Roosevelt Lake winter RV campgrounds: Cholla, Windy Hill, or closed Schoolhouse?

By Romana | October 23, 2026

Roosevelt Lake has three developed campgrounds that look similar on a map but do not make the same winter promise.^[1][2][3] Cholla and Windy Hill are open, dry-camping choices with potable water, showers and winter reservation windows.^[1][2] Schoolhouse is the smaller option on paper, but the Forest Service currently marks both its campground and boat launch closed because of lake levels.^[3]

That closure settles one part of the decision: do not build a trip around Schoolhouse until the Forest Service removes the notice and Recreation.gov actually releases a bookable site.^[3][6] Between the two usable choices, Cholla is the better fit for campers who want the dump station close by.^[1] Windy Hill works well for boaters and larger parties, but its Coati Loop has a much tighter trailer limit.^[2][5]

The comparison that matters before booking

The Forest Service and Recreation.gov agree on Cholla's 32-foot trailer ceiling.^[1][4] Recreation.gov lists 206 sites and describes shade ramadas, grills and picnic tables, while the Forest Service adds potable water, showers and the current winter reservation window.^[1][4] That is a campground-wide ceiling, not a guarantee that every pad will fit a 31-foot trailer plus its tow vehicle. The selected site record still controls.

Windy Hill has the same under-32-foot general trailer rule, with one important exception: Coati Loop is limited to 20 feet.^[2][5] Recreation.gov lists potable-water hydrants, toilets and showers, and says the dump facility is within the campground area.^[5] The Forest Service page instead points campers to sewage disposal across from Cholla, eight miles north.^[2] Because those two descriptions do not line up neatly, a traveler with full tanks should confirm which dump point is operating rather than assuming the closest one will be available.^[2][5]

Schoolhouse is not a third live option right now.^[3] Its Recreation.gov page still describes 40 sites, many with pull-through parking, but it also says there is no water.^[6] The Forest Service page carries the controlling current notice: the campground and boat launch are temporarily closed because of lake levels.^[3][6]

Cholla is the safer default for most winter RV stays

Cholla has the widest margin for a mixed trip. Its official pages list potable water, flush toilets, showers, playgrounds and a developed boat launch.^[1][4] None of that turns the sites into hookup sites; Recreation.gov classifies the listed inventory as nonelectric.^[1][4]

For tank planning, Cholla also has the clearest named dump location. The Forest Service places it across from Christmas Loop and gives operating hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.^[1] Those narrow hours matter. Arriving Sunday afternoon with a full waste tank is a different trip from arriving Friday with empty tanks.

The reservation pattern is split by site number.^[1] Even-numbered sites remain first come, first served, while odd-numbered sites can be reserved through Recreation.gov.^[1] The current Forest Service notice puts reservations from November 1 through March 15.^[1] A reservation search is still the final check for a specific date and site; this comparison does not claim live availability.

Cholla's 32-foot figure applies to trailers.^[1][4] Motorhome owners should not treat it as an automatic 32-foot motorhome approval for every campsite.^[4] Open the individual site record and compare the allowed equipment, driveway length, parking layout and vehicle count with the RV's measured travel footprint, including racks, hitch hardware and any towed vehicle.^[4]

Windy Hill favors boat access, but loop choice can reject a rig

Windy Hill is also open year-round and uses winter reservations.^[2] Its official Forest Service page says reservations run November 1 through March 15, with first-come camping from April 1 through October 31.^[2] Recreation.gov lists 147 camp units with shade ramadas, water hydrants, toilets and showers.^[5]

The easy-to-miss line is the Coati Loop limit.^[2][5] A trailer under 32 feet can fit the campground-wide rule and still be too long for Coati's 20-foot maximum.^[2][5] This is why a campground name is not enough information for a reservation. Loop and site restrictions can be stricter than the headline campground limit.

