Apache Maid Cabin — Hotel in Rimrock

A lovely three-room cabin with a sitting room that has a full size fold-out futon, a bedroom with a bunk bed (full size on bottom, twin on top) and a rolling fold-out cot bed, and a kitchen/dining room. The dining table comfortably sits 4, there are a couple surfaces you could chop/prep food on apart from the table, and there is a gas stove/oven with warming drawer. The cabin has a cast iron skillet, kettle, and a number of other dishes, utensils, pans, etc. (including a can opener). Outside, there's both a propane grill and a fire pit with an attached grill. There's also a sink/counter area outside. You do need to bring your own water in, as there's no water on the property. You also need to be prepared to clean up after yourself (cleaning supplies are in the cabin) and haul out all of your trash, including any ashes from use of the fire pit.

The cabin is well-kept and clean. You might expect to find some insects, as is inevitable in a forest space (we had several spiders, a wasp, and some flying ants inside, but the screens on the doors and windows did a pretty good job of keeping most insects outside).

The toilet is a separate outhouse building not far from the cabin, with a vault toilet. It does have plentiful toilet paper provided inside. I didn't have any odor issues outside the outhouse, and barely any even inside. When I first arrived, I could honestly only smell some lovely cinnamon pinecones that were hung in there.

While there aren't any power outlets and there's no cell service (I did get a bar in one random spot, but certainly don't count on any connectivity), there is solar powered lighting both in the cabin and the outhouse.

The cabin is set back from a national forest road down a short drivable path behind a locked gate you unlock with a code you get from your reservation confirmation. It's really nice and private, although you will be able to occasionally see and hear vehicles passing on the road in the distance through the trees, so don't expect to feel like the only people in the forest.

With respect to driving in, please only follow the directions provided on the forest service site where you book a reservation; the forest service road that leads to it does also approach from the Payson/Pine side, but while the approach from the I-17 direction is a bit bumpy but passable (at least in good/dry weather) by passenger car, the other side is very rough and definitely shouldn't be attempted by anything but a full-on ATV. (We made the mistake of thinking we could approach that way upon consulting maps, and had to do a very careful full turn to back out and then drive an extra two hours to go all the way around despite having been within three miles of the cabin from the other side... Don't make our mistake!)

In sum: for about twice the cost of a single campsite at a NFS property, you get a lovely cabin with a lot more privacy. You do need to haul in water and the drive is a bit bumpy, but once you're there it's lovely and isolated and...

This was a great escape from the Phoenix summer. I didn't have cell service and I was so happy I downloaded maps before we left. My first impression when we pulled in was very positive. It's a nice spot, away from people and other campers, as far as I know. There's a grill, picnic table, fire pit (that we weren't allowed to use due to fire risk), an outdoor sink for washing dishes (but no running water.. you have to bring your own water), and an outhouse type toilet. There is a big clearing that allows for looking at the stars. The trees are close enough together that you can put some hammocks up. The area is beautiful and secluded.

There is an electronic lock on the door. Don't use that one! The lock you want is in the door frame. We accidentally used the electronic one on the door and the code wasn't working. Then an alarm went off after we got it wrong too maybe times!!! The one in the door frame has buttons that you push, and if you get the code correct, it will open and you can take the house key out (like a real estate lock box).

Inside, I was incredibly surprised to see that it was stocked with dishes, cooking utensils, a cast iron pan, a coffee pot, paper towels, cleaning supplies, books, a few games, furniture, bunk bed, rollout bed, ottoman, a stove, heater, and a dining table with chairs! I definitely was not expecting all of that!! There's also a binder with some information about the surrounding area and the history of the cabin. It's a really neat story and it was so cool that people can stay at this historical site!

There were just a few things that were a little annoying... First, there were people riding some kind of motorized vehicles (loud like dirt bikes or something) all around for all hours of the day and night. I wanted a quiet place to relax, but it's a little difficult to do that with the engine sounds. Second, the bugs!!! The door doesn't really touch the ground, so even if it's shut, the bugs just walk right in. And if you leave the door open, masses of flying insects will enter. And lastly, there must have been a beehive nearby because there were bees everywhere. With all the recent bee attacks, I was a little more on alert than normal. The bees followed me all around, came in the cabin and our car, followed me in the bathroom, buzzed all around every time I went outside. And it wasn't just one bee, there were a few. I wasn't wearing any fragrance or perfumed products. I had simply covered myself in OFF to avoid mosquito bites. I don't think OFF attracts bees. I tried not to bother them, but who knows what bothers a bee?! It was making me a little paranoid, so I spent more time indoors.

Other than those few things, the cabin and surrounding area was great. I'd...

We had a fantastic family weekend at the Apache Maid Cabin. Yes it is rustic but it had everything (except water) that we needed. It is remote and private so we felt like we were the only people for miles. The cabin was clean and comfortable. The outdoor vault was also clean and well maintained. We will definitely be making this an annual trip...