Catalina State Park Campground
Arizona State Park
Write a Review 11570 N. Oracle Rd. Tucson, AZ 85737 520-628-5798 Reservations: 877-697-2757 Official WebsiteGPS: 32.4166, -110.9368
Overview of Catalina State Park Campground
Entrance fee included in campsite fees.
Last Price Paid: $35
Reported by ElaineS on 6/29/2024
Longest RV Reported: 43 feet (Class A)
Reported by RamblinDino on 2/13/2019
Number of Sites 120
Pad Type gravel
Reservations yes
Elevation 2,624 ft / 799 m
Max Stay 14
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Catalina State Park Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 520-628-5798
Reviews of Catalina State Park Campground 106 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 63 Users
Last reported 6/29/2024
Confirmed by 31 Users
Last reported 11/6/2023
Confirmed by 12 Users
Last reported 5/15/2024
“Not expecting what we found based on reviews”
Reviewed 10/19/2016
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | 42 |
| RV Length: | 33' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
I really wanted to love this park after reading great reviews and hearing from a few people that it was great and there were some great things about it, but… To begin with, it is very convenient-located on Rte 77 (which is off I-10 and the route to Tucson from Oro Valley where the park is.) The entrance is clearly marked and althou... more
I really wanted to love this park after reading great reviews and hearing from a few people that it was great and there were some great things about it, but…
To begin with, it is very convenient-located on Rte 77 (which is off I-10 and the route to Tucson from Oro Valley where the park is.) The entrance is clearly marked and although there is a bit of drive to the campground from the entrance gate it is also well marked. Where the good marking ends is at the campsites.
We had reservations for the following day and when plans changed and they had an open spot we headed there getting to the CG just at dusk. The entrance station was closed so we did not have a map, although I’m not sure that would have helped that much. The sites are not marked at the end of the nicely level asphalt pads, either with paint or a sign post but about halfway back the site next to the utility hook ups. The signs are about as big as a paperback book and the numbers are neither glow in the dark nor illuminated so finding the site is a process (even in the day time) of stopping to peer into each site to see the number. Additionally, while the back in sites are lovely-level and quite wide and LONG-the pull thru sites are for the most part quite sharp curves making it difficult to park a longer rig (we are 35’ and were just on the pavement). This problem is compounded by the fact that the pull thru sites-at least in loop A- and the direction of the traffic makes it so that your door opens to the road and the other side of the rig faces the open area and the south. We went in backwards to correct this but then you have the problem with needing extensions (electric and hose) to hook up. All in all, very frustrating. On the plus side, if you find that “shopping therapy” helps (regrettably I don’t) you are only a 5 min drive from the entrance which is across from a mall and within the next 10 miles you will find virtually every chain store in the US. The sites, for the most part offer some privacy as the spacing is good but there are not a lot of bushy trees (lots of mesquite and desert willow) to block the view. The water pressure at the site was good so we had no complaints on that front.
Because we came in late we had to go to the office the next day to get tags but it was a no hassle procedure and the small store at the gate has some very interesting information.
The bathrooms: clean yes, immaculately so. HOWEVER if you need a handicapped shower do NOT use the one in Loop A. While marked as ADA, with a sign saying to ask the ranger for the appropriate equipment (I presume they mean the stool) the shower is controlled by a pushbutton-ON THE OUTSIDE of the stall and there is no lower hook for the shower nozzle which was a stretch for me at 5’5”. Additionally, if left to hang the nozzle swings around spraying water everywhere, especially under the curtain which hangs about 8” off the ground. Anyone with ambulation or standing issues SHOULD NOT use this shower. The ones in Loop B looks as if they have been updated and there is the lower hook and a twist on shower control. (Ironically, in one of the other regular showers in Loop B there is a mirror in the spacious shower stall but set at a level for a very short person or child.) Other than the ADA problem, however, the showers in both loops had plenty of hot water even if the shower heads were low flow and had medium pressure. (The floors in all the showers get wet so I always take a small absorbent dish mat to stand on while dressing.)
The campground was quiet in the evenings except that we could hear traffic noise from Rte 77. Even though the drive to the sites seems to take you farther away from the highway it actually loops closer and at times the rumbling of trucks surprised me. We never had any noise even with several families and a school group of campers. There are coyotes at night but they never sounded to be IN the campground.
While pet friendly the entire area is COVERED with large holes (prairie dogs?) and burrs of all types. Our dog came back after each walk with sand burrs in her ears and paws so be diligent about checking them.