Windy Hill's approach is the least ambiguous of the three. The Forest Service says the routes from both Mesa and Globe are paved all the way to the site.^[2] That does not remove normal mountain-road or weather concerns, but it does distinguish Windy Hill from an unpaved-access campground.^[2]

Choose Windy Hill when the selected site fits, the boat launch and lake location matter, and you are comfortable confirming dump service before arrival.^[2][5] Choose Cholla when you want the larger inventory and the better-documented dump location.^[1][4]

Schoolhouse is a closure check, not a backup reservation

The Schoolhouse pages illustrate why current status outranks a campground's amenity list. Recreation.gov describes RV and trailer sites, pull-through parking, a paved launch and vault toilets.^[6] The same record says drinking water is unavailable.^[6] The Forest Service currently labels the site temporarily closed and directs boaters to Windy Hill.^[3]

Its reservation language is also internally inconsistent.^[3] One section says reservations are available only November 1 through April 30; another says the reservation season is May through October and winter is first come, first served.^[3] Do not pick whichever sentence suits the trip. Treat the campground as closed, then recheck the status banner and actual Recreation.gov inventory when planning a future stay.

If Schoolhouse reopens, it may appeal to travelers who want a smaller campground and can carry all water.^[3][6] Until then, it should not be counted as overflow for Cholla or Windy Hill.^[3]

Generator hours do not solve the hookup question

None of these three campgrounds lists electric, water or sewer connections at the individual campsites.^[1][2][3] Cholla and Windy Hill provide shared potable water and showers; Schoolhouse has no potable water even apart from its closure.^[1][2][3]

Roosevelt Lake quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and generators cannot run during that period.^[7] That gives a dry-camping RV eight hours when batteries, propane appliances and any required medical equipment must work without generator support. Test that overnight load before leaving home. A generator schedule is not a substitute for an electrical hookup.

Winter also changes the reservation strategy.^[1][2] Cholla and Windy Hill release reservable inventory during the cool season, but both retain first-come elements.^[1][2] Save the reservation confirmation offline, arrive with the exact site dimensions, and keep a second campground in mind. A vacant-looking pad is not necessarily available or suitable.

The practical choice

Book Cholla first when the RV fits and weekend dump access works for the tank plan.^[1][4] Book Windy Hill when its paved approach and lake access fit the itinerary, after ruling out Coati Loop for trailers longer than 20 feet.^[2][5] Do not plan on Schoolhouse while the closure banner remains posted.^[3]

Before departure, recheck the Forest Service status page and the exact Recreation.gov site record.^[1][2][3] Current closures, lake levels and site releases can change faster than a general campground description.^[1][2][3]

Editorial note: This is a research-based comparison using official USDA Forest Service and Recreation.gov pages retrieved October 23, 2026. No firsthand stay, road drive, campsite measurement or facility inspection is claimed. The originally assigned Big Bend comparison was replaced after the 90-day manifest check found two substantially overlapping Big Bend campground comparisons, including one published October 21, 2026.

Sources

1. Cholla Campground — USDA Forest Service current status, reservation pattern, rig rule, water, dump hours and services; last updated October 1, 2026. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
2. Windy Hill Campground — USDA Forest Service reservation season, trailer and Coati Loop limits, generator quiet hours, dump guidance and paved access; last updated January 12, 2026. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
3. Schoolhouse Campground — USDA Forest Service closure notice, no-water status, rig rules and conflicting reservation language; last updated July 11, 2025. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
4. Cholla Campground on Recreation.gov — federal reservation record for campsite count, facilities, vehicle rules and trailer limit. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
5. Windy Hill Campground on Recreation.gov — federal reservation record for camp units, utilities, dump service and loop-specific rig limits. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
6. Schoolhouse Campground on Recreation.gov — federal reservation record for pull-through inventory, services, no-water notice and trailer limit. Retrieved October 23, 2026.
7. Roosevelt Lake day use and camping areas — USDA Forest Service lake-wide quiet hours and generator rule. Retrieved October 23, 2026.