U.S. Forest Service · Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest · Arizona

Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area

A beautiful, narrow, canyon-bound lake, accessible by foot trail only, Bear Canyon Lake is one of several in a series of fishing lakes built by Arizona Game and Fish Department. Despite being several miles down a dirt road and having few amenities, it draws many visitors. The partially developed campground which is set among the mixed conifer, oak and aspen, has only limited amenities. Bear Canyon Lake is a "Pack it in - Pack it out" area. There is no garbage service. Please be good stewards of the land and leave the area better than how you found it. For purposes of fire restrictions, this campground is considered to be an 'undeveloped' campground.

Open nowFirst-come, first-servedFreeTents only

More like this: first-come in Arizona · free in Arizona · tent only in Arizona

Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area
Photo from the area. davidpinter (CC BY 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
4fires
active
D2 Vincent Rx (prescribed burn) · 4 mi away · 2,258 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Amenities & rules

EquipmentTents
FeesThere is no fee to camp.

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonApril 15
ForestApache-Sitgreaves National Forest
FeesThere is no fee to camp.
RulesFor purposes of fire restrictions, this area is considered "undeveloped". No campfires are allowed when campfire restrictions are in effect for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.30 inches of precipitationFebruary: 2.23 inches of precipitationMarch: 1.88 inches of precipitationApril: 0.87 inches of precipitationMay: 0.78 inches of precipitationJune: 0.29 inches of precipitationJuly: 2.77 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.34 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.94 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.44 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.38 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.32 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 30.8°F averageFebruary: 34.3°F averageMarch: 39.8°F averageApril: 45.8°F averageMay: 54.0°F averageJune: 63.4°F averageJuly: 68.8°F averageAugust: 66.9°F averageSeptember: 60.6°F averageOctober: 50.2°F averageNovember: 39.6°F averageDecember: 30.9°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Blue Ridge RS, 18 miles from the campground at 6,880 feet, station USC00020871 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 22 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates34.4054° N, 111.0045° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    D2 Vincent Rx

    4 mi from the campground · 2,258 acres

  • Prescribed
    D2 Dye Rx

    6 mi from the campground · 5,246 acres

  • Prescribed
    Wolfe-Tillman Rx

    8 mi from the campground · 50 acres

  • Prescribed
    D2 Sinkhole Rx

    10 mi from the campground · 875 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗6.4 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Video

Bear Canyon Lake - Mogollon Rim Camp - Day 2

Trails nearby

Forest Service trail data →
  • under 0.1 mi
    Mallard
    0.1 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.1 mi
    Bear Canyon Lake
    1.6 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Merganser
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.9 mi
    Two-O-Eight
    0.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 2.1 mi
    Mogollon Rim Snowmobile B
    1.5 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski
  • 2.2 mi
    Bear Snowmobile Loop ↗
    17.1 mi trail · snowmobile, snowshoe, ski

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

Tonto National Forest begins about 1.5 miles away, and it is the closest of these.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Arizona

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Camping Arizona
    Bruce Grubbs, 2021
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Tent Camping: Arizona
    Kirstin Olmon Phillips and Kelly Phillips, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico
    Mike White and Douglas Lorain, 2016
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

Do I need a reservation at Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area?

No. Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area is first-come, first-served. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.

Source: Forest Service

How much does it cost to camp at Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area?

Nothing. Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area is listed as free. There is no fee to camp.

Source: Forest Service

Is Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season April 15.

Source: Forest Service status

Can I bring an RV to Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area?

Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area is listed for tents only.

Source: Forest Service

What if Bear Canyon Lake and Camping Area is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Promontory Pit Road Campground (2.1 mi, first-come), FR 169 Campground (3.3 mi, first-come), and FR 9350 Campground (4.7 mi, first-come).

Source: Campgrounds nearby