We had a wavering 2 bars of ATT and Verizon was OK but not great. But, the signal was 4-5 bars outside the park so one is never far away from reception if needed.
Trash bins are conveniently placed and there is plastic (1&2 only) and aluminum can recycling. The bins were emptied frequently enough that there was never a problem with overflow or smell.
The dump is on the way in/out and nicely set off from the road.
What we loved about this campground was the hiking -even in the heat. There are a number of trails of various length. We were there in the beginning of Oct so did not have the chance to see the saguaro in bloom but the hills are covered with cholla, saguaro, prickly pear and barrel cactus and must be a sight to behold in the spring. The other thing we appreciated was that a number of sites in Loop A are electric/non-electric. I did not ask but presume that if you had opted for non-electric and then found you needed electric you could opt in and pay the difference without having to move. The other nice thing was that we did get to visit historic Tucson (we skipped the main part of the city) and had we needed more than just to stock up on needed items we could have had a great time doing so. After weeks boondocking or in small far flung places it is nice to have a chance to get what needs done done. We did not do laundry while here so I never checked about laundromats but imagine there are some close by. Food shopping exists at virtually every mall on Rte 77.
All in all I think if you choose the right site (I would recommend back ins) this is a good park. Just not as “great” as we’d been expecting.
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Voyagers On Wheels would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great place to stay”
Reviewed 9/12/2016
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
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| Days stayed: | 14 |
| Site Number: | 70 |
| RV Length: | 38' |
Overall Rating
We were day users of the park for years before staying there in the rv. We stayed in the B loop on the last row. The park was mostly empty due to the high temperature. The grounds were extremely well kept. Park staff kept the restrooms and showers spotless. The staff and volunteers were always pleasant and helpful. There is a dish... more
We were day users of the park for years before staying there in the rv.
We stayed in the B loop on the last row. The park was mostly empty due to the high temperature. The grounds were extremely well kept. Park staff kept the restrooms and showers spotless. The staff and volunteers were always pleasant and helpful. There is a dishwashing station next to the restrooms that we used daily.
Great bird watching; we had over 80 species of birds during our stay. Other wildlife included coyotes, jack rabbits, bobcats, and assorted reptiles.
There is a shopping center close enough to bike to for groceries.
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Birdingbyrv would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Delightful Experience!”
Reviewed 5/9/2016
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
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| Days stayed: | 8 |
| Site Number: | 67 and 61 |
| RV Length: | 27' |
Overall Rating
This place was fantastic! We had expected to only stay a couple of nights but extended our stay through the week. The facilities were super clean and very well maintained. The spot were rather large, on side B anyway, and we during the week it's very quiet. We arrived around 8PM on a Thursday night and looked at their reservation cal... more
This place was fantastic! We had expected to only stay a couple of nights but extended our stay through the week. The facilities were super clean and very well maintained. The spot were rather large, on side B anyway, and we during the week it's very quiet.
We arrived around 8PM on a Thursday night and looked at their reservation calendar online and picked a spot that was available (spot 67). Once we decided to extend our stay we walked around the campground to find a spot that had availability through the week and decided on spot 61. It was a pull through with a little shade.
It's within the state park so you are within walking or biking distance to some awesome (and challenging) hiking trails.
The park is in a town that has all of the stores you could possibly need such as a Target, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Frys, etc.
There is also an aquatic center if you want to get in some laps or just take a dip in a pool
It's too bad not all state parks are as lovely at Catalina State Park.
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TinCanPlan would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Meh.”
Reviewed 3/11/2016
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | Ringtail 30- overflow |
| RV Length: | 23' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Crowded, noisey generators. Nearby Group camping areas had large raucous groups... Not what we signed up for. Impact on restrooms was significant and not in a good way. IF we return we'd get a reservation in A or B loop although we don't need electricity. Nice restroom,hot showers but a little dirty and out or low on supplies, d... more
Crowded, noisey generators. Nearby Group camping areas had large raucous groups... Not what we signed up for. Impact on restrooms was significant and not in a good way.
IF we return we'd get a reservation in A or B loop although we don't need electricity.
Nice restroom,hot showers but a little dirty and out or low on supplies, daily.
We were lucky to get a spot along the car park for tent campers. Big rigs were ridiculously squeezed into the side opposite us across the gravel-sandy-dusty lot.
2-3 bars Verizon LTE. March 10,11 2016.
