Stewart Campground is the only one of the three lower Cave Creek Campgrounds that you can visit without fording the creek. This is a cool, shady streamside camp where sites are clustered under a healthy stand of Arizona cypress trees, with some picturesque old sycamores closer to the streamside. As with all Cave Creek campgrounds, birdwatching is good right in the campground. It’s also close to other areas that are less disturbed and therefore even more productive for adding to your life-list. A short distance upstream from Stewart, the Vista Point Trail climbs above the canyon floor to offer unobstructed views of Cave Creek Canyon. Though this extremely easy stroll has little elevation change, the view it presents is impressive.
Other recreation amenities conveniently close to Stewart Campground include the Silver Peak Trail #280 and Cave Creek Visitor Information Center. The South Fork area, famous for its birdwatching and beautiful riparian forest, is a short drive away. The campground is located on the Cave Creek/Portal-to-Paradise scenic drive.
Sites at Stewart have pull-ins making it one of the better places along Cave Creek for camping if you have an RV. Trailers to 22 feet are permitted.
Location: 150 miles east of Tucson, 2.3 miles southwest of Portal.
Access: From Tucson, take I-10 east 139 miles to US 80 (you will cross the New Mexico border to get to this intersection). Turn right (south) and drive 28 miles, then turn right (west) on the road to Portal, 7 miles. From Douglas, take US 80 east approximately 50 miles to Rodeo, NM. Two miles past Rodeo, turn left (west) on Portal Road.
From Portal, drive west on Forest Road 42 approximately 2.3 miles to Stewart Campground. All roads are paved and suitable for passenger vehicles.
Season: Closed during winter season, usually November through April.
Elevation: 5,100'
Attractions:
Facilities:
Easy access
6 individual sites
Bird/wildlife watching
Tables and fire grills
Close to creek
Toilet
Vista trail
Notes:
No drinking water. It's always a good idea to bring drinking water with you on your camping trip. However water can be obtained from the Sunny Flat Campground.
No hook-ups
Trash bins provided
Pack and saddle stock are not permitted in campground