Campground Overview:
Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons and streams invites camping, picnicking and bird watching — more than 150 species of birds call the park home. The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails which wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet. The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area. This scenic desert park also offers equestrian trails and an equestrian center provides a staging area for trail riders with plenty of trailer parking. Bring along your curiosity and your sense of adventure as you take in the beautiful mountain backdrop, desert wildflowers, cacti and wildlife.
Campsites:
Overnight camping is available in 120 electric and water sites. Each campsite has a picnic table and BBQ grill. Roads and parking slips are paved. Campgrounds have modern flush restrooms with hot showers, and RV dump stations are available in the park. There is no limit on the length of RVs at this park, but reservations are limited to 14 consecutive nights. Campgrounds are open all year.
There is a $5 non-refundable reservation fee for each reserved site and a $15 per night fee for second vehicles at a campsite. The vehicle fee can be paid online or upon arrival at the park. The extra vehicle fee does not apply to vehicles towed behind a primary vehicle (RV) when the RV remains at the site and the towed vehicle is used for transportation.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Developed w/ Shower |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Tucson |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Catalina State Park |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
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Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Catalina State Park is right on the outskirts of Tucson, a community with many cultural and natural attractions that will capture the imagination and challenge the body.
Oracle State Park is a 4,000 acre wildlife refuge in the northern foothills of the Catalina Mountains. The park offers day-use picnic areas and over 15 miles of trails for use by hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. A section of the Arizona Trail crosses through the park. And it is a designated International Dark Sky Park.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is widely recognized throughout the world as a model institution for innovative presentation and interpretation of native plants and animals featured together in ecological exhibits. The Museum is regularly listed as one of the top ten zoological parks in the world due to its unique approach in interpreting the complete natural history of a single region (in our case this is the Sonoran Desert and adjacent ecosystems). This represents a significant achievement, as the Museum’s collections and size are smaller than many of its counterparts. Not a “museum” in the usual sense, it is an unparalleled composite of plant, animal, and geologic collections with the goal of making the Sonoran Desert accessible, understandable, and valued.
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is located in the Coronado National Forest. With soaring mountains, deep canyons, and the unique plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert found here draw over a million visitors a year to the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. The wonders of the desert foothills and rocky gorges of the Santa Catalina Mountains are marvelous and accessible. Sabino Canyon tram routes provide access to Sabino and Bear Canyons. Along the Sabino route riders are free to get off at one of the nine shuttle stops, do a little birding, have a picnic, or spend time along one of the many pools and cascades that grace Sabino Creek.
Saguaro National Park has locations on both the east and west sides of Tucson. There is hiking, biking and nature study among the most recognizable cactus in the world. Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.
Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest. Come experience the vibrant and enduring Native cultures of the region through content-rich exhibits, dynamic docent tours, engaging programs, exciting travel tours, hand-on workshops, a research library, and an educational museum store.
Pima Air and Space Museum opened in 1976 and today is the third largest aviation museum in the world. The museum has 80 acres, exhibiting more than 300 aircraft and 125,000 artifacts (not including the archives and photo collection). The museum attracts more than 170,000 visitors annually, and houses its own aircraft restoration shop. The Pima Air and Space Museum also offers exclusive tours of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Known as the “Boneyard,” it is the world’s largest military aircraft storage facility.
Tucson Botanical Gardens is located on the site of the historic Porter property in the heart of Tucson. Among mature trees and expertly cultivated foliage, specialty gardens such as the Cactus & Succulent Garden, Barrio Garden and Herb Garden highlight the diversity of native plants while offering a lush oasis in the heart of Tucson. Tropical butterflies from around the world are featured in the Cox Butterfly & Orchid Pavilion. Experience year-round tours, community events, classes, and art exhibits, as well as the creative, seasonal menu of Café Botanica.
Biosphere 2 is a several acres sealed mini-world that began as a science and technology experiment. It is now a giant walk-in terrarium that is home to nearly 4,000 species of plants and sea life. Biosphere 2 serves as a unique large-scale experimental apparatus housing seven model ecosystems with active research by teams of multidisciplinary scientists