4.0022 reviews
Price
$7.5 - $30/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
10 campsites
Season
This campground is n...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
Price
$7.5 - $30/night
Booking
First-Come
Sites
10 campsites
Season
This campground is n...
Cell
Unknown
Pets
Check Policy
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Across from Columbine Visitor Center, Swift Trail, AZ 366, Arizona
Summer and fall hikers or mountain bikers who can self-supply water and grab a site midweek. Three trails start near camp, including the 5.6-mile Cunningham Loop, and the elevation keeps temperatures genuinely cool when Safford is cooking below.
No potable water on-site and the nearest resupply is 35 miles back in Safford, so if hauling your own water sounds like a dealbreaker, this primitive setup will frustrate. Vehicles over 22 feet also face real trouble on the switchback road in.
Reference information about Cunningham Campground sourced from official USFS records and forestcamping.com. View official recreation.gov page →
<p>Located high in the Pinaleno Mountains in an open, grassy stand of aspen and fir, this campground was constructed to provide a more primitive camping experience than most forest campgrounds. Campsites include a parking area and a fire grill. A public corral is available for riding and pack stock. Nearby there are plenty of foot and equestrian trails.</p><p>The Grant Creek Trail starts at the campground edge and follows a scenic route down canyon to the site of old Fort Grant, once an important outpost in the days of warring between the Apaches and the U.S. Army. Today, the fort is an Arizona State Prison Facility.</p><p>Also conveniently close by the campground is the Cunningham and Grant Hill Loop, a system of old logging roads and trails developed for mountain biking and hiking. Access to these trails is located across the Swift Trail (AZ 366) from the campground.</p><p><strong>Note: </strong>Black bear area. Store and dispose of all food in bear-proof containers and trash bins, or keep it locked in your vehicle.</p>
The elevation is 8,700 ft. The campground, located in the Pinaleno Mountains in a stand of and Douglas firs, offers a rustic camping experience. There are four contiguous pipe stalls for horses located in the center of a turn-around loop. Other than the stalls, there are no horse facilities, including stock water, in the campground. It is a good location for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. This is bear country; practice safe food storage techniques.
Open April 15 through November 15 - weather dependent
Open April 15 through November 15 - weather dependent Rate and Maximum Stay Permitted Rate: $10 per day Maximum Stay Permitted (days): 14 Campground Site Configuration No. RV Sites: 0 Open Sites: Yes No. Tent Sites: 1 Wooded Sites: Yes No. Combined Sites (Tent or RV): 9 Total Sites: 10 No. Tables on Sites: 10 Tent Pads: No No. Grilles on Sites: 10 Equestrian Camping: Yes RV Information Hookups: No No. RV Pull Throughs: 0 Waste Station: No Average Parking Apron Size: 13' X 30' Comments: The parking aprons are gravel. A free RV waste station (no potable water) is available at Safford Wastewater Treatment Plant, 1395 W. Reclamation Way, Safford, AZ. Coronado National Forest 146 Facilities Flush Toilets: No Hot Showers: No Vaults: Yes Wheelchair Friendly Toilets: Yes Public Phone: No Playground: No No. Water Spigots (non-site): 0
The parking aprons are gravel. A free RV waste station (no potable water) is available at Safford Wastewater Treatment Plant, 1395 W. Reclamation Way, Safford, AZ. Coronado National Forest 146
In Safford, AZ, at intersection of US Hwys 191 and 70, take Rt. 191 south for 7.9 miles to Mt. Graham signs. At sign turn right onto Rt. 366 and go 25.6 miles to campground sign. Turn left at sign into campground. NOTE: Although paved and well maintained, State Rt. 366 is steep and curvy with switchbacks. The last 3.6 miles are dirt, rocky, rough, and mostly wide single lane with some switchbacks. An official state sign, near the beginning of Rt. 366, recommends vehicle TOTAL length not exceed 40 feet; the authors concur. Because of the design and condition of the dirt portion of Rt. 366, the authors do not recommend towing a travel trailer to this campground. GPS Co-ordinates: N32 41.029; W109 53.803
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Summer delivers daytime temperatures between 60–80°F, making Cunningham a refuge from the heat in the Safford lowlands. The campground is open April 15 through November 14. July and August bring afternoon monsoon thunderstorms that usually clear quickly. Nights cool down significantly at this elevation, so pack layers. With only ten sites, the campground stays quiet except on holiday weekends.
Summer days 60–80°F; popular refuge from heat in surrounding lowlands.
Cunningham Campground offers a primitive camping experience at a high elevation of 8,700 feet. Amenities include 10 campsites with picnic tables and fire grills. Vault toilets are available, and the campground is wheelchair-friendly. However, there is no potable water, flush toilets, or hot showers. A public corral is available for equestrian use, though no stock water or additional horse facilities are provided.
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