Bighorn Campground

We stayed here in order to visit the Catwalk Recreation Area (more about that later). This is a very small USFS campground situated between a small creek and the highway. There are only 5 sites. They're free, first come-first serve, and basically your typical rustic forest service campsites. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There was a clean vault toilet. Although the campground is right along the highway it was quiet at night when we were there in March as there was little nighttime traffic. We shared the campground with just one other rig.

The main reason to camp here is to visit the Catwalk. Wikipedia describes it as follows: "In 1889 silver and gold was discovered in the Mogollon Mountains above Whitewater Canyon, just east of Glenwood. Several mines were developed, and ore was hauled in wagons to a mill at the mouth of the canyon. The town of Graham was founded in the mountains, and water was needed to operate the electric generators. It came from a pipeline reaching up into the canyon, and was held onto the rock walls of the canyon with timbers and iron bars that were in constant need of maintenance. Workmen dubbed it the Catwalk, and today it is operated as part of the Glenwood Ranger District of the Gila National Forest. Today it is the site of the one-mile Catwalk National Recreation Trail, a universal access walking trail which follows the route of the old pipeline, clinging dramatically to the side of Whitewater Canyon often a dozen feet or more above Whitewater Creek." The Catwalk is well worth a visit, but be aware that at certain times of the year you will have to ford a river at least twice to get to the Catwalk. When we were there in March, we made it OK in our 4WD truck, but crossing in a low clearance car would not have been advisable.