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
“Our favorite park in Tucson!”
Reviewed 2/13/2019
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 12 |
| RV Length: | 43' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
OMG if we could have stayed here all winter we would have! We liked it so much we camped here on 2 different occasions during our stay in Tucson. Once, during our 12 day stay we had to move sites 3 times in order to piece together a long enough stay, but it was worth it! (It does get booked quickly in the winter, but if you are willin... more
OMG if we could have stayed here all winter we would have! We liked it so much we camped here on 2 different occasions during our stay in Tucson. Once, during our 12 day stay we had to move sites 3 times in order to piece together a long enough stay, but it was worth it! (It does get booked quickly in the winter, but if you are willing to move around in the park a bit, you can make it work).
Wifi worked great for us most of the time. Section A is a bit less crowded that Section B. Various hiking trails and plenty of space between sites (you can still see neighbors, but not packed in like a KOA). Friendly people and nice views. Clean restrooms. And you're only 5 min from shopping/food (there's a shopping center right outside of the park). Super convenient. Would definitely recommend if you're in this area.
Note: This park is in Oro Valley which is North Tucson- a much nicer area than some of the parks located in S. Tucson. Also, if you stay here, don't miss out on going to the Biosphere 2!!
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RamblinDino would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“State Park with Great Hiking and Events”
Reviewed 1/28/2019
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| RV Length: | 32' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
This is just minutes from our house, but we still love to camp here. There are a plethora of desert trails available to explore and there are often events on the weekend such as a desert animal petting zoo, live music, geocaching classes, etc. Fun Place!
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“As Good As They Say”
Reviewed 1/16/2019
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | A42 |
| RV Length: | 38' (Class A) |
Overall Rating
Almost every review we read about this park was positive, and this one won't be any different. It's close-in (major shopping directly across from park entrance) but still wild enough to feel secluded. Its popularity during the winter months usually requires booking up to a year in advance. The RV sites are paved, spacious and level,... more
Almost every review we read about this park was positive, and this one won't be any different. It's close-in (major shopping directly across from park entrance) but still wild enough to feel secluded. Its popularity during the winter months usually requires booking up to a year in advance.
The RV sites are paved, spacious and level, all with picnic tables and fire rings. (no ramadas) Although the park was full, the noise level was negligible.
The park offers free wifi (spotty) and there is great OATV reception.
The restrooms are clean, showers have plenty of hot water, but shower houses aren't heated, so stepping out is a bit chilly!
The major attraction, in my opinion, are the numerous hiking trails within the park. They offer a great variety of terrain, difficulty, and length -- what more could you want?! It's simply a beautiful park.
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Chasing Dirt would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Lovely campground with lots of attractions ”
Reviewed 11/10/2018
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | A1 |
Overall Rating
Friendly rangers, hot showers, several interesting short trails nearby, planned weekly events/music. Downside is the everpresent highway noise, but it’s not too bad. Also everyone seems to have dogs and some are less than well behaved. Site A1 is just off the entrance to A loop, nice and roomy, and close to bathrooms. Romero Ruins trai... more
Friendly rangers, hot showers, several interesting short trails nearby, planned weekly events/music. Downside is the everpresent highway noise, but it’s not too bad. Also everyone seems to have dogs and some are less than well behaved. Site A1 is just off the entrance to A loop, nice and roomy, and close to bathrooms. Romero Ruins trail is perfect for a sunset stroll. Watch the sunset up top, and you’ll be back in camp before dark.
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NikiTrav would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Not too shabby!”
