Beehive Spring Dispersed Camping

The previous reviews were right on & no need to repeat. I had to drive about 5 miles in from 260 as other sites were in use on a Monday night in early June. Popular with urban desert dwellers in the summer for obvious reasons. Weekends would have more campers, but these disbursed sites are far apart. There were even large patches of snow in the shadowy areas of the north slopes. It is beautiful and quiet here. I was only one night. But, there are enough areas to visit and the towns of Pinetop & Greer make for a fun visit and great local restaurants & breweries. Also, close is Sunrise Park which has skiing in winter but lots of summer activities, too. Many lakes abound in the area for fishing, kayaking, etc. However, this June is the first in many years that there were no campfire restrictions, which normally go from April through July when the Monsoon rains have had a chance to re-saturate the vegetation.
I only wish folks would not leave ANY mess. It wasn't bad, mind you. Seen worse. But, why oh why must folks leave beverage bottles and cans in firepits? And, can't folks that do not have portable toilets, etc. bury their waste AND toilet paper. Grrr!

FR 117 is a solid gravel road that is well maintained. While we were here it even was regraded. The road has numerous sites along its length as it passes Green Mountain. Don't stop at the early sites as there are many more further along.

The sites on FR 117 begin after you pass Sheep Corral. You will enter a grove of trees near Beehive Spring and there are two camping areas on the left. These areas are heavily shaded and more suited for smaller rigs. The sites themselves are large but the tree placement prevents a larger rig from entering. Note that the second turn off can be wet due to its location near the spring.

Continue onward for more options as you reenter the open area. On your left you will find multiple spurs that lead into the trees. These campsites are large and have ample turn around. They are amazing for groups for for large toy haulers as the trees are well spaced and the ground is flat. If you are even more adventurous, the second spur in the clearing has roads that travel into the woods with sites tucked away for Overlander vehicles and Jeeps. As you approach the cattle guard there are spaces for approximately 20 rigs spread out, or large groups of rigs if you are traveling in a caravan. These sites are in dappled shade. Due to the tree size it is difficult to get a Starlink connection unless you place the dish in the field away from the rig. We did ground deploy the dish in this area.

Past the cattleguard is Wooly tank dispersed to your right. You will again enter some trees which transition into an open field. Once in the open there are more sites on your right against the tree line. These are not as level as the ones already noted so would be more suited for smaller rigs. They do command a view of Green Mountain. To the left in this area is another cluster of sites, this is a lower lying area so be mindful of wet roads. This side is more shaded.

The road passes another set of trees on the west after its after junction with 117A. More sites are to the left of the road prior to climbing the hill. The road then turns east at the foot of Green Mountain and once again renters some trees with more sites.

The snow melted off this year around April 15th and most of the side spurs usable by the end of the month.

The area sees heavy use during the summer months. During the spring turkey season it is also used by hunters and we did not OAV activity during this time.

The area has abundant wildlife. During our visit we saw turkey, elk, a badger, many bird species and heard the Mexican wolves howling at night.

I received between 1 to 2 bars of Verizon 4G in the area and did not have useable AT&T, even thought the phone did show coverage the whole time. Select sites do have enough sky clearance for Starlink, which will hopefully improve as more satellites