Some places feel timeless. Christopher Creek is one of them.

Tucked just below the base of the Mogollon Rim along a spring-fed creek that flows year-round, Christopher Creek Campground has been drawing Arizona families out of the desert heat for generations. Our visit dates back to July 2008 — a summer escape to the pines that left a lasting impression.

The Setting

Christopher Creek Campground sits at an elevation of 5,640 feet in the Tonto National Forest, approximately 21 miles east of Payson along Highway 260. The campground is divided by the spring-fed Christopher Creek, which flows right through the heart of the site — the sound of moving water the constant backdrop to everything that happens here.

Sites are surrounded by ponderosa pines, junipers, oaks, and manzanita shrubs. The Mogollon Rim rises above to the north — that dramatic 200-mile cliff that serves as the geographical dividing line between the cool high country and the hot desert below. Christopher Creek sits in the desert portion of that transition zone, but the creek and forest cool it considerably. On a July afternoon when Phoenix is baking at 110 degrees, Christopher Creek is in the low 80s with a breeze moving through the pines.

The Campground

The campground has 43 sites on both sides of the creek, plus a group site accommodating up to 25 people. Half the sites sit within 100 feet of the flowing water — the creek-adjacent sites are the ones to aim for. Two loops make up the layout: Loop A offers reservable back-in sites, while Loop B includes several walk-in only spots operating on a first-come first-served basis. Picnic tables, trash service, cooking grills, and campfire rings are provided at each site. RVs up to 22 feet are accommodated with electric, water, and sewer hookups.

No off-road vehicles are permitted in the campground. One vehicle per campsite — an additional vehicle may park for a fee of $8.

Fishing

Christopher Creek is stocked each spring with rainbow trout, with brown and brook trout also present. Half of the campground sits right next to the creek — anglers can be fishing within minutes of setting up camp. The creek fishing is relaxed and family-friendly — classic small stream trout water with pools, riffles, and enough shade to make a morning on the water genuinely pleasant. Families also report great success catching crawdads with simple homemade rigs — a favorite activity for kids.

Nearby

On the drive in from Payson along Highway 260 you'll pass Camp Tontozona — where Arizona State University held their summer football camp from 1960 to 2007, then restarted the tradition in 2012. A piece of Arizona sporting history tucked in the pines.

See Canyon Trail and Drew Canyon Trail are both in close proximity to the campground — See Canyon in particular winds upward toward the Rim and offers spectacular views of the Rim Country landscape. Worth the climb.

The small community of Christopher Creek — a tiny cluster of cabins and a local restaurant — sits nearby and offers basic supplies for a convenient resupply run without driving all the way back to Payson.

A Flashback — July 12–13, 2008

This was an earlier chapter of AZ Places — before the cameras and the blog and the bucket list. My son was two years old and my daughter was six. We camped creekside and the kids took full ownership of Christopher Creek from the moment we arrived.

They played in the water for hours — wading, splashing, doing what kids do when you put them next to a moving stream in the summer. They found sticks and fishing line and fashioned their own fishing poles — no tackle box needed, just resourcefulness and the creek in front of them. That image stuck with me.

Our campsite had a visitor — a squirrel that found a lost strawberry somewhere in the site and was not about to let it go without a fight. We watched the whole transaction play out.

On July 12th, a flash flood hit the area and the campground went on lockdown — no one could leave. For some campers that was a problem. For us it wasn't — we weren't planning to leave until the next day anyway. We sat tight, watched the water rise and run, and let it pass.

The photos from this trip tell the full story of those two days — hiking, swimming, the squirrel with the strawberry, tadpoles in the shallows, mushrooms along the trail, cactus pushing up through the forest floor, butterflies on the wildflowers, and the flash flood itself. Two days that covered more of Arizona's natural world than most trips twice as long.

A trip worth remembering — and one my kids probably don't remember at all.

More Information

• Camping fee: ~$20–$22/night (2026)

• Additional vehicle fee: $8

• RVs up to 22 feet with electric, water, and sewer hookups

• Creek-adjacent sites fill first — book early for summer weekends

• For further details visit Tonto National Forest

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