Spencer Canyon Campground

Campground Overview:

Spencer Canyon Campground is located high in the Catalina Mountain, at the head of a shallow, forested canyon a short distance off Catalina Highway. The campground sits on the Coronado National Forest. Spencer Canyon faces the city of Tucson and the Santa Cruz Valley, both of which are visible as a distant panorama through openings in the forest canopy.

Days and nights are cool even in summer at this high elevation Camp. Trees and rocks throughout the campground enhance the privacy of the campsites. These natural features also provide habitat for the wild animals. Among the more permanent residents of the area are Abert’s squirrels, which are commonly seen but quite uncommon in appearance with their silver-grey tails and tuft-tipped ears. Another frequently encountered creature here in the southwest mountains is the Steller’s jay. These bold birds are blue in color, but they’re not a true “blue jay.” Blue jays live farther east in North America. Steller’s jays are noisy and curious Westerners who will come right into your camp if you stray from it.

Campsites:

Spencer Canyon Campground has 68 campsites. Each site has a concrete table, firepit with grill, and bear box for food storage. A beautiful night view of Tucson can be seen from several sites. Spencer is rugged, rustic in layout and close to the hamlet of Summerhaven. Each camping area has clean, stocked vault toilets. Campground hosts live on site. Firewood may be purchased from the hosts.

From Tucson, E. on Tanque Verde. N. on Catalina Highway. Drive 4.2 miles to the Forest boundary (Mile Post 0), then continue 21.5 miles to Spencer Canyon Campground on the left (west) side of the road.

Campground at a Glance

Nearby Attractions and Activities:

Southern Arizona and the Tucson Metropolitan Area transports visitors to another world. With lush saguaro forests stretching as far as the eye can see, awe-inspiring mountain ranges at every corner of the city, and some of the best sunsets on the planet, it’s not hard to find your moment of serenity here. The numerous recreational opportunities will keep you busy and coming back for more.

Santa Catalina Mountains are a prominent mountain range north and northeast of Tucson, Arizona. The highest point in the Catalinas is Mount Lemmon at an elevation of 9,157 feet  above sea level and receives 180 inches of snow annually. The mountains are a rugged range with steep slopes and deep canyons. The mountains are located on the Coronado National Forest and are apart of the “Sky Islands.” The Coronado National Forest in southeastern Arizona manages major parts of the Sky Islands north of Mexico. The Forest manages 17 mountain ranges in 12 separate units totaling 1,780,000 acres. Visitors will find an abundant amount of recreational adventures to spend their days.

The vegetation is strikingly diverse with mixed confer forests at the highest elevations and on north-facing slopes. Ponderosa pines predominate on many high elevation south-facing slopes. The higher elevation deep canyons, particularly those with running water, support lush hardwood forests of bigtooth maple, aspen, New Mexico locust, Arizona walnut, Gambel oak, and velvet ash. The Bullock Fire in 2002 and the Aspen Fire in 2003 burned much of the mountain range. Plants that grow from root sprouts like aspens, oaks, and shrubs are now regenerating in the former mixed conifer forests. It will be many years before the conifers, which must regenerate from seeds, dominate these forests again.

Pusch Ridge Wilderness: This wilderness area of 56,933 acres occupies much of the southwestern flank of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Elevations range from 2,800 to 8,800 feet spanning life zones from the Sonoran desert to subalpine forest. The wilderness has an extensive trail network accessible from both desert and high-mountain trailheads.

Catalina Highway (General Hitchcock Highway): This 27-mile highway winds through the Santa Catalina Mountains ending near Mount Lemmon. It starts in the desert at 3,000 feet in elevation and ends in mixed conifer forest at 9,100 feet, taking you through all the vegetation types in between. The scenery along the way is breathtaking. Several Forest Service campgrounds and many hiking trails are accessible from the highway. The village of Summerhaven and the Mount Lemmon Ski Valley are near the end of the highway. The Aspen Fire in 2003 almost destroyed Summerhaven while the ski valley was untouched, even though Summerhaven and the ski valley are only a few miles apart. Summerhaven is being rebuilt and now has several new eating-places and shops.

Camp AZ Guide highly recommends making the trip and taking time to explore the stops. Along the highway are numerous vistas that you can stop and park. The views are exceptional, especially at Windy Point Overlook. Its incredible how you start in the desert and quickly go through the different climates, ending in a mountain retreat. If you are traveling through the Tucson area and have some free time, the Catalina Highway is worth the trip.

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is located on the northeast corner of Sunrise Blvd and Sabino Canyon Road on the central eastern side of the Santa Catalina Mountains. 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-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.

Nearby Campgrounds:

Campground full or want to see what’s around? Try one of these campgrounds located nearby