Sycamore Cabin

Usually, our visits to Sycamore have been problem free. This time around the propane BBQ was missing, and many of the window locking mechanisms were broken along with the screen latches ripped out which made it appear someone was attempting to break in. There were roughly 4-5 windows affected. There was also an issue where the hot water wasn't working properly in the shower while it worked fine elsewhere in the house. The bathroom was recently remodeled, so it was likely some issue with the cold/hot water mixture in the faucet handle.

I reached out to the forest service on it, and they brought a new BBQ the day I reported the issues (Saturday) so they were quick to address the issue which was great! We had forgotten our propane tank and stopped and paid for one up in Cordes Junction on the way so if it were missing the entire time, it really would have been a crummy situation. We ended up placing some shims in the affected windows to prevent anyone from entering the house.

Great experience. Any prior issues we had with our stay in April were addressed. Hot water in the shower, propane grill was there, and repairs done to the window locks and screen latches.

There were no sink plugs so I ended up buying a cheap one at the dollar store. The cleaning lady really needs to work on the cobwebs trapped in the windows and around the cabin. It's not a hard cabin to clean, but the cobwebs have gone out of control. There was no wood, as previous reviewers have stated, but I brought a box of wood with me, and I cut up wood I found on the property to use in the fire pit. I really appreciated the fenced yard so I could let my dogs run "loose" without worrying they'd run off. If you bring dogs, please bring a lint roller with you. I spent about 15 minutes cleaning up the couch that was filled with longer black dog hair. There is no vacuum cleaner in the place. There is strangely a lot of personal items being kept there. A cat carrier, kites, and toothpaste and other toiletries. This isn't your house. Bring that stuff home. There is no reason to keep anything of yours in a rental cabin. I really appreciated that the road the cabin is located on is not the main one. It was nice not having a continuous flow of traffic going past. The only traffic was people going in or out of the property at the end of the road, and the forest service guy came around on my last day. A tarantula the size of my hand ended up on the window part of the front door in the middle of the night, so just be warned if you're phobic. I don't like driving on highways, so I didn't spend much time venturing outside of the immediate area. The stream behind the cabin was dry, so I didn't get to experience that, but it looks like it's really lovely when there's water flowing through. The basement door is locked with a padlock, which is annoying for people like me that like exploring. So, if you want to use the fire pit, bring your own wood, despite what the description claims. The kitchen also isn't "well stocked" despite the description. It has the appliances, but the dishes, bowls, cups, and everything else are pretty sparse. Bring your own.

A beautiful, serene oasis in the high desert. If you have realistic expectations about what a Forest Service cabin is and is not, this is an incredible getaway with amazing wildlife-watching opportunities. I identified more than 20 bird species, saw deer, and javelina, and relaxed with no cell or internet service. It's a great place to unplug and get back to nature.

I didn’t get the cabin code on my confirmation email but I called and they promptly got their info from nfs and sent it to me. Great service

Cabin was clean. Queen bed was well worn and I would consider removing the mattress next time and using our exped on top of the box spring next time.
Cabin was all out of toilet paper, so we used my back up supply in my car. Make sure to bring your own paper towels as well. Download geocaches before you get to the cabin, if you’d like to do that, as there is no signal at the cabin. Reading through the old logbook, there was apparently an old tire swing, but this has been taken down probably by Gerald.
There were coffee makers here, but no kettle (electric or stove top kettle) Next time I will bring my own as we like hot tea, and I French press my coffee.
We brought sheets to place over all the furniture, as it makes fast tidy up. I read this recommendation in somebody else’s post and appreciated it. Other cabins we stayed at have had mops to clean the floor, but this one just had brooms.

I’ve stayed at the Sycamore Cabin on three occasions and love this place. In the spring when the weather is warm, the shade trees and creek make for a cool, relaxing experience. And it’s so peaceful and quiet.

The cabin was clean and tidy when we arrived and thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Love the seclusion of this location and particularly the stream behind the cabin. Fenced yard works great for the dogs.

Love the location in the middle of nowhere. If we had neighbors, they went unseen and unheard. We literally saw no other people during our stay. My only complaint is the a/c couldn't keep up with the Arizona daytime heat. But, that was expected. We opened windows and brought fans. Bird activity around the cabin was constant, varied and entertaining. At night bats took over the sky. The bat roost must have been nearby as they filled the sky before sunset.

Always enjoy our time at the cabin.