Brookchar

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest — lakeside, fishing

Location: Pinetop, AZ, AZ

Price: From $26 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (22 reviews)

Season: May through October

Brookchar Campground is tucked on the banks of Big Lake in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The campground is a small, tent-only facility comprised entirely of walk-in sites. Of the lake’s five campgrounds, Brookchar is nearest to the water.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Restrooms, Showers, Dump Station, Camp Host, Fishing, Boat Launch, Firewood for Sale

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/brookchar to be notified when sites open up.

Brookchar is a small, tent-only campground on the banks of Big Lake in Arizona's White Mountains, nearest to the water among five campgrounds on the lake. Big Lake is one of Arizona's top trout fishing lakes stocked with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Apache trout.

Wildlife alert: Mexican Wolf, Wapiti, Coyote, American Badger, Dusky Grouse, and garter snakes present in the area

Insider tips for Brookchar: Book early as a federal campground with only 12 sites All sites are walk-in tent sites on the banks of Big Lake Boat launch and rentals available for direct lake access

Skip Brookchar if: You need RV hookups - no hookups available. You plan to camp outside May through October - seasonal operations only. You prefer larger campgrounds - only 12 total sites.

Best time to visit Brookchar: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Grayling (Pinetop, AZ), Cutthroat (Pinetop, AZ), Rainbow (Az) (Pinetop, AZ), Winn (Greer, AZ).

Cell Phone Coverage at Brookchar

Cell signal at Brookchar (Pinetop, AZ): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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CamperWatch›AZ›Brookchar
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Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest — lakeside, fishingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Brookchar

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Pinetop, AZ, AZ★ 4.5 (22 reviews)From $26/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Brookchar Campground is tucked on the banks of Big Lake in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. The campground is a small, tent-only facility comprised entirely of walk-in sites. Of the lake’s five campgrounds, Brookchar is nearest to the water.

Best for:AnglersBoatersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsShowersFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump StationBoat Launch
Family & Pets
RestroomsCamp HostFirewood for Sale

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups - no hookups available✕ You plan to camp outside May through October - seasonal operations only✕ You prefer larger campgrounds - only 12 total sites

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early as a federal campground with only 12 sites

All sites are walk-in tent sites on the banks of Big Lake

Boat launch and rentals available for direct lake access

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mexican Wolf, Wapiti, Coyote, American Badger, Dusky Grouse, and garter snakes present in the area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
928-735-7313· Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest
Getting there →

From Pinetop, Arizona, take Highway 260 east 25 miles to Highway 273 south. Follow Highway 273 south 19 miles to Forest Road 8115 (Big Lake Entrance). Turn right and travel 2 miles.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Brookchar cost per night?+
Brookchar costs $26 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Brookchar open?+
Brookchar is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Brookchar have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Brookchar?+
Brookchar is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Brookchar?+
Brookchar is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Brookchar?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Brookchar is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Brookchar open, and what are check-in times?+
Brookchar is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Forest Service Concessionaire
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$26 /night★ 4.5 (22)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Brookchar cost per night?+
What season is Brookchar open?+
Does Brookchar have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Grayling

Pinetop, AZ

From $34/night

Cutthroat

Pinetop, AZ

From $26/night

Rainbow (Az)

Pinetop, AZ

From $34/night

Winn

Greer, AZ

From $26/night

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