By:
Submission
At the southern end of the East Fork canyon is Buffalo Crossing Campground, an old Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) era site which actually boasts the largest campsites along the river. The East Fork meanders through the forested valley shaded by tall ponderosa pines and bordered by grasses, alders, and cottonwoods. Campsites are located a few steps from the stream to protect the Black River's unique riparian zone, but access to the river is easy as the undergrowth serves more to enhance the river's picturesque nature than to obstruct easy passage. Click [here](https://fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5261588.jpg) for a map.
Directions from Alpine: Drive two miles north on US Highway 191 to Forest Road 249. Turn west and follow this wide, graveled forest road 5 miles to Forest Road 276. Turn south and follow Forest Road 276 for six miles to the East Fork Recreation Area.
Very quite. River just 50 - 100 yards from campsites depending what site you camp at. Fishing was great with 19 Rainbow Trout caught in 1.5 days. Kids could make noise run and play. The wildfe was everywhere. chipmunks, birds, deer, beavers. The monsoons are typical this time of year. Rain the first night then clear the other two. Mosquitoes were not as bad as I anticipated. The caretaker was great and very helpful. Campground provided potable water free of charge. We will go there again for sure.
Clean restrooms and drinking water available. Busy campground but plenty of space. A creek that's good for crawdadding but not very good for fishing. Spectacular views and plenty of wildlife to see.
I had the opportunity to visit Buffalo Crossing from September 16-19. The weather was as incredible as the campsites - High 75'/Low 44'. This campground is managed by the USDA Forest Service. A camp host will stop by to collect the fees. We arrived on a Wednesday night and the campground was at most 1/2 full. There are about 16 camp sites with several that would support a Class B RV. There was no problem with the 24' travel trailer we had. There is also a 55' diameter roundabout at the end of the campground near site #16. I would not recommend a Class A for this campground. IMO the best site in the campground is #11 which offers the most room, fire pit, picnic table, and plenty of overhead cover.
It is also closest to the well-maintained bathrooms. The star filled night skies at this campground were amazing. The East Fork of the Black River is just a couple of steps from every site. On my trip we landed Rainbow and Brown Trout. I'll definitely be going back.
