Riggs Lake

Coronado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hiking

Location: Willcox, AZ, AZ

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (4 reviews)

Season: May through October

Riggs Flat Lake is located at the end of Swift Trail, a road that winds along the top of the Pinaleno Mountains. It is a small picturesque lake, 11 acres in size, set in alpine forest and meadow. Its cold waters are stocked during the summer with rainbow, brown and brook trout, and anglers report that the fishing is usually good.

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

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Electric Hookups, Fishing, Boat Launch

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

Riggs Flat Lake is a small, picturesque 11-acre alpine lake in the Pinaleno Mountains with consistently good fishing for rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Campers praise its beautiful setting and family-friendly atmosphere, though note the remote location requires a long drive.

Wildlife alert: Mount Graham Red Squirrel, Mexican Spotted Owl, Western Twin Spotted Rattlesnake, and Chihuahuan Mountain Kingsnake present in area

Insider tips for Riggs Lake: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand Bring plenty of ice; nearest store is 1.5 hours away Last several miles are on hard-packed dirt road; high-clearance vehicle recommended Elevation nearly 12,000 feet — bring cold-weather gear despite summer season

Skip Riggs Lake if: You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites. You expect maintained facilities — bathrooms may be dirty and no ranger on-site. You dislike winding mountain roads with curves on steep terrain. You need easy access to services or supplies.

Best time to visit Riggs Lake: May-October — Official operating season; lake stocked with trout during summer months.

Nearby campgrounds: Upper Hospital Flat Group Site (Safford, AZ), Treasure Park - East (Safford, AZ), Lower Twilight Group Site (Safford, AZ), Upper Arcadia (Safford, AZ).

Cell Phone Coverage at Riggs Lake

Cell signal at Riggs Lake (Willcox, 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›Riggs Lake
Riggs Lake — photo 1
Riggs Lake — photo 2
Riggs Lake — photo 3
Coronado National Forest — lakeside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Riggs Lake

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Willcox, AZ, AZ★ 4.5 (4 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Riggs Flat Lake is located at the end of Swift Trail, a road that winds along the top of the Pinaleno Mountains. It is a small picturesque lake, 11 acres in size, set in alpine forest and meadow. Its cold waters are stocked during the summer with rainbow, brown and brook trout, and anglers report that the fishing is usually good.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesBackpackersSites: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
Max RV40 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
ToiletsVault toilets
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic TablesBoat Launch
Family & Pets
Electric Hookups

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 hookups — no hookups available at most sites✕ You expect maintained facilities — bathrooms may be dirty and no ranger on-site✕ You dislike winding mountain roads with curves on steep terrain✕ You need easy access to services or supplies

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand

Bring plenty of ice; nearest store is 1.5 hours away

Last several miles are on hard-packed dirt road; high-clearance vehicle recommended

Elevation nearly 12,000 feet

bring cold-weather gear despite summer season

Best: May-October

Official operating season; lake stocked with trout during summer months

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: Mount Graham Red Squirrel, Mexican Spotted Owl, Western Twin Spotted Rattlesnake, and Chihuahuan Mountain Kingsnake present in area

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
928-428-4150· Coronado National Forest
Getting there →

From Safford, drive south 8 miles on US 191 to AZ 366. Turn right (southwest) onto 366 and drive 29 miles to the Columbine Work Center. Continue along Forest Roads 803 and 287 about 5 miles to the campground. The last 12 miles of this road are narrow and winding.

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 — Coronado National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Coronado National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Riggs Lake cost per night?+
Riggs Lake costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Riggs Lake open?+
Riggs Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Riggs Lake have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Riggs Lake?+
Riggs Lake can accommodate RVs up to 40 feet.
How do I make reservations at Riggs Lake?+
Riggs Lake 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 Riggs Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Riggs Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Riggs Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Riggs Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
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.

$50 /night★ 4.5 (4)
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 Riggs Lake cost per night?+
What season is Riggs Lake open?+
Does Riggs Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Upper Hospital Flat Group Site

Safford, AZ

From $25/night

Forest campground camping

Treasure Park - East

Safford, AZ

From $25/night

Lower Twilight Group Site

Safford, AZ

From $25/night

Upper Arcadia

Safford, AZ

From $30/night

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