Riverview Campground

First, a major warning about the entrance road: not for the faint of heart! The road from Safford is paved and easy, but just as you enter Gila Box, everything changes. There are multiple steep 15% grades down into tight, blind curves, followed another 15% grade up the other side. Do not attempt this road if you are not confident in the abilities of your brakes or engine. Class A's and Fifth Wheels can make it, but it's a hair-raising trip! The final mile into the campground is graded gravel, with one steep hill just before the first sites.

We stayed at Riverview for 9 days, including Easter weekend. During the weekdays, we mostly had the place to ourselves, and there were even a few spaces open during the holiday weekend. The campground itself is austere desert, but the surrounding riparian area near the Gila River is lush and beautiful. There's hiking trails and old mining roads for hours of walking. We saw all kinds of wildlife, including bighorn sheep, coatimundi, birds and butterflies. Our favorite part was hanging out by the river, a green oasis with sandy areas to play in.

It's definitely remote, with the closest town being about a 45 minute drive away, and extremely spotty internet service. Bring everything you will need for your stay, and enjoy the changing desert sky and 360 degree sunrises and sunsets.