Woods Canyon Lake Campground
The classic Rim-lake option. Easy to love, easy to recommend, and still worth it even though it is rarely a secret.
By Chris FollinROUNDUP
Best Lakeside Camping
These are the lake camps where the water actually changes the trip instead of just showing up in the campground name. Some are easy developed answers, some are quieter high-country picks, but all of them earn their spot because the lake feels like part of camp once you settle in.
What I mean by good lakeside camping
A lake does not automatically make a campground good. I still care about wind, usable sites, how close the water actually feels once camp is set, and whether the place works as more than a map pin with a shoreline attached to it.
Start here if you want lake camps where the water genuinely improves the trip instead of just showing up in the name.
Bear Canyon Lake Campground
A better choice when you want water but less of the busy, full-developed vibe.
Lakeview - Parker Canyon Lake
An easy developed campground where the lake and marina are close enough to matter without the trip feeling like work.
Show Low Lake Campground
Good when you want water access and simple logistics without pretending it is some hidden wilderness miracle.
Lake Mary Campgrounds
A practical Flagstaff lake weekend when you want high-country air and don’t need the trip to be dramatic.
New
Lake Cuyamaca Campground
Included because the lake/store combo is useful, even if the campground itself is more functional than inspiring.
What makes a lakeside camp actually worth it
A lake in the title is not enough. I care about whether you can actually feel the water in the trip, whether the site layout still works, and whether the whole place feels like more than a campground that happens to be near a shoreline.
WATER FEEL
The lake has to matter once camp is set
If the water is a long walk, mostly hidden, or functionally irrelevant once you are in the site, it drops down the list. The good picks here are the ones where the lake changes how the whole trip feels.
SITE USE
Usability still matters more than postcard energy
I still care about wind, spacing, developed-vs-busy tradeoffs, and whether camp is enjoyable after dinner. A beautiful shoreline does not rescue a site that is annoying to live in.
TRIP TYPE
Different lake camps solve different weekends
Some are easy family-friendly developed answers. Others are better when the point is cooler air, fishing, or just getting close to water without a lot of noise and traffic. The right one depends on what the weekend is trying to be.
How I would choose between these
If I were narrowing this list fast, I would sort by how much convenience I want versus how much lake atmosphere I want. That is usually the real split with lake camping, and pretending otherwise is how people end up at the wrong campground.
FOR EASY WINS
- Pick the developed campgrounds where the lake and logistics both support the trip.
- These are the safer bets when the weekend needs to feel easy.
- Lakeview and Show Low usually make more sense here than the more romantic options.
FOR A BETTER SETTING
- Go toward Woods Canyon or Bear Canyon when the lake atmosphere matters more.
- These feel more like actual mountain-water trips instead of campgrounds with amenities.
- You give up a little convenience and usually get more payoff back.
FOR HONEST PICKS
- Some camps stay on the list because they are useful, not because they are magical.
- That still matters when the goal is a workable weekend and not a perfect fantasy camp.
- It is better to know which is which before you drive there.