Where’d the Burros Go?

We stopped by the Giant station in Show Low to fill up with gas and take advantage of their free dump before heading off to our next camp. Los Burros is located seven miles up a wide gravel road from the town of McNary. The road goes by various names: Vernon – McNary Road; County Road 3140; and Forest Road 224.

Los Burros is one of those rapidly disappearing campgrounds that is still operated directly by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest instead of being leased to a commercial operator. There are 12 designated sites and a volunteer camp host who has hosted at this campground for three or four years. There’s no water,

no garbage, no fee, and very nearly no cell connectivity, even with the amplifier and antenna.

There is a vented outhouse, tall pine trees, and a huge, open meadow that should attract wildlife although we haven’t seen anything except an occasional squirrel. We haven’t seen any sign of burros, but there are a couple small corrals if you bring your horses along.

The iris were blooming in the meadow

and the dandelions were blooming everywhere – enough that BJ’s allergies were taking note. The grass in the meadow and many of the sites was knee high.

This area was originally a guard station with a now boarded-up cabin,

a small spring that helps keep the meadow green,

and a barn built in the early 1900s for the ranger who rode to the top of the nearby mountain and climbed a tree to see if there were any fires around.

There is a trailhead at the end of the campground that accesses the extensive (and well documented) White Mountains Trail System. The trail system is maintained for equestrian, foot, and mountain bike use although the section I hiked didn’t show any signs of equestrian use.

At 7800’ elevation, we experienced warm days, blue skies, and nice cool nights in mid-June. Daytime breezes were enough that the awning was stowed within hours of arrival. Unfortunately, after three days, we pulled up stakes and headed east, looking for a place with fewer allergens.