Bear Canyon Lake is one place we keep coming back to. Four trips over the years — June 2017, October 2019, May 2021, July 2022 — and it still delivers every time. There is something about this particular stretch of the Apache-Sitgreaves that keeps pulling us back, and if you camp here once you'll understand why.

The lake itself is beautiful and narrow — a canyon-bound body of water at 7,560 feet, 60 surface acres with a maximum depth of 50 feet. Because of its depth it has no water quality issues. The Arizona Department of Game and Fish stocks it with catchable-sized rainbow trout about six times each year. The surrounding forest of mixed conifer, oak, and aspen sets it apart from the more open rim lakes nearby — there's a contained, tucked-in quality to it that the larger lakes don't have.

The Camp — How We Do It

We pass all the nearest sites near the lake and continue past the powerlines where the dispersed sites spread out and the crowds thin. Out there you can barely hear anyone around — at times we've had the area almost entirely to ourselves. But not always, during our visit in July, 2022 in 2am we heard a vehicle using the road below us, playing loud music and shooting from their vehicle. It's a bit of a hike to the lake from those sites, or a short drive — but the tradeoff in solitude is worth it every time.

The campsites are spread among tall pines on relatively flat ground above the lake. No reservations, no fees, no garbage service — this is a pack it in, pack it out area and it needs to stay that way. We've seen what the trash situation looks like when people don't take that seriously, and it's not what this place deserves. At times during camp cleanup, we get rewarded, the most recent we found a ax. Come prepared to leave it better than you found it.

The Lake Trail

The trail from the camping area down to the lake is steep, rocky, and loose — about a quarter mile that requires some attention on the descent. Shore fishing is the primary activity for most visitors — the clear water and rocky shoreline reward patience. Swimming is possible though access means navigating over boulders rather than sandy beaches. Bringing kayaks or heavy gear down the trail is genuinely challenging given the steep and loose conditions — worth knowing before you commit to hauling equipment.

Wildlife

Depending on the season you can hear elk and coyotes in the area — and see them too if you're quiet and patient in the early morning or late evening. The forest surrounding Bear Canyon Lake is active with wildlife year-round. Fall is especially good — aspens turning, cooler temperatures, elk bugling in the distance across the canyon. Trout fishing picks up. The crowds thin. It's the best version of this place.

Bear Beaver Ridge

The dispersed camping area around Bear Canyon Lake sits in the Bear Beaver Ridge section of the Sitgreaves — a broad forested ridge above the canyon that offers exploring well beyond the lake itself. Forest roads branch off in multiple directions and the forest has a density and scale that takes time to appreciate. There are trails to explore, viewpoints to find, and the kind of quiet that the Rim country does better than anywhere else in Arizona.

A Note on Trash

It needs to be said plainly. Bear Canyon Lake is a pack it in, pack it out area with no garbage service. On multiple visits we have found evidence of people who didn't follow this — and it matters. This is a genuinely beautiful and lightly developed area. The experience depends on visitors treating it that way. Bring bags. Take everything out. Leave no trace.

More Information

• Additional Information visit the Forest Service.

• Free dispersed camping — no fees, no reservations, 14-day stay limit

• Trail to lake is steep, rocky, and loose — use caution descending

• Bringing kayaks or heavy gear to the lake is challenging given the trail conditions