Black Canyon Campground

$310 weekly Rate ???? Upon my initial arrival, I had to wonder why this campground had such bad reviews. First appearances were favorable, i.e., the flora and layout. But staying a week allowed for a closer and more detailed look. I had a 40' toy hauler 5th-wheel and had to back in against the perimeter fence. The fence being a catch-all for hoards of litter. Actually, there was litter throughout the campground. There was a useless playground, right next to a dog run (full of poop), which was right next to a very trashy, dumpster site. My first visit to the recently remodeled bath house was a double-edge sword.. the fact that the remodel was nicely done (for a campground), but also, no one was keeping it clean! The floor was kind of dirty, so after taking a shower, I used the broom and swept up the floor. Sweeping a pile of dirt up next to the handicapped shower. Three days, then five, then six.. that dirt pile was still there. The campground is mostly occupied by long-term residents, a lot of them in run-down campers. Some had 5-6 dogs, including German Shepherds, contained only by a 3' temporary fence. Not a safe feeling !!! Would not recommend this campground.. at all. Extreme calcium content in the water.

This whole campground was just run down and in need of some serious TLC. The sites were a mix of dirt and gravel, many were unlevel, and most all of the dividers between sites were full of weeds. The office was closed for several hours in the middle of the day which meant when we arrived in the pouring rain, the office door was locked. While the owner and his employee were friendly enough, closing the office in the middle of a workday just seemed odd.

There are a lot of long-term residents at the campground which normally doesn't phase us in the least, but here, it seemed like no one cared how anything looked. A lot of sites were full of junk, campground roads were rutted and full of pot holes, the whole property was overrun with weeds, and there were numerous dilapidated RVs. The whole place felt chaotic and disorganized.

If they put some money into it and cleaned it up, it could be a convenient campground along a popular route between Phoenix and Sedona, but as it is, we were not impressed. Making matters worse, we got a bad vibe from some of the long term residents. It takes a lot to make us leave early, but we did.

The campground is no longer KOA (since summer 2017) but is now Good Sam. We got a very warm welcome by the owners here, and felt right at home. They got some goats (one called Sam, who thinks he's a dog and comes running when the owner whistles for him) and some other animals (chickens and bunnies) roaming around.
I believe all the RV spots are pull-through, they are well spaced with some shade. As the temperatures are still pretty high even in November, the pool and hot tub are a plus. The bathrooms are clean and nicely decorated.
The campground is far enough from the highway to not to be bothered by the noise of the cars.