- Pine Cliff Resort
- Campgrounds & RV Parks
- Arizona
- Apache County
- Campgrounds & RV Parks in Chinle
- Tséyi' Diné Heritage Area - Cottonwood Campground
Hours
Monday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PMTuesday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tséyi' Diné Heritage Area - Cottonwood Campground Introduce
Welcome to the Tséyi' Diné Heritage Area - Cottonwood Campground, a hidden gem nestled just 0.5 miles southwest of the CDC Welcome Center in Chinle, Arizona. This peaceful campground offers an affordable and rustic camping experience, perfect for nature enthusiasts and travelers exploring the stunning Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
Open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Cottonwood Campground provides shaded sites surrounded by towering trees, ensuring a comfortable stay even during warmer months. While there are no hookups, the campground features essential amenities such as clean restrooms, a dump station, water fill spigots, and a nearby cafeteria at the lodge serving decent meals at reasonable prices. At just $20 per night (cash only), it’s an excellent value for budget-conscious campers.
Visitors rave about the campground’s proximity to the Canyon de Chelly National Monument Visitors Center, making it an ideal base for exploring the area’s breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage. The tranquil environment, combined with the convenience of nearby facilities, ensures a memorable stay for all guests.
- Affordable camping at $20 per night (cash only).
- Shaded sites with plenty of trees for comfort.
- Clean restrooms, water spigots, and a dump station.
- Close to Canyon de Chelly National Monument Visitors Center.
- Nearby cafeteria offering reasonably priced meals.
Customer feedback highlights the campground’s charm and practicality. Guests appreciate the shaded sites, affordability, and proximity to local attractions. While some note minor improvements could enhance the restrooms, the overall experience is highly praised. Whether you’re seeking a quiet retreat or a convenient base for exploration, Cottonwood Campground delivers an unforgettable outdoor experience.
Location
Customer Reviews
Lovely campground. Only $20 (cash) per night. No hookups. Lots of trees. Close to the Canyon de Chelly National Monument Visitors Center. In February so only one of three circles were open but no problem finding a site.
Nice campground just outside Canyon De Chelly. Plenty of trees for shade on most camp sites. No hook ups but $20 a night. Bathrooms are mostly clean, they could use a little extra effort. The lodge has a cafeteria next door with fairly decent food at a fair price. There is a dump station and a water fill. There is also a few spigots sprinkled around the camp site for filling water jugs. There is some road noise because the park roads also service the reservation and the roads are fairly close by.
Camped here for one night after doing an amazing Canyon De Chelly tour with Arica. This is dry camping, but the trees are big and the skies above are bigger. It’s $20 and couldn’t be nicer for the price.
Only campground for a hundred miles. Water, trash, bathrooms, and dump station. In the middle of large Cottonwood Grove. Level shady or sunny sites. Lots of goat head stickers, like carpet with no appearant effort to control. Otherwise I would rate higher.
We were here only for a night and came after the office was closed. But we were able to pick out a site and pay at a lock box. Close to Canyon de Chelly. Frogs sang us to sleep and roosters woke us in the morning. Lots of shade trees! Not easy to find a spigot of potable water that could be used (though the one for RVs to fill up was working.) No pit fires (only bbq). I would stay here again despite the few inconveniences.
Friendly, welcoming staff, plenty of sites available. Cash only, $20/night, free RV dump. Dry camping, water available, but beware it is murky and smells of bleach. We did not go in restrooms, but they are available. No showers. Generators welcome, but not after 8:30p. Our stay was just okay. One of our neighbors turned on their industrial generator around 9pm, and ran it for several hours. Obviously the camp host wasn't around to enforce the rules. We had two random off-leash dogs come into our site and poop. Trash was scattered around our site. The picnic table and barbecue need some love. Overall, a decent overnight spot.
Perfect location to visit the Canyon De Chelly. Larged spaced out graveled sites, roadway paved. Very quiet, safe, grounds clean. No issue with finding spot for 38 Class A with tow. 2025 $20 night.
This is a great campground for overnight! I called before we headed there to see if they had pull-thru’s available and everyone was very kind on the phone. First come first serve so no guarantees, but we got one! Quiet, clean and we felt safe. We would definitely recommend this place!
We camped 3 nights in site #35 in our 30'TT in late April 2025. The staff were all welcoming, friendly, and busy taking care of the campground. The campground was about 15%-20% occupied. The middle loop has lots of mature cottonwood trees, which were just starting to sprout leaves. The other 2 loops have some trees, and some full sun sites. We found the campground to be remarkably quiet, well maintained, and with clean bathrooms with flush toilets. There was evidence that horses visit the area. There were two stray dogs who had a well-developed begging routine. They would go from campsite to campsite, looking for handouts. They were not pushy or aggressive about it. Our dogs are dog-reactive, so we made sure to keep our distance on walks. We had no conflict. There are goat heads in the campground. They are annoying, but easy enough to remove from paws and shoes (unlike sand burrs). We would consider staying here again. It's very convenient to Canyon de Chelly. We also visited Hubbell Trading Post and Window Rock.
Perfect for visiting Canyon de Chelly. Nice gift shop near lodge. Sites were private enough for a night’s stay. Tons of goatheads in the soles of your shoes and dogs feet. Overall the only real place to camp with paved roads.
More Places to Explore Nearby

Spider Rock Campground
Navajo Highway 7, Chinle, AZ 86503, USA

Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Arizona, USA

Tsaile Lake Campground
Tsaile, AZ 86556, USA

Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Gallup
3270 U.S. Rte 66, Gallup, NM 87301, USA

The View Hotel
Indian Rte 42, Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536, USA

Goulding's Lodge
1000 Gouldings Trading Post Rd, Oljato-Monument Valley, UT 84536, USA

Mexican Hat Rocks Dry Camping
54CW+JR, Hwy 163, Mexican Hat, UT 84531, USA

Goosenecks Campground
UT-316, Mexican Hat, UT 84531, USA

Goosenecks State Park
UT-316, Mexican Hat, UT 84531, USA

Quaking Aspen Campground
Cibola National Forest, Fort Wingate, NM 87316, USA

Painted Desert
Petrified Forest National Park, AZ 86028, USA

Sand Island Recreation Area
#000, Bluff, UT 84512, USA