26
Pull-thru
USFSApache-Sitgreaves National Forest · Arizona
Rainbow (AZ)
Overview Rainbow is the largest campground in the Big Lake Recreation Area in eastern Arizona.
Sites16687 reservable
Elev.9,131ft
Comf.May-Oct6 months
Max rig180 ft26 pull-thru
Electricnonesites
From Flagstaff4h09real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 9,131 ft, Rainbow (AZ) has a 6-month comfortable window (May-Oct). Winter nights average around 18°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 166 sites total: 87 reservable and 79 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 26 pull-through, and the longest takes a 180-ft rig. Within about 4 miles: 1 named hiking route, 2 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on cool nights and quiet. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Apr
May-Oct
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
72%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
May 20
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 10.
51°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Flagstaff
192 mi
4h09
02
Phoenix
230 mi
5h13
03
Tucson
242 mi
5h40
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 12.2 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 166 SITES
Color byShow only
166 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
2
Accessible
0
Prime
166
Sites
★ The standout
Site 090
PTHR · pull-through · shaded.
To neighbor
239 ft
Max rig
99 ft
Type
Pull-thru
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
1
Trail segments
24
Peaks
2
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
12.2 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.