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This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Nature Close to All Services”
Reviewed 2/12/2016
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | A-3 |
Overall Rating
This is a beautiful park with views in all directions. So many birds in all the trees. The skies are amazing at night. Great hiking right from the park. 50 amp and water at each site, dump at exit. Site was level and HUGE with small trees, grass, picnic table and BBQ. No fire ring. Restrooms very clean. Easy access to park and with... more
This is a beautiful park with views in all directions. So many birds in all the trees. The skies are amazing at night. Great hiking right from the park.
50 amp and water at each site, dump at exit. Site was level and HUGE with small trees, grass, picnic table and BBQ. No fire ring. Restrooms very clean. Easy access to park and within the park.
Two loops. A is more spread out. B has several sites that are side by side, but the sites along the back are wonderful with nothing but nature behind them.
All this nature and two miles from shopping, mail services, fuel, restaurants and an urgent care. Pretty perfect!
Our AT&T MiFi worked well.
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Jodee Gravel would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful quiet campground with large sites, great views, and close to restaurants and shopping.”
Reviewed 2/4/2016
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 11 |
| RV Length: | 42' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
Located about 15 miles (30 minutes) north of "downtown", the park is in a beautiful location. When camped you feel like you're in the middle of the wilderness, yet there's a Walmart, movie theater, and restaurants just across the street from the campground entrance. Sites are 50 amp electric and water, with dump stations at the entranc... more
Located about 15 miles (30 minutes) north of "downtown", the park is in a beautiful location. When camped you feel like you're in the middle of the wilderness, yet there's a Walmart, movie theater, and restaurants just across the street from the campground entrance. Sites are 50 amp electric and water, with dump stations at the entrance to Campground B and at the exit from the park. Plenty of large and clean restrooms and showers. The shower rooms are large but not heated, so on cold winter mornings it can get chilly quickly once you turn off the hot water. We could only get 4G on AT&T, and although we got LTE on Verizon it sometimes stalled or was slow (overloaded tower perhaps). Our cell booster helped a little, and we found the cell service varied based on location in the campground. With no trains, no planes, and no traffic noise the campground is extremely peaceful. The mountain views are beautiful and there are many great areas to walk dogs (a few trails are off limits to dogs but many are dog friendly). The sites are large and relatively level. One of our favorite campgrounds! Tip: when reserving a site, pay attention to what direction the site faces... the best views are facing south-east towards the mountains.
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Life Rebooted would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Gorgeous setting in the Catalina mountain foothills”
Reviewed 1/17/2016
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | B27, A7, A9, B11, B53, A4 |
| RV Length: | 24' |
Overall Rating
What can we say? We loved this park! It's immaculate, peaceful, beautiful, with access to a plethora of great hiking and biking trails. All sites were perfectly level. The bathrooms were clean and the showers were HOT. Why not 5 stars? The staff has a miserable time managing site availability so you basically play musical sites daily... more
What can we say? We loved this park! It's immaculate, peaceful, beautiful, with access to a plethora of great hiking and biking trails. All sites were perfectly level. The bathrooms were clean and the showers were HOT.
Why not 5 stars? The staff has a miserable time managing site availability so you basically play musical sites daily with multiple other guests. Unfortunately this makes the campground hosts somewhat grumpy.
Otherwise, awesome place.
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Epic Detour would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Loved It!”
Reviewed 5/20/2015
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 26' |
Overall Rating
We had a great experience at Catalina State park, and were sad to leave. Most of the reviews of this campsite were probably from peak times, yet we stayed in early May in the middle of the week. So the campground was about half full and we did not have any of the crowding problems others have had. It was clear that this park is heavily... more
We had a great experience at Catalina State park, and were sad to leave. Most of the reviews of this campsite were probably from peak times, yet we stayed in early May in the middle of the week. So the campground was about half full and we did not have any of the crowding problems others have had. It was clear that this park is heavily based on reservations and in peak times getting a spot would probably be almost impossible. In fact the spot we had picked was not available the next night so we had to move down a few spots due to the reservation system.
The sites are spaced decently and we had little noise issues. The park is located right across from a huge shopping complex, and we appreciated the convenience of that while still being far enough away from the noise of the town.
The bathrooms were fabulous even though the showers were only push button. The campground host Roger was super friendly and fun to talk to. The trails and cacti are definately worth your time as well.
My expectations were low due to reviews on this site, but if you go in a low time you will not be disappointed.
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TDIPWR would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“A wise old owl once told me...”
