smaller side and only one tent fit in our location. The best thing about the campground was that the tent pad area was a little sandy and has been well maintained. This meant that when we got monsoon rain the ground did not pool up with standing water. We noticed on our drive that several other campgrounds in the area had a lot of standing water around the tents after the storms.
Pine Smell Mmmm!
Great camping location for being close to Flagstaff and Sedona. The camp sites are right next to the road though. That would be the only complaint. But everything else is great! They have drinking water and drop toilets. There are a couple of hiking trails near the sites as well that lead up the the top of the plato. Great place to watch sunsets!
- (4) View All
Ranger Review: Silipint at Pine Flat Campground
Campground Review
Pine Flat is a beautiful little campground right off the highway between Sedona and Flagstaff. When I say right off the highway I’m not exaggerating. A few of the sites were within 20 feet of the asphalt. Thankfully, it is only a 2 lane road and most of the traffic seems to be day use so you really don’t notice it much at night. There are sites on the East side of the highway near the canyon wall and sites on the West side of the highway near the creek. The creek is mostly just a small amount of water running through some rocks (no fish bigger than 4 inches that we saw) but there were a few pools that were about 2 feet deep and perfect for cooling off in the mid-day sun. The campground had multiple bathroom buildings and over the weekend there wasn’t very often I had to wait to use one. The bathrooms were not immaculate but they were clean enough.
There are drinking water spigots in multiple places around camp. We were told this is unfiltered and directly from the creek so in my opinion use at your own risk… we didn’t try it. Due to the proximity to the creek you are not allowed to dump grey water on the ground so if you plan to wash your hands, dishes, or even brush your teeth bring a grey water collection bucket. This can be dumped into the toilet before you leave (per the camp host) so you do not have to travel with it. There are also signs right next to the spigots that say “No Washing” and I saw a million people doing it and a million people get called out by other campers and the host for doing it so don’t be that person. Pine Flat does not have showers but you can travel a few miles down the road to Cave Springs to use coin operated showers there.
The sites themselves varied a lot as far as what to expect. They all had a tent pad and most were very level and cleared out to accommodate a tent. Some were super shaded all day long and others (like site 11) didn’t have a single tree over the tent pad so you were relying on the canyon walls for shade which meant you caught the mid-day sun. Not all of the sites had driveways long enough to fit a trailer or multiple vehicles. Thankfully, our second car was tiny so we were able to squeeze it in the very front (which you will see in some of the pictures). The road through camp is a one-way single lane road and pretty narrow with boulders on the sides. A lot of the back in driveways had fairly sharp turning angles. It took us a bit of finagling to get the pop up in our space without hitting a boulder or a tree.
The campground was full by noon on Friday and we went during Stage II fire restrictions which often deters people from coming out. Their website suggests making reservations or coming earlier in the week then staying through the weekend to guarantee a spot. Part of the reason this campground is so busy is because it is beautiful and so close to Slide Rock State Park as well as Sedona. Slide Rock State Park does have limited parking and fills up quickly so you will often see lots of cars waiting on the highway to enter or parked on the side of the highway throughout the day. The park features an 80 foot long natural water slide formed by algae covered sandstone rocks and a large swimming area. If Slide Rock sounds a little too exciting for your type of camping trip you can visit Sedona which offers beautiful red rock landscape, plenty of places to hike, local artist galleries, unique restaurants, and spiritual vortexes.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time – on this trip I tested Silipint. Silipint has non-toxic silicone products that are heat-safe (up to 450 degrees F but not over direct flame), cold-safe (yes, they can go in the freezer), insulating, dishwasher safe (which is a total make or break feature in my house), and microwave safe! They call them toddler safe as well and after they have been tossed around, knocked over, and squeezed repeatedly by my entire group in showing them off… I would completely agree. I think they really are indestructible aside from taking a machete to them. Some of the products I have were matte and others were polished but I have noticed no difference in the durability, usability, or ability to be cleaned between the two so it appears to be purely cosmetic.
Squeeze-a-Bowl (pictured in Tie-Dyed Polished Hippie Hops and Translucent Matte Bend Blue)
The Squeeze-a-Bowl was actually incredibly sturdy. I tried filling it up fairly full and could still easily pick it up with one hand without it flopping around and spilling the contents. It was sturdy enough that even my 4 year old could be trusted holding, carrying, and using it. We have used it for cold cereal, hot soups, and hot chili. I also tried doing scrambled eggs in the microwave. If you have ever done this you know that there is always a film left on the dishes that requires scrubbing and soaking to clean off. In the Squeeze-a-Bowl I used a little water and it wiped right out and there was no weird bubbling on the sides like you get when you reheat in plastic containers. With any temperatures, it insulated really well and prevented us from burning our hands on the bottom when we were holding it. These stack really well and fit into the dishwasher without any problems. The only thing about it that bummed me out was that it stained a little red from having the chili in it (but we all know tomato sauce stains everything).
