Campground Overview:
Nestled in the scenic Santa Rita Mountains on the Coronado National Forest near Sonoita, Kentucky Camp consists of five adobe buildings: the headquarters, two cabins, the assay office and the remains of a barn. A small cabin and headquarters building have been restored for public use in the “Rooms with a View” program. One of the charms of the site is the evening quiet and dark night sky. The two buildings are located within 100 yards of each other, so to preserve the privacy and tranquility of the visitor experience, guests renting the headquarters for day use automatically have use of the cabin the night before and the night of the day use. A caretaker is usually available on site to greet the public and answer questions. However, this is a volunteer position and the caretaker may not be there at all times.
Hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails are popular in the area and vary from paved and gentle walking paths, to steep, strenuous trails leading to the top of 9,453-foot Mt. Wrightson and other nearby peaks. The Arizona Trail is routed through Kentucky Camp.
Campsites:
Kentucky Camp Dispersed Camping Area is located before the Kentucky Camp Cabin which can be rented out for the night. The camping area has no amenities, so be prepared to pack in, pack out all gear including water. This can be a great base camp to explore the surrounding area.
From Tucson, take I-10 east to Exit #281 (Highway 83 Sonoita/Patagonia). Travel south on Highway 83 for approximately 21 miles to the Gardner Canyon Road. Turn right on Gardner Canyon Road and continue a quarter-mile to Forest Service Road 163. Turn right on Forest Service Road 163 and continue approximately 5 miles to the junction of 163 and the entrance to Kentucky Camp
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Dispersed |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Tucson |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Kentucky Camp Dispersed Camping Area |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basis |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Southern Arizona has a wealth of cultural, historical and natural resources. There are many opportunities for half or full day, side trips in the surrounding area. Walk back into the Old West and stand in the footprints of the Earp brothers at the OK Corral in Tombstone, relive the mining boomtown days by vising the areas ghost towns and mines, or explore the remnants of old forts, Indian ruins, and Spanish missions. Get out and hike on the Coronado National Forest’s numerous trails and explore the “Sky Islands” mountains which rise from the desert throughout the region.
Santa Rita Mountains located about 40 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona. The diversity which characterizes this range extends into other, more out of the way, habitats within the Wilderness, serving as a powerful attraction to nature lovers who value wildlife watching as a vital element of their wilderness experience. The highest point in the range, and the highest point in the Tucson area, is Mount Wrightson, with an elevation of 9,453 feet. The range contains Madera Canyon, one of the world’s premier birding areas. The Smithsonian Institution’s Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory is located on Mount Hopkins.
The Santa Rita Mountains are mostly within the Coronado National Forest. Prior to 1908 they were the principal component of Santa Rita National Forest, which was combined with other small forest tracts to form Coronado. Much of the range is protected by the Mount Wrightson Wilderness. Numerous trails take visitors through the area. The more popular hikes include: Bog Springs Trail #156, Sycamore Canyon Trail #40, and Kent Spring Trail #157 Loop.
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is dedicated to preserving the history of the settlement of the territory that would eventually become Arizona. It’s collection includes numerous artifacts from the 1700s as well as a starting point to hike what remains of the Anza trail.
The park includes various buildings and exhibits with numerous originally artifacts from early Native American archaeological and ethnographic collections, Spanish Colonial and Missions, Mining, Ranching, Civil War, Arizona Territorial Period, Women and Children, and the original Washington Printing Press that printed Arizona’s first newspaper in 1859. Buildings include a Visitor Center, Tubac Presidio Museum houses, Archaeological Excavation Exhibit, the second oldest territorial Schoolhouse in Arizona, Otero Hall, and the Rojas House.
Tumacácori National Historical Park is located in the upper Santa Cruz River Valley in Santa Cruz County, southern Arizona. The park consists of 360 acres in three separate units. The park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities, two of which are National Historic Landmark sites. It also contains the landmark 1937 Tumacácori Museum building.
The first Spanish Colonial Jesuit missions in the locale were established in 1691, Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori (at Tumacácori) and Mission Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi, are the two oldest missions in southern Arizona. The Franciscan church of Mission San José de Tumacácori, across the river from and replacing Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori, was built in the 1750s. The third mission was established in 1756, Mission San Cayetano de Calabazas.
The Mission San José de Tumacácori complex is open to the public. Nearby are the park’s visitor center and the Tumacácori Museum in a historic Mission Revival style building. The Tumacácori missions complex was originally protected as Tumacácori National Monument, in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966. In 1990 the national monument was redesignated a National Historical Park. The Guevavi and Calabazas mission units were added to the Tumacácori missions complex unit, within the new Tumacácori National Historical Park.
The site was on the route of the 1775-1776 Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition from New Spain to Alta California, the first Spanish overland expedition to claimed but un-colonized upper Las Californias territory. A 4.5 miles (7.2 km) segment of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail lies along the Santa Cruz River between Tumacácori National Historical Park and Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.
Patagonia Lake State Park tucked away in the rolling hills of southeastern Arizona is a hidden treasure. Patagonia Lake State Park was established in 1975 as a state park and is an ideal place to find whitetail deer roaming the hills and great blue herons walking the shoreline. The park offers a campground, beach, picnic area with ramadas, tables and grills, a creek trail, boat ramps, and a marina.
The nearby Lakeside Market offers boat rentals and supplies. The campground overlooks the lake where anglers catch crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, and trout. The park is popular for water skiing, fishing, camping, picnicking, and hiking. And the tracks of the New Mexico/Arizona railroad lie beneath the lake and remnants of the old historic line may be found at the Nature Conservancy in Patagonia. Hikers can stroll along the creek trail and see birds such as the canyon towhee, Inca dove, vermilion flycatcher, black vulture, and several species of hummingbirds.
Nearby Campgrounds:
Campground full or want to see what’s around? Try one of these campgrounds located nearby
