Black Canyon Rim Campground (apache-sitgreaves National Forest, Az)

Beautiful, huge site! Sites were well spaced. Very quiet campground. The camp host didn’t bother us at all. She was around, just not intrusive. Now the bad. I have been camping in primitive sites for the last 20 years or more. In all those years I have never come across pit toilets as bad as the ones at this campground. We arrived Sunday night. They were really bad, but it was the end of a weekend so I gave grace. On Tuesday the toilets were “cleaned “ out. It didn’t help because no one put chemicals in the pit. The smell of raw sewage was always present in our site.

This campground is awesome. It’s off the beaten path and super peaceful. We stayed during the week and only saw two other sites occupied. The camp host was a great guy but a bit difficult to catch up with if you needed anything. The vault toilets were well kept and the sites were all spaced out well. Easy drive to nearby lakes and more beautiful views. The only time we didn’t see horses along the dirt road into the camp site was during a heavy rain storm. The road in isn’t paved but anything with more clearance than a Honda Civic will make it just fine. My site in particular was pretty sloped but the rest of them looked pretty level.

A group of 4 of us stayed here the weekend on 6/18. We made our booking on 3/20 and arrived on 6/18, only to see about 30 people in our camping spot,#1. They refused to leave, allegedly saying the Camp Host said no one was going to be in that spot and they already paid for that spot. We went to the camp host trailers(Manny and Terry) and they were not there. After being on the phone with recreation.gov for over an hour, and troubleshooting about 10 different phone numbers that were not in service or their office hours were not open, we temp set up on the edges of camp spot#1…until we were able to flag down Ron. He was a ranger and understood our situation but said it would be hard for him to get a big group like that moved off. He also could not prove if they actually paid for a spot since the camp hosts were gone due to a funeral. We were able to work it out on a different camp spot… Also, never received a call back from any of the voicemails we left. We were able to work it out with Ron, he was great but what a miserable start to our weekend! The camp spot thieves also had 3 cars and way more people than allowed. Multiple sites also had fires going which was also prohibited. The lack of rule enforcement was shocking. This review is for the camp host on 6/17 that gave our spot away(we have the email confirmation) and if your camp hosts are out for a family emergency, have a backup available to enforce the rules of the campground so guests are not inconvenienced. This severely out a damper on our trip and we will not return or recommend this campground.

Stars were amazing, the sites felt spaced out and private. I'd happily camp here again!

Dense ponderosa pine forest with lots of space to explore. Sites have space for multiple vehicles (extra cost) and multiple tents/campers. Only one water source and bathroom near the entrance so plan on a long walk or drive to use facilities if you are on the far end of the campground.

This is a great campground with a short drive off of hwy 260. The site is clean, secluded and well kept. We saw quite a few wild horses in the vicinity.

If you are looking for a small, simple campground this is a GEM!  A very small amount of sites, and when I was there only 1/2 of the sites were full, so it was quiet and campers all felt pretty secluded from each other.  (This was a couple years backs it may have gotten busier and gained popularity.) When we were there it was about 1/2 tent campers and 1/2 RV campers. It was a bit louder during the days then at night, but that is to be expected since it it on a lake. 

The toilets, campfire rings, picnic tables, and other amenities were all nice. Nice flat area to set up a tent. The pines provide some shade during the day.

We were lucky enough to spot some wildlife while driving near the campground- a herd of wild horses! It was really cool to see horses in the wild- a new experience for me :) 

Only drawback was I struggled to get a strong signal for wifi, but is that really a drawback? haha :) 

Campground host was extremely friendly making it an inviting, nice place to stay a few nights :)  Lots of ideas for stuff to do and places to check out in the area.

Unlike some of the more popular lakes in the area, Black Canyon Lake offers more serenity. Don't expect a great fishing experience, however, as the lake is rarely stocked any more. Nonetheless, even with its low levels, it's a beautiful sight. Take a walk around the lake until you reach the dam. Walk back to your dispersed site, lay in the hammock or sit around the campfire and wait for the wild horses to stop by. Great place for seclusion except for the occasional firearm echos and the one time there was an exceptionally rowdy bunch. There are restrooms by the lake but that could be quite a distance for a potty break depending on where you set up camp so bring a shovel in case. Please be prepared to CARRY OUT your trash. Do not leave it. Do not burn it. Thank you! Enjoy!

Many Ponderosa Pines cover this campground located a couple miles from Black Canyon Lake. No hookups, but clean, well-being maintained sites with bear proof dumpsters. Clean vault toilets and drinking water for jugs are available. Host sells firewood. Deer, elk and many wild horses roam the area along with the black bears. General store, gas and restaurants just a few miles away.

We read one review on this campground and it stated the campground was dirt. We pulled up and were taken away by the beauty. So many trees and beautiful campsites. With only 16 campsites, you have your own piece of camping paradise. There is 2 vaulted toilets, very well maintain, and new. There is an easy trail that runs along the campground, maybe a mile and half, easy walk. You can use wood from the forrest or buy some from the host. We did tent camp and I wish we would of brought a rake to remove rocks from our tent site. Our tent is 11ft and fit wonderfully! Plenty of space to put up tent,bbq grill, stove, and have your vehicle along side of you. There are Rv sites there as well. In our spot you could of easily placed a pop up and move it in. There is water at the host area, no cost. Before you get to the campsite there is a general store that has many items if you forgot something. We did wonder down to go find the graces of Scott Stott and Wilson, but we were not able to. We followed the GPS and reviews and people stated it was close to the campground. We walked a good 30 minutes and found nothing. We believe it is in a canyon which we did not feel comfortable hiking down. We road out a crazy storm, and the canyons made the thunder sound like a really mad Greek God. If you enjoy some antiques and thrift stores Heber-Overgaard offer some unique and great stores. Black Canyon Lake is just a shirt trip down the road. beautiful to walk around and lots of room to fish. Lake was low when we went. This campground has made it to the list of favorites!

After passing through the beginning gate, there was basically open land everywhere to go camping and not many cacti for me to fall into. Overall pretty empty, with many shrubs.