I can't begin to tell you how gorgeous this lake is. What a hidden gem! I'm a native of AZ and only…read morejust recently learned about Blue Ridge Reservoir (also known as C.C. Cragin). I almost didn't want to review it because I want to keep it all to myself. Because it is so narrow, it almost looks like a river. Blue Ridge is 8 miles end-to-end and is stocked with rainbow and brown trout. It is a popular destination for canoers and kayakers because of restrictions to motor boats more than 10 horsepower. I could have floated on this water for hours. The scenery at Blue Ridge reservoir is beautiful. It's located off Highway 87 about 30 miles north of Strawberry on the Mogollon Rim. There is only one convenience store with gas pumps nearby and no cell service. Rock Crossing Campground is the only organized campsite nearby if you want to stay overnight. The great thing is there are no permits needed or fees to enter Blue Ridge Reservoir. But it does get crowded at times and Forest Service workers will only allow one car at a time to enter when the lot is full. Make sure you have a reliable vehicle as the gravel road to the reservoir can get pretty bumpy. There is a bathroom on site at the overflow parking lot. Blue Ridge Reservoir is very peaceful and relaxing. I went over Memorial Weekend and it wasn't too crowed at all. It's definitely worth camping nearby so you can spend a full day here.

Great day here! Much larger than anticipated. Beautiful location within Coconino National Forest…read more Apparently this road is not open year round, nor are some of the local camprounds. Gravel forest road that any car can drive but beware of some deep ruts in areas. Vault toilets in upper parking lot. Nice concrete boat ramp. Jealous of those that were camping via kayaks.

We spent a day here and this place is one of the best kept campgrounds I've seen. The managers keep…read moreit clean, supplies are stocked well, and friendly people. It's quiet and rules are enforced, which makes it a safe and comfortable place to stay. The campsites are fairly large and spread out and paths can be found to a nearby lake. There are stone picnic tables and fire pits. Roads are paved and great for kids to play in large forest trees and pine needle grounds. Will look forward to staying as much as possible. Toilets and showers available too!

We had such an amazing time. The staff was amazing Leah, Paul and Dennis. They were so helpful and…read morefriendly I was so impressed. Our site was spotless when we arrived, the facilities were always clean. I love how accommodating this place was. It was nice to be able to buy firewood and ice if needed they would deliver to your site. We were traveling with a baby and pets so it was great to have the piece of mind that we were in a safe place! Thank you to the whole staff at pine grove we can't wait to return!

A very nice place to camp. Shady throughout the morning with cool enough temps during the summer.read more

Hard-To-Beat Location! Fantastic location, easy to find,…read moreexcellent camp hosts, good facilities, a good chance of seeing small wildlife up-close-and-personal. We arrived at 3:00 pm on a busy Memorial Weekend away from the Covid19 pandemic. There were no spaces left! We're so happy we booked EARLY online! Our first time here! You would be hard-pressed to find a more scenic creek forest camp setting in Arizona. Mighty impressive! The camp host in both LOTS A and B were extremely welcoming, very personable and obviously kept a very tidy ship. Thank You Ellen, Roger and Shannon for everything you did that made our trip just a little better. You're hard work and dedication should be recognized beyond this review. We found the fee to be fairly cheap, considering the location and time of year. It was also a very quiet site, compared to the nearby campsites. It's very close to Starr Valley and Payson etc ..too. We'd definitely recommend Christopher Creek Campsite to friends and family, for any future visits. The Santos Family (The Pug Family)

I was so excited to get a spot here over Memorial weekend. Rock Crossing is the only organized…read morecampsite near Blue Ridge Reservoir. Blue Ridge Reservoir (or C.C. Cragin) is this amazing hidden gem in Happy Jack that is popular with canoers, kayakers, and fishermen. The campground is about two miles from the reservoir. Rock Crossing is comprised of 31 individual family sites and two double sites. Each site can accommodate up to 8 people and is good for both tent and trailer camping. I booked my site ahead of time on recreation.gov. The campground provides fire rings, toilets, cooking grills, drinking water, bear food storage lockers, and picnic tables. The surrounding area is so beautiful and has ponderosa pine and oak trees all around. You also get some great views of the Mogollon Rim. It's pretty quiet here in the evenings and the stars shine bright because there are no major cities around. We tent camped and had a great time grilling and kayaking at Blue Ridge. Book early as the sites fill up quick!

Very clean, quiet and easy to find off the main road. We loved it. High elevation so keep that in…read moremind if you're not used to it.

FYI: If you're planning to go during the government shutdown, you can't drive all the way to the…read moreparking lot -- it's about an 8-mile hike (a lot of it on gravel). But honestly, it's worth every step! Just when you think you've reached the falls... you haven't. Keep going! The road in is pure washboard -- about 13 miles of bump city -- so make sure you have a 4-wheel drive and that nothing inside your car is loose. Fossil Creek is absolutely stunning, and bonus -- no permit needed after October 1st. The other thing says this trail is easy. No, it's not to be careful if you're taking somebody elderly over that doesn't have good mobility because there's some rocks you had a climb and what not also make sure you take plenty of water to drink and a little snack everything you pack in your pack. I would also suggest leaving the house by three 330. No later you don't wanna be hiking in the pitch dark.

