Caldwell Cabin

Early May stay for 3 nights. Saw elk, longhorn sheep, horses, coyote?, and more wildlife. Fly fished the East Fork of the Black River every day and caught and released Apache Trout. Perfect trip. Cabin was clean, sturdy and warm. Excellent hot water, but bring a camp shower for outdoor showering/bathing as there is only a toilet and sink in the bathroom. Little cabin has everything else.

Enjoyed the stay. Cabin is a little run down and dirty but fine for what it is. The mice are not a problem during the day but we did see and hear them every night. The privacy was awesome. Fishing wasn't great. We didn't get to see any big game in the meadow during our stay but at night we did hear some really cool howling and it is so beautiful. Overall, I will try to reserve again in the future.

We were very surprised to see how well outfitted the cabin was. Enjoyed hanging out on the porch after dinner and watching the horses and cows graze. Even saw a fox leaping out of the tall grass hunting. I wouldn't change a thing (except adding a broom). The lock on the gate was a nuisance (took a long time to figure it out - instructions would have been helpful).

Cabin was lovely, its location superb with a large meadow in front. Saw deer, elk, wild horses and a coyote in the meadow at various points over our two-night stay. Great base for hiking in both the Springerville and Alpine Ranger Districts.

Great location and awesome wildlife viewing - tons of elk bugling and fighting in the meadow, bighorn sheep crossing the meadow and on nearby road, possible wolves in the distance. It would be a 5 star review if there weren't deer mice infesting the cabin. No means to do anything about it (traps) and there were daily sightings of multiple mice. They would come/go from fireplace rock work, run the perimeter of the room, enter/exit the heater, go up the walls and scurry across the ceiling. They kept us up all night. Unbelievable how loud they could be (we also turned off the pilot light on the heater since it was not needed and very loud, but then we could hear the mice all too well). We've spent a great deal of time tent camping and have stayed in FS cabins in the past and understand how rodents can be a problem, but this was pretty extreme. We took our sleeping bags and pads and opted to sleep outside in the damp/cold conditions on the last night to get away from the indoor, all night circus. There should be more information/signage about containing food and not feeding the critters. Either the mice stole a bag of shelled peanuts from a previous guest or they were fed deliberately because there was a large pile of shells off the edge of the deck. Guests should be mice aware and be prepared to carefully clean up droppings when they arrive. We would like to come back again, but only if the situation is remedied.

Caldwell Cabin was wonderful. It was welcoming, comfortable, clean and relaxing. It gave us a chance to disconnect and enjoy nature.

Been to Caldwell several times & was thankful for the new paved parking spot that makes unloading much easier. I do miss the little gate to the porch a bit. Always a great place to get away to & did enjoy boating activities @ Big Lake a half hour away.

Absolutely amazing location. The cabin was exceptionally clean considering that it was being cleaned by citizens who had previously occupied it.
Daily we saw herd of Elk in the meadow. We witnessed a Mexican Gray Wolf pack hunting elk.
Glorious monsoon storms, fog, hail, spectacular sunrise, Buzzards in trees drying their wings after the storms.
Lush growth in the meadow with wildflowers, mushrooms.
Drove Route 276 along the East Fork Black River to Alpine, quite scenic. Many wild berries, riverbanks of wild sunflowers.
Warm, informative reception by several forest rangers at the Alpine District Ranger Headquarters.

Big lake is only a half hour away and affords boat & kayak rentals. The cabin is wonderful but can be a bit warm in the summer months before the monsoons appear in July. The only complaint was the lock to access the property which is tricky and needs the visitor to realize the lock opens towards you after putting in the code and depressing the small lever. Love this place with coyotes howling and elk in the fall.

This is the best cabin on the planet. Very rustic, almost like camping, but the property is incredible and the experience is unbelievable. There are several fenced acres around the cabin keeping cows out, which is better for dogs. In front of the cabin is an enormous field where you will see elk, deer, raptors, big horn sheep, and you will hear wolves, coyotes and in October the bugling of elk. And there are many other animals that are hard to get a look at, like fox. Park yourself on your front porch before sunrise and take it all in. Have a telephoto lens handy, the field is large.

Have 4WD or at least AWD to explore roads right around you and as many forest roads in the area as you can get to. If it is muddy have a winch. We always stay for 2 weeks because the experience is so wonderful & the relaxation you can achieve is worth it.

There is no hot water unless you heat it on the stove or use a solar water bag. We set up a shower tent and heat our water in the sun. There are some incredible solar water bags now that give you plenty of hot water and then just hang your bag in the shower tent.

There is propane for the stove and the refrigerator. Solar panels for lights and limited electrical needs. We bring a solar panel tarp and hang it over the porch railing to charge devices all day. We put a lot of effort into solar which even lets us run a small TV/DVD player at night.

There is one drawback. The Forest Service is adamant that you haul out all of your garbage. A Forest Service campground is 2 miles away, and provides garbage service, but they won't allow you to use it or pay for it. We fully support packing out your garbage when you are camping in undeveloped areas. But if the Forest Service wants a pristine area they could do a lot more to help. We take our garbage to the Lazy Trout Market in Greer for $2.00 a bag. We break down our garbage so carefully that we can fit quite a few days in one bag. Love this cabin.