Reviewed 4/17/2015
| Nightly rate: | $25 |
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| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | A48 |
Overall Rating
If Catalina were a budding young Pip, Tucson would be its Ms. Havisham. While surrounded immediately by a relatively subtle escarpment of course rising granite known as the Santa Catalina mountains all the day long, it is but a stone's throw worth of gasoline to amenities as prized as an Ace Hardware, a Safeway or two, even a multi... more
If Catalina were a budding young Pip, Tucson would be its Ms. Havisham.
While surrounded immediately by a relatively subtle escarpment of course rising granite known as the Santa Catalina mountains all the day long, it is but a stone's throw worth of gasoline to amenities as prized as an Ace Hardware, a Safeway or two, even a multitude of Walmarts, some boasting large green signs claiming to be "neighborhood markets." Dubious, indeed.
However, though the subtle hymn of traffic en route to wherever people need go in this piece of the American pie is ever present, particularly more so at night when the sounds of gameshow contestant snowbirds in the distance calms to a silence, the natural sounds of the Sonoran desert take center stage.
We heard great horned owls dueting every night but one. That one night in particular it was coyotes in their stead. Literal hooting and howling.
I need to wrap this one up so I'll just state that I was knee deep in a mean streak of bad omens when we arrived and here we are five days later and my turn signals work once again, my stove is as white as a flake and the people I call clients are sending smiley-faced emoticons my way. Is nearby Gilbert Ray a little better? Yes, but my fives are higher here than they were there, so please feel free to read into that as you will.
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Nathan @ Wand'rly would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Location and Great Hiking”
Reviewed 3/23/2015
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 12 |
| Site Number: | 24 |
| RV Length: | 32' |
Overall Rating
This place is a gem, but you need to plan ahead. It's not an understatement that this is a very popular and can be a very crowded park. We failed to make reservations until about 2 months before we planned to meet up with friends here. Luckily, we managed to get a site in the A loop, which is a dry camping site but is an actual site (u... more
This place is a gem, but you need to plan ahead. It's not an understatement that this is a very popular and can be a very crowded park. We failed to make reservations until about 2 months before we planned to meet up with friends here. Luckily, we managed to get a site in the A loop, which is a dry camping site but is an actual site (unlike the Ringtail/Overflow loop). Our site (#24) was great, a nice big pull through with a picnic table and loads of space and great views of the mountains. And our friends, who were in nearby sites (20 & 21) had plenty of room to host several get togethers and a large Happy Hour...while still feeling private.
There are many, many trials to hike around (most are dog friendly) and the flora and fauna are simply stunning (cacti of all varieties, mesquite, verde trees, flowers blooming). Many are easy and enjoyable for early morning or afternoon strolls. Others can be a real challenge but the views are very much worth it (particularly the Romero Pools and further up to the Romero Canyon).
The park is also very close to pretty much every kind of store or restaurant you can imagine, all while still feeling remote. Since we stayed almost two weeks (and this was after spending the prior month out in the wilds) we were happy to have the ability to go grocery shopping, handle mail, use a fax machine, buy some new hiking shoes and much needed hiking clothes (we love Summit Hut), and treat ourselves out to eat a few times with our friends.
Sabino Canyon is a fairly short drive away and is a must see/must hike. Biosphere 2 is also near by and is worthy of a visit.
All in all the park is gorgeous. My advice is to try to plan ahead and grab a reservation in the A loop (there are electric sites in A as well...the newer B side is just a bunch of pullthrus that lack the campground feel). Also, the showers on the A loop are not very good (there's a push button that only allows the water to spray for about 30 seconds before it has to be pushed again...and the water temp is non-adjustable). Do yourself a favor and take the short walk (or bike ride) over to the B Loop for a real shower. Totally worth it. Also, be aware that in the non-electric areas of both A loop and Ringtail there can be a lot of generator usage during the day. If that bothers you then you might want to check out B loop.
We plan on staying here again this coming winter as there is so much more in the area we'd like to see...and a lot of trails in the park we didn't hike yet.
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Tales From the Mutiny would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 10 of 11
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Amenities
Hookups
- 50 Amp
- 30 Amp
- 20 Amp
- water
- dry camping
- Partial Hookups
Recreation
- picnic area
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- big rig
- picnic table
- pull thru
Facilities
- dump station
- general store
- group sites
- ADA Accessible
- horse corral
- recycle
- restrooms: flush
- showers
- trash
- water available
Pets
- pets
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Nearby
Speedway Gas Station
Last review was this time Last year so good to see its still here. You need your own clean up hose.
- Ahr
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