Jack Fletcher| Campground | Miles from Tucson | Managed by | Sites | Fee per night | Booking | Max RV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert Ray Campground | 10.1 | County park | - | - | Park website | - |
| Catalina State Park | 15.1 | Arizona State Parks | - | - | Park website | - |
| Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Cactus Ramada 1 | 18.2 | Coronado National Forest | 1 | $75 | Recreation.gov | 22 ft |
| Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Cactus Ramada 2 | 18.2 | Coronado National Forest | 1 | $65 | Recreation.gov | 22 ft |
| Molino | 28.8 | Coronado National Forest | 1 | $100 | Recreation.gov | 22 ft |
| Whitetail Campground | 30.9 | Coronado National Forest | 5 | $150-197 | Recreation.gov | 26 ft |
| Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin | 31.9 | Coronado National Forest | 1 | $125 | Recreation.gov | 20 ft |
| Sollers Cabin | 32.4 | Coronado National Forest | 1 | $175 | Recreation.gov | - |
| Rose Canyon | 32.6 | Coronado National Forest | 32 | $31-51 | Recreation.gov | - |
Sources: Recreation.gov, National Park Service, state and county park pages. "-" means the operator does not publish it.
Low Desert Tucson Sites
Start with Gilbert Ray when your budget matters and you want a simple tent site. Gilbert Ray has eight tent sites, and each costs $10 per night. Those sites have no utilities and cannot take RVs. Each site caps your party at six people.
Catalina State Park suits your mixed tent and RV group when hookups and showers matter. The park has 120 campsites with electric and water. Registered guests get hot showers, and Catalina State Park opens year round.
If you bring horses, Catalina State Park gives your group a separate low desert option. The equestrian area has 16 corrals with no reservations, first come, first served. The fee is $25 per vehicle per night.
Sabino Day Groups
Use Sabino Canyon for daytime group space before you make an overnight tent plan elsewhere. Both Cactus Ramadas bar overnight camping, and day use runs from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cactus Ramada 1 fits up to 45 people and costs $75 per site. Cactus Ramada 2 fits up to 25 people and costs $65 per day.
Your group reaches both ramadas 18 miles from Tucson by shuttle service or a 1/3-mile walk from the parking area. Call the Santa Catalina Ranger District at 520-749-8700 before your reservation period. Make contact at least 12 hours ahead or you forfeit all funds. Only one vehicle may enter the group site to move supplies.
Catalina Highway Tent Choices
Pick Molino if your trip needs a winter season Forest Service option on Catalina Highway. Molino opens in late fall, winter, and early spring while most other Catalina Mountain campgrounds close in winter. Recreation.gov lists 1 group site at $100 per site. The campground sits 29 miles from Tucson at 4,500 ft.
Your Rose Canyon plan works better for a smaller reservable campground near water. Recreation.gov lists 32 campsites. Sites cost $31 to $51 per night. Your stay places you 33 miles from Tucson at 7,000 ft. Rose Canyon Lake is a six-acre lake at the lower end of the campground, and a one-mile trail circles it. Rose Canyon bans swimming and boats on the lake.
Choose Whitetail when your organized group needs a large mountain gathering area. Recreation.gov lists 5 campsites. Nightly fees run $150 to $197 per site. It sits 31 miles from Tucson at 8,000 ft. Group shelters fit 40 to 90 people with drinking water, vault toilets, trash collection, and small appliance electricity.
Cabins Above the Desert
Choose a forest cabin when your group wants beds, a kitchen, and walls instead of a tent. Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin has 1 Recreation.gov site at $125 per site. The five-room cabin suits up to four people. It gives your group electricity, running water, and a propane heater.
Sollers Cabin fits your larger cabin trip on the same mountain road system. Recreation.gov lists 1 site at $175 per night. The two-story, six-room cabin suits up to eight people. It has electric heating, running water, and no A/C. Expect unreliable cell phone coverage inside, and crews do not plow the road when snow falls. Heavy snowfall may close the cabin.
Rig Limits Near Tucson
Measure your rig before you choose between Gilbert Ray and the mountain campgrounds. Gilbert Ray allows a maximum vehicle length of 40 feet, including trailers. Its RV sites cost $35 per night and include electrical hookups.
Rose Canyon caps trailers at 22 feet. It has 6 dedicated RV only sites, and those sites allow no tents. Rose Canyon has no hookups. Whitetail caps trailers at 26 feet and has no RV hookups.
Your smaller trailer has more options, but the limits still matter. Sabino ramadas and Molino list 22 feet. Palisades lists 20 feet. At Gilbert Ray, water spigots near sites supply potable water only. Fill your RV tank only at the campground dump station.
Tucson Seasons and Booking
Use the Tucson Wfo averages to pick dates that match your heat tolerance. April has an average high of 83°F and an average low of 56°F. October has an average high of 86°F and an average low of 60°F.
Summer heat affects your tent sleep and daytime timing. June and July each have an average high of 100°F. August has an average high of 98°F and an average low of 76°F. For winter camping in Tucson, Arizona, January has an average high of 66°F and an average low of 42°F.
Reserve Rose Canyon, Whitetail, the Molino group area, Sabino ramadas, Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin, and Sollers Cabin through Recreation.gov. Catalina State Park limits your stay to 14 consecutive nights in a 30-day period. At Catalina, arrive at 2:00 p.m. and leave by 12 noon. At Gilbert Ray, arrive at 12 P.M. and leave by 11 A.M. Sollers sets arrival at 2 PM and departure at 11 AM.
Average daily high and low, °F, NOAA 1991-2020 normals, Tucson Wfo station.
What to Pack for Tucson
A camping fanYour fan helps when September has an average high of 95°F.
An insulated sleeping padYour pad adds comfort when February has an average low of 45°F.
A tent heaterYour heater requires care when December has an average low of 42°F.Tucson Camping Questions
Where can you tent camp near Tucson?
You can tent camp at Gilbert Ray, Catalina State Park, Molino, and Rose Canyon. Use Sabino Canyon Cactus Ramadas for day groups only, since they allow no overnight camping.
What is the cheapest listed Tucson tent site?
You get the lowest listed tent price at Gilbert Ray. Its tent sites cost $10 per night, have no utilities, and cannot take RVs.
Can you camp near Tucson in winter?
Yes, you can camp near Tucson in winter. Molino opens in late fall, winter, and early spring while most other Catalina Mountain campgrounds close in winter.
What campgrounds near Tucson have cabins?
You can book Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin or Sollers Cabin. Palisades suits your group of up to four people, and Sollers suits your group of up to eight people.
Do Tucson area campgrounds allow RVs?
Yes, you can bring RVs to several Tucson area campgrounds. Gilbert Ray allows vehicles up to 40 feet, and Rose Canyon lists a 22-foot maximum trailer length.
More Camping in Arizona
Sources
- Recreation.gov: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Cactus Ramada 1: sites, fees, vehicle length
- Recreation.gov: Sabino Canyon Recreation Area Cactus Ramada 2: sites, fees, vehicle length
- Recreation.gov: Molino: sites, fees, vehicle length
- Recreation.gov: Whitetail Campground: sites, fees, vehicle length
- Recreation.gov: Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin: sites, fees, vehicle length
- Recreation.gov: Sollers Cabin: sites, fees, vehicle length
- Recreation.gov: Rose Canyon: sites, fees, vehicle length
- azstateparks.com: facility information: official page
- pima.gov: Gilbert Ray Campground: official page
- NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: monthly temperatures
- USGS Elevation Point Query Service: elevation
- OpenStreetMap: roads and rivers