It was our first time venturing into White River. We hoped for animal sightings and beautiful scenery, and we got a little of both.

While the elevation of nearby Mt Baldy as high as 11,000′, the river floor is only 5700′. Soft slight rain cooled down the 85F days, dropping the temps to 50F – 60 F, a pleasant change in a peaceful environment outside of the gurgling rushing river.

We saw lots of happy birds enjoying the green grass and water along the rivers edge, turkey, deer, and coyote.

Most animal sightings we saw were quite fleeting. We did happen to see a small black bear cub dart in front of our path, but unfortunately, no photograph.

The White Mountain Apache Tribe manages the area. Dispersed camping with no amenties is $15 / day, with a required permit for each individual date. We found the site very relaxing and beautiful. We were also happy to be able to identify, before contracting, the massive patches of western poison ivy through the area.