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Beautiful small camping place, lots of bird watchers. We saw the endangered Mexican spotted owl while we were there. No amenities, just dry camping.
So, here's the scoopage on Pinery Canyon Campground. I found it a good alternative to the campground at Chiricahua National Monument down the road. When I checked two weeks before my trip, the Chiricahua campground was already booked solid for the night I was planning to camp (I visited on a Friday in April 2018). Just know that Pinery Campground is dispersed camping, so there are no restrooms, tables, water, or camping fees. There are already established sites where people go back to year after year, so you should have no problem finding a place to pull in with a fire ring already put together. Wasn't sure about availability, and I can only speak for the night I was there...but there was one group of four vehicles down the road and then my campsite. That left quite a few other sites available. Don't know how it is at other times of the year. Since I was exploring Chiricahua anyway, I just used the restroom at the visitors center which is modern with running water. It appears to be open 24 hours a day. The visitor's center is about a 15 minute drive away. I also had breakfast at one of the picnic areas at Chiricahua. The road to the campground has quit a bit of washboarding and a few dips to look out for, but any vehicle should be able to navigate the road (at least in dry weather). The same goes for the forest road that takes you over the mountain to Portal, AZ. There isn't really much washboarding after the campground, but it's still bumpy with some dips here and there. I topped out at around the 20 mph mark going up the hill. I'm attaching a couple pics of the campground info that I picked up at the Chiricahua Visitors Center.
Perfect campsite not far from chiricahua...make sure to fill up your water at the park...no amenities whatsoever just a pull off beside the road...not really a campground more like a campsite plenty of peace and quiet...watch out for scorpions and UFOs..was even lucky enough to get a photo of a pair of montezuma quail
So quiet and serene up here! I chose this instead of the campsites located at the Chiricahua National Monument as I wanted something more secluded and immersed in nature as opposed to sharing space with large campers and such.
This is dispersed camping which means, find a cozy spot and leave it cleaner and more Human-free the way you found it. There are no regulated campsites, no bathrooms, no water or electricity.
Be prepared for the occasion wild animals- I ran into deer, wild turkey I believe, and a huge black bear. The animals didn’t bother be but be warned, you’re in the wilderness.
The road is no joke either... some parts are maintained but in general up in the mountains the roads can be pretty rough (but doable)... just know you’re off road! I actually woke up to a flat tire but luckily had a spare to fix it myself. There is zero cell service or any service of any kind here. The closest tire repair shop is about 45 min away.