Original Pint Glasses (pictured in Tie-Dyed Matte Arctic Sky and Translucent Matte Everlasting Emerald)
These glasses were perfect for hanging around camp. Mid-day it was in the low 90s and any canned beverage will not stay cold long. We would pour our sodas and beers into the cups and they stayed cold much longer. Another added perk is the benefit of them not being breakable so if you have glass bottled beverages you can transfer them to these cups and not risk shattering a glass or bottle when you want to go sit in the creek to cool down. With as large as the cups are (a full 16 oz) they keep their shape incredibly well even when full of liquid. I didn’t feel as though I had to be super careful holding the cup so that I didn’t squeeze in the sides and spill my drink all over my hand. The Travel Lid does fit the Original Pint Glass by sitting flush with the top of the glass pressed inside the cup itself. We actively tried to shake the lid off with liquid inside and it held on for dear life. Then to make it even better when we were ready to take the lid off you just use the Quick Lift Grip and it comes right out.
Tumbler Base (pictured in Tie-Dyed Polished Hippie Hops)
Amongst the group that used these this weekend this was the overall favorite. The sides are a little thinner and the bottom is weighted. I know it sounds “sili” that a weighted bottom may be important but we spent a lot of time sitting in the creek and the rocks make great tables but often aren’t perfectly level which makes cups a bit easier to spill when they are full of a cold beverage. The capacity on it was perfect as it held a 12oz canned beverage without issues. The Travel Lid does fit the Tumbler Base and made it easy to keep the bugs out while still providing a leak-free drinking experience. The only down-side to this style was that the walls of the cup are straight up so it will not stack nested inside of another Tumbler Base.
Shorty on the Rocks (pictured in Translucent Matte Frosted White)
The Shorty has a lot of great qualities. It is quite short and wide which made it fit comfortably in the hand and still helped make it a bit harder to tip over than the Original Pint. The sides are slanted so they will stack nested in other Shorty on the Rocks glasses. While we were out we were making bacon and realized we had way too much grease in the pan. For fear of it burning in the pan we started panicking looking for something to pour it into because we didn’t want that on the ground at camp and if you’ve ever tried putting hot bacon grease in a Styrofoam cup or a plastic cup you know it doesn’t end well. Then I saw it…. The Shorty on the Rocks. I thought to myself if it can handle the oven and boiling water it can handle this… so we poured the grease in. After the grease cooled I cleaned it out and the cup was still in perfect condition with no sign of being burnt or damaged at all. To top off the greatness of this cup the Travel Lid does fit (even though it is not included on the compatibility list). It could not handle violent shaking upside-down but casually knocking it over it stayed on without problems and was leak-free when used for drinking.
Kid-Friendly Half Pint (pictured in Tie-Dyed Matte Sea Swirl)
I wish I had known about these when we did the sippy cup phase with my son! The cup is perfect size for little hands. We used this for hot chocolate with my son and even though he doesn’t drink his hot chocolate nearly as hot as we do we do still mix it with boiling water then mix in ice. The cup handled the boiling water without issues and was cool enough to the touch that it could be held without a sleeve. When used with the Travel Lid the cup could be shaken with liquid in it pretty violently without the lid coming off which is super cool for the little ones that may get easily overexcited or a little wild. From a purely aesthetic standpoint the designs and colors are really neat and my son didn’t want to stop using the cup even when we got home.
Silicone Travel Lid (pictured in Opaque Matte Bouncy Black, Translucent Matte Frosted White, and Tue-Dyed Matte Hippie Hops.
While the Travel Lid is “just an accessory” I think it is a must-have for anyone using Silipint with any desire to help keep debris out of the cups and a little extra spill proof ability. I love that the lid fits all 4 of the cups that I tried meaning you don’t have to stock a ton of lids for each variation of the cups. The Travel Lids also allow you to close and open the mouthpiece. I turned the cup upside down with the mouthpiece closed and nothing leaked out unless I started shaking it around then the straw hole would leak.
Sili-Straw (pictured in Translucent Matte White)
The Sili-Straw fits perfectly through the opening in the Travel Lid and makes a very good seal. It is slightly thicker than a fast food straw but about the same thickness as every plastic reusable straw I’ve ever seen. It is flexible and was easy to use and drink through.
If you have read this far then you can tell I’m SUPER impressed by Silipint and I would definitely recommend them. I have only tried a handful of the many uses that Silipint lists on their website and I look forward to trying even more as these are now on the “must have” camping supply list in my house.
- (20) View All
Beautiful
This campsite is beautiful. Camp host are friendly and spots are roomy. A little to close to the road but so so gorgeous.
Peaceful, scenic wooded campsites outside of Sedona
Pine Flat was a very pleasant camping experience just outside of Sedona. We stayed here for two nights in late April. The campground is just off 89A, so there is a bit of road noise (I didn't find it bothersome). There is a loop on each side of the road. We were in site 24, a nice large site along the creek. Sites were fairly close together, ours didn't have much privacy but there were some trees to hang hammocks from which was very relaxing. Campground was very quiet and clean. Toilets were pit toilets, but were very clean. Potable water is available. There are no showers here - coin showers are available at Cave Springs campground just down the road if needed. The camp hosts were very personable and helpful. Firewood was available to purchase at the campground for $7 a bundle. Site was $22 per night. Nice location, convenient for hiking and exploring the Sedona area and just a short distance from Flagstaff as well.
- (9) View All
Great Sedona camping with some space to breathe!!
Unlike most of the other campsites in Sedona, AZ, Pine Flat is pretty spread out and you're not on top of one another. The main site on the West side of the 87 is a short pleasant hike to Oak Creek. Pine Flat in general has close easy access to a lot of the BEST wilderness/backcountry hiking/climbing in Sedona! I highly recommend it over the other car camping spots in the area.