I didn't know anything about this place beforehand. If my boss had never been here and my cousin…read morehad never told me about the Permit, I would've made a wasted trip. I wish I knew more before going. I need to know more information about how things work at Fossil Creek. Even after going, though we enjoyed ourselves, I still don't know how it works. There were no signs telling you where you can access trails to get to the creek. You just had to guess. I found a trail at our Homestead parking lot, but it was very steep and a little dangerous. We found a spot okay in the shade but was very small for our party of 6. We worked so hard getting down there that we just made it work. After leaving we went up the road a little way in our vehicle to see what the other spots looked like, but I saw no bridge or easy access from The Bridge parking lot either, and the road was just way too bumpy. I hope my wife's suspension is okay on her Mazda CX-5. The information before going should've told us about the road and what to expect, basically how to plan. It's all a guessing game. I could've asked the Ranger lady more questions, but I didn't know what to ask. My boss made things sound different. Apparently you can't drive people to the waterfall trailhead anymore. You have to walk over 2 miles on a dusty dirt road in over 100 degrees with vehicles driving by kicking up dust. That makes no sense whatsoever. We enjoyed our time at the water. Everything else leading up to it and after it we could've done without. I don't see us coming back unless we have someone with better suspension and/or better knowledge of the area. Thank you.

poor job of communicating with lot holders. They make changes to the rules and lot holders after…read morecontract is signed. storage rates increased 125%

Stopped at this place but not to stay. We were looking for a convenient store as we were looking…read morearound at homes. This is a neat place and seems to have odds and ends of what someone would need for camping or just passing through. We loved the shirts and hoodies and picked up a few. We saw the cabins beyond the store. Very nice set up for RVers. Although the lodge was closed for winter for most activities, the store is open. We will stop by again since we are only less than 2hrs away.

Stayed here at Site 14, 6/18-6/21 to celebrate boyfriend's birthday and had an amazing time!!…read more Spacious with enough room for two tents. Picnic table was in the sun most of the day so would recommend pop up gazebo or umbrella in the summer. Plenty of room to post up around the fire pit! Key amenities: Bathrooms close by. Multiple bathrooms around campgrounds. Each one has a potable water station outside! Firewood and Ice for sale (can pay with card but easier with cash!) Trail directly to the lake! Tips: Bring hand soap (hand sanitizer only at the bathroom). Only 2 cars per site and hosts come by at night to pick up the $10 payment for the second vehicle (card acceptable!) Hosts were SO kind and campground is very well taken care of. Thank you for having us!

This was such a pretty camp site! It was well taken care of, and dog friendly! They sell wood and…read moreice on site. I believe wood was $10 and ice was $5. They have 2 trails connected to the campsite. One that is .5miles goes under the road to the lake, and one that is 1mile and goes up the mountain for the lake views. The campsite director did mention there are ravens so you do need to hide your food if you're going to be away. There were some ants, my dog did get bit up by some sort of bugs on her stomach. The campsite was $30 for the night + $10 for an extra car. I highly recommend this place! It was so peaceful

AMAZING! Please don't be fooled by the past reviews. This place has new owners and is nothing short…read moreof fantastic. Sweet and pleasant staff, beautifully kept grounds, so many activities, cool playground for kids, dog beach, nice creek, clean and spacious showers, I could go on and on. Please consider this place for your next stay. You won't be disappointed! Just finished booking another 5 day stay!

Really nice park, but..... Once they get your rental payment in full, they will keep it! I came…read moredown with Covid and had to cancel. They gave zero refund and refused to offer future credit. We are a club and had over nine coaches booked. Another member had to cancel too. Hundreds of dollars down the toilet.

Just about everything you need to enjoy yourself deep in the mountains. A nice stocked lake with…read moreplenty of shoreline to enjoy fishing, hiking and other water associated activities. Plenty of parking but no bait shop but as a true fisherman, I bring what I need or I live without it.

Nice lake between Paulson and Heber that seems away from it all. The lake is in the…read moreApache-Sitgreaves National Forests. My Yelp friend Monica E. said it was one of her favorite so I had to check it out. Willow Springs Lake was actually created in 1966 by the Arizona Game and Fish Department as a trout fishing lake. They regularly stock the lake with trout spring through fall increasing your chance of catching a fish. Willow Springs is the second most visited lake so there will be competition for those fish. Willow Springs Lake has held the Arizona State record for largest trout caught so there are some big fish in the lake. There is a campground about a mile away. The lake website said it was in walking distance but it's more than I want to walk with chairs, cooler, etc. The campground has no services (water, electricity, sewer hookups) so you need to come prepared. Overall, it's a beautiful blue, clean lake in a pine forest that is a wonderful place to see and enjoy.

This has been on my bucket list for the past 5 years and this weekend I finally made it! I was…read moreexpecting it to be busy since it was a Sunday and a holiday weekend, but we went in the afternoon and tons of people were leaving when we were parking. The downside to that is that you are hiking in at the hottest part of the day. Which makes the water feel that much more refreshing. The hike isn't hard, you just follow the creek. Some people were in flip flops- which is doable, but the rocks can be quite slippery in places. Bring lots of water. There's some shade, but not tons. Oh- and watch out for the random cow. He's not friendly.

There is an awesome hiking spot here. You don't need a pass you can just park and hike. It's a bit…read moresteep in some areas but lots of people of all ages with dogs too. It was so beautiful this time of year. Slightly off the beaten path from Payson but worth a fun day trip from phoenix to get out of the head and see so fall foliage. Highly recommend