Sunny Flat Campground

Just the name makes you want to come here. It is a small creekside flat in the Chirichuwa Mtns that gets sun most of the day tho surrounded by rugged high pillars and cliffs. Several sites will handle TT or MH longer than 28' First come basis so best to arrive mid-morning to pick a spot. One of the very nicest place we have visited. Very historic area and was a Chochise stronghold and Geranimo finally surrendered 20 miles from here. Valley is wild bird migration route, valley just east has had jaguars spotted in it. Wild and rugged country. There are signs warning of illegal smuggling activities in the area.

We loved camping at Sunny Flat. It's a small campground, no hookups but you are surrounded by the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains, the view is spectacular. Camp sites around the circle are better in my opinion, than those on the stretch of road when entering the campground. The sites are well spaced and private with a wide asphalt parking pad, a tent pad, a lantern hook and a large, covered, paved patio with picnic table. There are bear boxes at each site, but when we were there the host said there had been no bear activity. We did see deer and javelina in the campground. There are vault toilet facilities which are very well maintained. This is a very quiet campground and is popular for birding. There are lots of hiking trails and scenic drives in the area and the towns of Portal and Rodeo are nearby for exploring. The nearest gas station and grocery is at the mercantile in Animas about 20 minutes away so come fully stocked. There is no cell signal or wifi at this campground. The town of Portal has a nice little library and good wifi is available there (even in the parking lot).

Beautiful but remote site by Cave Creek. Popular with birders & hikers. No cell service, but can go to ranger station/visitor center about 1.5 miles away or to the Portal Library parking lot for wi-fi. There is a raised toilet & water spigot available. The spot has bear box, lantern hook, picnic bench and you are surrounded by beautiful views of the Chiricahua Mountains. You can get a hot shower at the RV Park in Rodeo about 15 miles away. The Chiricahua National Monument is a must see. The nearest gas station is at Animas or you can go to San Simon.

Camped Thursday, 11/9/17 (Note: senior rate is $5)

The Chiricahua Mountains are absolutely stunning, and Sunny Flat is nestled in the valley below them, about 3 miles from Portal. A camp host was on-site and said it was okay to collect firewood if we needed it.

As mentioned in the other reviews, sites are well spaced, with pads wide enough for 2 vehicles. I think only 2 or 3 sites have covered picnic tables, but most sites are in the shade. Besides the tent pad, large fire ring, lantern hook, bear box and picnic table, sites have a pedestal grill. Some camp sites are along the road coming into the campground, and others are around the ring. We arrived Thursday morning, and the campground ended up being almost full.

No cell service at all (we got wi-fi at the lodge restaurant in Portal). Vault toilet house was a little smelly, but clean and stocked with TP. Also a light comes on automatically when you enter. No sink though. The water pump is outside the VT house.

Campground was quiet, except there was some road traffic, even into the nighttime, which was a little surprising given the somewhat remote location. We saw deer, squirrel, skunk and a number of birds. In was a moon-less night and stars were incredible!

As others have reviewed, this is an awesome place. Brought my birder friend and she loved it. The hiking is not bad, due to fires and flooding in past years, some of the trails have been eroded but still quite a few trails with various degrees of difficulty. Gas is back in Animas so come prepared. No cell service on Verizon. Campground host, Jan, takes care of everything at the park and is wonderful. The loop sites will be best for solar and the views except for site #9. Site#9 is pretty sloped front to back but would provide lots of privacy and shade for the summer. If you need laundry or a shower go to Mountain Valley Lodge and RV Park in Rodeo, the guys there are really nice. The visitor's center is manned by volunteers who are very knowledgeable about the area including where to find certain birds and the condition of the hiking trails.

First we took the campsite in the sun, then found the campers in site #2 leaving and moved to it. Shade, and a running creek, to sit by for lunch. We walked the nearby trails, and loved the warmth in the first week of April. The visitors center had live examples of the local rattlesnakes, and cell coverage. Next day we drove over the mt. to the west and went to the Chiricahua park. Exotic birds and snakes all around.

Better then the Chirichua monument by far. Several sites for our 28'. First come first serve. Wifi at the visitor center from 10-2. Several sites open every night we were there, b though the sunny ones in the loop fill up fast.

Found this location on Campendium and was quite surprised at what I found despite the Google Earth views. As you leave the desert moving into the canyon, you are now surrounded by trees along the canyon bottom. The surrounding canyon walls and mountains are spectacular. Camping is first come, first serve. A little more than half the sites are in the shade mostly, the balance mostly sun, good for those who want to keep their batteries charged with their solar panels. No gas, propane, or grocery stores, so load up before you head out.

Cave Creek Campground is a beautiful spot tucked in the Chiricahua Mountains on the New Mexico/Arizona border, and Sunny Flat is the only spot where RV's (UNDER 41' in length!!) can camp on this side of the wilderness. There are only a handful of paved spaces available, first come, first serve and we were very lucky to grab the only vacant one we saw when scouting the location. It is worth mentioning that you might plan ahead for topping off your gas tank when coming in from New Mexico as fueling options are few and far between from Lordsburg going south of the interstate. For that matter, Bisbee AZ had only one gas station on Highway 80 where you might fill up going in an easterly direction.
The sites vary in length, and there are signs along the road in saying vehicles over 41' in length are prohibited (for good reason). Low hanging tree branches, a narrow bridge and tight turns would make entry for longer RV's or 5th wheels very tricky. Check in is self-serve, with envelopes and a drop box by the restrooms.
Clean pit toilets, fresh water, food lockers and trash receptacles are the amenities, cell/internet service is nonexistent except at the visitor's center (both a positive and a negative, I suppose). There is a space blocked off for a camp host, but no host was present during our stay there. We did see a Forest Service guy picking up trash on our second day there.
The only issue we had is with maps for trails in the area. The Forest Service has not put out any maps that we could find onsite, and the visitor's center is run by the Friends of Cave Creek selling maps for $14.00
We very much appreciated the trails advice given by the visitor's center, but it was not very clear (two different volunteers gave advice on trails they had not actually done), and the trails themselves are not marked as well as is typical for the Forest Service. It is almost as if they are discouraging visitors to the area by not offering any camping 'infrastructure'. Nonetheless, we consider this an outstanding camping spot, if you can snag a space and are the sort who enjoy being respectful of your surroundings. Simply gorgeous...

Sunny Flat was a breath of fresh air after being in the desert around the Salton Sea, Quartzsite, and Yuma for the prior months. I arrived there on a Monday and found a great first-come-first-serve site. Apparently, sites are hard to come by on weekends. The views were spectacular and the sites were very nice. I used my access pass for 1/2 off. 10 bucks a night, can't beat it. No internet with Verizon and Weboost but had Wi-Fi at the ranger station that worked very well.

Sunny Flat Campground -
https://youtu.be/dPVIXH0f3Ug