Campground Hosts - Coronado National Forest, Safford Ranger District

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About the Position

The Safford Ranger District is seeking four Forest Service Campground Hosts to volunteer at Riggs Flat Lake Campground (2 hosts), Arcadia Campground (1 host), or Shannon Campground (1 host) on Mount Graham in Safford, AZ. This is a part-time flexible position which may vary from 20 to 40 hours per week depending on the scheduling needs of the volunteer and campground use levels. We are seeking hosts that are available for at least three months. A personal RV is required to be a host at all sites (Recommended 22 feet or less due to challenging switchbacks along AZ 366). The Forest Service will provide propane and will reimburse for mileage incurred traveling to and from the assigned campground.

10,724-foot Mount Graham is the second tallest mountain in Arizona and home to all developed recreation sites in the Safford Ranger District. Recreation is a main activity on the District, which includes two reservoirs, five trout species, several perennial streams, large trees and great hiking, camping, fishing and hunting opportunities. It also permits numerous special uses, including the world’s largest telescope.

Campground Information

Riggs Flat Lake Campground

Riggs Flat Lake Campground is the highest elevation campground on Mt. Graham located at 8,600 feet. The main attraction at Riggs Flat Campground is Riggs Flat Lake. Some come to fish in it, some to boat on it, and some just to enjoy the reflective beauty this small (11 acre) lake adds to such a scenic area. The dam was financed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in 1957 to provide trout fishing for forest recreationists. The campground is the largest developed recreation site on the district and features a total of 31 campsites. Visitor use levels are high throughout the peak season.

Arcadia Campground

When early settlers ventured up Mount Graham, the Arcadia area was usually as far as they got on the first day. A little later in the history of the Pinalenos, Arcadia was the site of one of several Civilian Conservation Corps camps established in the 1930s to provide jobs for workers idled by the Great Depression. Today, Arcadia Campground, which has 19 campsites, is the first campground visitors encounter on their way up Mount Graham by way of the Swift Trail (AZ 366), which was built by those Depression-era workers. Visitor use levels are moderate to high throughout the peak season. Arcadia Campground is shaded by stands of tall ponderosa pine interspersed with Gambel oaks and Arizona walnuts. Such a diverse habitat makes this an excellent area for bird watching.

Shannon Campground

Shannon Campground is small and tucked away along the upper reaches of Marijilda Creek, a pleasant little brook that winds through a setting of tall trees and green grass. Campsites are shaded under mature Engelmann spruce and Douglas-fir. Two three-sided wood shelters of the type originally developed in the Adirondack Mountains of New York add to the historic atmosphere of this campground. Visitor use levels are generally low to moderate throughout the peak season.

The Arcadia Trail, which leads down the mountain to Arcadia Campground, has been designated a National Recreation Trail. A one-mile spur leads from this trail to the top of Heliograph Peak, a vantage point with a history as well as a view. This 10,022-foot vantage point once served as a location for signal mirrors used to communicate messages during the Apache Wars of the late 1880s. Today you’ll find a Forest Service lookout tower on the mountaintop as well as some of the most panoramic views in southeastern Arizona.

Start Date - 2022-06-01

End Date - 2022-09-30

Activities include: Campground/Site Host;Campground Maintenance;Visitor Information

Difficulty_Level: Average

Hosts Housing Amenities: Camp Sites