Cutthroat

Overview

Cutthroat Campground lies at an elevation of 9,000 feet in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. It sits on the shoreline of Big Lake and affords visitors many recreational opportunities in a quiet, scenic setting. Popular activities include trout fishing and hiking.

Recreation

Named after a species of trout, Cutthroat is adjacent to 450-acre Big Lake, one of Arizona's top fishing lakes. The lake is known for its trout fishing, with rainbow, cutthroat, brook and Apache being the most sought-after species. The recreation area is also popular for hiking, mountain biking, birding and wildlife viewing.

Facilities

Sites for tent camping only are scattered throughout this small facility and spaced a good distance apart. Some are directly on the waterfront. The basic amenities of restrooms, picnic tables and drinking water are provided, and anglers and boaters have the convenience of a boat ramp. An RV dump station is one mile away.

Natural Features

The campground is located in a very scenic area, forested with ponderosa pine, spruce, Douglas fir, and aspen trees, which provide ample shade. Summer temperatures are pleasant and cool, a nice respite from the heat of lower deserts. Visitors should come prepared for cool nighttime temperatures and occasional summer rain storms.

Nearby Attractions

Visitors can explore endless vistas and take part in many outdoor activities in the surrounding Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, which encompasses 2 million acres of magnificent mountain country in east-central Arizona and New Mexico.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (928) 537-8888.

Camp site features

Across 18 camp sites:

  • Pets allowed: all 18 sites
  • Largest party: 8 people

Directions

From Pinetop, Arizona, take Highway 260 east 25 miles to Highway 273 south. Follow Highway 273 south 19 miles to Forest Road 8115 (Big Lake Entrance). Turn right and travel 2 miles to Cutthroat Campground.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.

Reviews

53 reviews
5 stars
35
4 stars
7
3 stars
9
2 stars
2
Janet W
Loop:Cutt
Site:
Reviewed 2 months ago
Great campsite! Very peaceful. Camp host was lovely. Cutthroat at Big Lake is our most favorite campground in Arizona.
Andrew B
Loop:Cutt
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
Great place to set up a base camp for sleeping and cooking. Super close to the lake and other activities. Access to all Campgrounds is nice also.
erin l
Loop:Cutt
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
Our spot was directly on the road. The road is extremely busy. People speeding up and down almost all night and day. Camp host was awesome and facilities were clean. Site was not planned out well however cannot cut down all the trees!!
Victoria G
Loop:Cutt
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
The campsite was beautiful, but we didn’t really have a host, and nearly every person that was working was rude to us. The website mentioned showers available but failed to mention they were 12 dollars a person. I didn’t want to spend over $40 washing my family, and asked the gentleman working the showers if the price was for paying campers, it was, and when I told him I would pass for showers he mocked me, turning around to a group of people waiting saying “did you hear that, 12 dollars is too much for a shower”. The next day when we left we were looking high and low for a trash since we didn’t really have a host and could not find the trash at cutthroat. We asked another group or campers and they said the only ones they could find were locked. When we brought the trash to rainbow campsite the women told us we would need to pay 10 dollars a bag for trash even though we were paying campers. Thankfully another gentleman came over and let us throw our trash for free. Then the women proceeded to scream at us when we got out the throw away our trash. My family and I have camped all around AZ and have never experienced such horrible customer service. I understand keeping things from boon-dockers, but I had my reservation on my phone with me at all times. I paid over 80 dollars to camp for 3 nights and was expecting a little more than 1 check in with a host never to be seen again and then treated like a criminal at neighboring campsites. I’d love to visit again but it will be awhile since I don’t want to experience the same disrespectful and unwelcoming workers. The only individual I had a good experience with was the gentleman working at the visitor center.
Melissa R
Loop:Cutt
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
Beautiful location. Quiet and spacious sites. Be prepared to carry gear a little ways up and down hill, but totally worth it in my opinion.
Anthony H
Loop:Cutt
Site:
Reviewed 4 months ago
Nice place
Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve

Season dates

Peak season

May 14, 2027 – Sep 16, 2027

Reservable online

Walk In season

Sep 17, 2027 – Oct 31, 2027

First come, first served

Peak season

May 15, 2028 – Sep 17, 2028

Reservable online

Walk In season

Sep 18, 2028 – Oct 31, 2028

First come, first served

Camp Sites

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