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The facility is small, with 12 tent-only, walk-to campsites. Campfire rings and restrooms are provided. A campground host resides on-site for visitor assistance. Brookchar Campground is tucked on the banks of Big Lake in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The campground is a small, tent-only facility comprised entirely of walk-in sites. Of the lake's five campgrounds, Brookchar is nearest to the water. The stocked lake draws anglers, and boat rentals and a boat ramp make it easy for campers to enjoy the lake's blue waters. Recreation Big Lake is one of Arizona's top trout fishing lakes, with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Apache trout being the most sought-after species. The recreation area is also popular for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, birding and wildlife viewing. Facilities The facility is small, with 12 tent-only, walk-to campsites. Campfire rings and restrooms are provided. A campground host resides on-site for visitor assistance. A dump station, store, firewood, gas, food and boat rentals are located a short, half-mile drive away, and showers are just 1 mile away. Natural Features The campground sits in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest at an elevation of 9,100 feet. The area is scenic, forested with ponderosa pine, fir, spruce and aspen, interspersed with high elevation meadows. Summer temperatures are pleasant and cool, a nice respite from the heat of lower deserts. Visitors should come prepared for afternoon thunderstorms and cool nighttime temperatures. Nearby Attractions Several other lakes can be found in the surrounding area. Visitors can also explore endless vistas and take part in many outdoor activities in the surrounding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, which encompasses 2 million acres of magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona and New Mexico. ADA Access: N
Brook Char Campground is located in the Big Lake Recreation Area.
From Eagar: Go 5 miles west on State Route 260 turn south on State Route 261 go 29 miles to Sate Route 273, turn west go about 3 miles, Big Lake Recreational Area will be on the west side.
From Show Low, Arizona: take Highway 260 east for 42 miles to Highway 273. Take Highway 273 south for 30 miles Big Lake Recreational Area will be on the west side.
Per vehicle per night $16.00
Additional Camp Unit fees collected at the campground.
*Additional Camp Unit $16.00
Interagency/Senior Discount $8.00
EZ Camping Tent Sites Per night $55.00
Reservation Fee $10.00
Make a reservation at Recreation.gov.
We got to stay one night here, I didn't want too long of a drive back home so this was the half way point, and we wished we stayed longer. Pat was a great host and all the people in the tackle shop were helpful and nice. I recommend renting a boat and go have a relaxing day on the lake fishing and enjoying the moment.
Reserved site #13 on line for August 15th. On arriving this site has no flat areas and you must pass directly through site #12 to access. The entire campground was EMPTY except us. We decided to move to site #12 to get a flat area. I informed the host out of courtesy of our move to the empty adjoining site. He said NO! I had to pay him $20 to make the change. If I did it on-line, it would be zero fee. THERE IS NO CELL COVERAGE at this campground, so it is impossible to go online and make that useless change. Another caretaker drove by and said he didn't see a problem moving if it was his call. The dude at Brookchar would NOT budge...he wanted his $20 bucks ( I have a senior pass and at worst it would have been $8.00). Told him to stuff it and to contact his manager. He refused. The other caretaker guy drove away and and said he would discuss it with her. Bear in mind, the entire campground had zero reservations for that evening besides us. He returned later to inform me that the manger had "OK'ed" the change for no fee. It is zero fee to change a campsites....zero! The host was a total Ahole. Beware....
We stayed over a week in the pouring rain. It was the best camping ever. They have nice restrooms. The host keeps them clean and stocked. There is water but no showers. You can reserve a spot or walk up. The places that are reserved are closer to parking which would have been easier. They have a bear box for food and trash. They also sell firewood but we needed to use some dry wood from the store to get the fire started (it was pouring) the wood we bought there burned longer. It's quiet, it's beautiful it's probably my favorite place to camp.
We went during the end of may. The campground is beautiful and has amazing views of the big lake. We were at site 12 which is just across the street with Big lake views. One of the best sites in my opinion. The campground has a parking lot and you have to walk to your site, but site 12 comes with its own reserved parking spot by the side of the road which is a bonus. The site can easily accommodate 3 tents. It gets cold during the night, but during the day it has little less shade. Highly recommend site 12 if you want a private site and a parking spot. We were also able to spot a deer just across the street near the lake. There is no network so make sure to download offline maps. Restrooms are clean and firewood is available for $10 cash. The entire area is beautiful with small lakes. The drive from Phoenix via Globe is very beautiful and goes through Salt River Canyon. Definitely worth a visit.
