FR 616

In 1936 the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established a work camp above Pivot Rock Canyon. Company 863, mostly young men from back east, spent summers there building roads, fire lookout towers, and numerous other construction projects. They also helped fight forest fires. CCC volunteers were paid $30 per month, but $25 of that had to be sent back home to support their families. This was, of course, during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Pivot Rock camp was abandoned in 1941 as World War II loomed and manpower was needed elsewhere. The remnants of the camp, a few concrete foundations and slabs, still sit beside FR 616. Now, just as then, FR 616 is all about camping. The easily traveled trail, which largely parallels Pivot Rock Canyon, is dotted with campsites large and small. The old CCC camp is a favorite, and most summer weekends find plenty of RVs and toy haulers scattered in the wide-open areas under the towering Ponderosa pines. Many campsites are perched above Pivot Rock Canyon, which is named after a unique rock formation at the canyon bottom. The campsites of FR 616 are a great jumping-off point for exploring the vast and beautiful Coconino National Forest. The higher elevation makes this a great area for escaping the summer desert heat below.