Portal Ccc House

Beautiful place for nature lovers!!

The CCC house was perfect for us. It has two Queen beds and one single, all comfortable (you bring all bedding and pillows). The kitchen had more amenities than I was expecting but no can opener. You might wasn’t to bring your food if you are thinking about preparing any meals. There are a couple of very small stores with limited choices. It’s a magical place and I feel lucky we were able to soak it all in for a few days!

We loved Portal and staying at the CCC house. It was fun exploring and using the cabin as a base. We were impressed by how well stocked the cabin was and that there was hot water!!! The microwave was broken but everything else worked fine.

it was great having wood stove, please install it in more cabins

Beautiful setting with great views. Lots of wildlife

Easy to find and load-in. Clean and neat and everything worked.

Overall, we had a good stay. Excellent location, comfortable beds, adequately-equipped kitchen (BYO knife, like most rentals). Camping wasn't an option due to physical needs and the cabin worked well for us. Some notes for those who prefer a less rustic experience: The cabin currently has 2 beds (double or queen) - no bunk, no futon, no easy-chair. The only seating is the dining room table/chairs. All the bulbs were out in the front bedroom (which is also the main entrance to the cabin), so we used camping lights. Pay attention to the note about cleaning: guests are not just expected to sweep and take garbage out - they ask that we scrub the bathroom, mop, etc. Instructions in the cabin say they "try" to have a professional cleaner once per month. That said, the cabin was clean when we arrived and we did our best to leave it in the same condition. I can imagine not being so lucky if you stayed after the wrong group. The folks who staff the adjacent visitor center are fantastic, but they are not responsible for the cabin, so there isn't anyone onsite to assist.

This cabin was perfect for 2 of us. The beds are new. The cabin was clean and there were no mice. Ample cleaning supplies are provided, as well. The view from the back porch facing the mountains is just fantastic. We enjoyed breakfast and happy hour on the back porch, The trailers you can see from the front porch, as you drive in, are where people who actually work in the Visitor's Center and in the park are staying. We met them at the Visitor's Center, and they were very lovely people. We were comfortable with the windows open.

My recommendation would be to add screen doors on both the front and back door so that the air would circulate better and would keep critters out. It would also have been nice to have a portable fan, in addition to the ceiling fans, and to be able to open the window in the first bedroom. For some reason, that window was nailed shut. Overall, this place is a quaint little house and was perfect for exploring the Chiricahua mountains.

This was our second time staying at the CCC cabin and it remains a favorite place. Portal and the Cave Creek Canyon area are magnificent, with great hiking, bird-watching, and outdoor experiences. The cabin is such a great little piece of history and a perfect base for explorations. There are Cassin's kingbirds, Hooded orioles, and Lucy's warblers nesting in the trees around the cabin, plus sightings of Indigo buntings, Northern cardinals, and others during the day and listening to Elf owls & Mexican whip-poor-wills at night. The high temps were around 90F when we were there, but we opened the windows in the evening and it cooled off quickly and then we closed the windows and curtains during the day and the interior stayed quite comfortable. A couple of notes for future visitors, as the booking description has not been updated: There are now two queen beds, instead of one queen and a bunk bed. The beds are new, clean, and comfortable. And there is no longer any couch/futon in the living/dining area, just a table with four chairs and a side table with books and games. All appliances are clean and in working order.

Fabulous location for wildlife! 21 bird species. The hot shower was great. Overall the cabin is rundown and could use a true deep-clean and repainting. Last tenant left a lot of dirt on the floor. Keep your food in the fridge as some mice feces spotted.