Reviewed 9/3/2018
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 37 |
| RV Length: | 24' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Hey, overall we had a great weekend. Only 10 miles from our home, we went to take in the music from a local band during an occasional offering at Catalina State Park. But yes, it was as hot here as anywhere else within 50 miles. Due to the heat at 1800hrs, we chose to stay home and play Scrabble, however I heard it was a good concert ... more
Hey, overall we had a great weekend. Only 10 miles from our home, we went to take in the music from a local band during an occasional offering at Catalina State Park. But yes, it was as hot here as anywhere else within 50 miles. Due to the heat at 1800hrs, we chose to stay home and play Scrabble, however I heard it was a good concert we missed from a neighboring couple. We will be back in a few months however. Fall of 2017, showed us that later in the year is better for sittin' n enjoyin' outdoor sittin' n pickin' concerts. Our two 4 legged kids came along. They and I learned that yes, we can bike and run side by side. They were successful again today, at home. The downside, NO WOOD OR GROUND BASED FIRES ARE ALLOWED! In contrast, a presto log (man made?) can be burned for "ambiance" at the waist high BBG grill. Of course, they also said that propane was allowed. Great bath/shower houses too as found in most AZ state parks. There is also an Equestrian center, but I don't know what the deal is. Probably a stall rental program. I cycled there and saw 5 or so empty stalls, empty, & one distant car. Very clean however. Lots of trails, but again, two days isn't hardly enough time to see the entire range of activities. Outside of a possible poisonous baby Colorado River Toad on a walk, I didn't see any other venomous or threatening wildlife, only the ground squirrels, and a lot of birds. As far as cells, our Verizons were fine, others, ?? Not why I go to the great outdoors, so I don't really care if I have em or not. As far as noise, occasionally, I would hear extremely slight urban noise. If you forgot anything, you can probably replace it PDQ. A major new shopping center that shares the entrance signal, is west of Oracle, aka SR-77, and a Fry's / Kroeger is a few miles south in the midst of a slightly older mecca of shopping. And, yes, in the "I hope no one ever needs it" column, there is also a fairly new Hospital a few miles NW. Have a safe Labor Day.
Next stop.... would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Catalina State Park has an exceptional campground providing access to both urban and wilderness areas north of Tucson.”
Reviewed 5/9/2018
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | B73 |
| RV Length: | 33' |
Overall Rating
RV Park Review – Catalina State Park Campground, Tucson AZ May 9, 2018 by Trout66 Arrival = 5/5. We stayed seven nights and paid $30 per night for partial hookups for our 33-foot motorhome. We also paid a $5 registration fee when making the reservation on Arizona’s State Park website. There were no separate park entrance fee whe... more
RV Park Review – Catalina State Park Campground, Tucson AZ
May 9, 2018 by Trout66
Arrival = 5/5. We stayed seven nights and paid $30 per night for partial hookups for our 33-foot motorhome. We also paid a $5 registration fee when making the reservation on Arizona’s State Park website. There were no separate park entrance fee when camping and the ranger provided entrance passes for our motorhome and dingy. The ranger also provided clear directions with a map and offered to answer any questions we had although it was several minutes past their office closing time.
Site quality = 5/5. We had reserved spot B73 at the back of the B-campground. B-campground had three one-way interlocking drives with 60 sites that were a mix between back-in and pull-through sites. Although we had made reservations, only about 10% of the sites were occupied, perhaps in anticipation of Tucson’s 100-degree late-spring days. Our back-in site fit our coach and dingy with much room to spare. The pads are asphalt with 30 to 50 feet of space and natural desert trees between each site. The low trees provided only a little shade but enhanced the separation between neighboring sites. The pad had no discernable slope. Hook-ups were 50/30/20 amp electric and water. Each site also had a nice picnic table and charcoal grill.
Facilities = 5/5. B –campground had a single large shower/bathroom, which although not new, was the absolute nicest and cleanest facility we had ever seen, whether in a public or private campground. Huge bonus points for that! The loop also had a dump station, a trash dumpster, some recycle bins, information boards and a leave/take a book library. 4G AT&T and Verizon cell service was two-to-three bars. Our campground also had basic WiFi which allowed email and document upload capability even though we were several hundred feet from the antenna. Our TV antenna booster pulled in dozens of stations including four major networks. The park had a sister campground (A) which was laid out in a similar manner and appeared to offer the same hookups. The park also had the Ringtail campground which provided group camping and overflow sites, mostly without hookups.
Area = 5/5. We were in Tucson for a family event but still took the time to enjoy area activities. Catalina State Park has many easy to difficult hiking trails throughout the park and into the surrounding national forest. The park had level bikeable roads and the surrounding suburban neighborhoods also featured many trails. Just outside the park gate was a big box store shopping center (Walmart, Best Buy) with all the gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, car and RV supply/repair places you’d expect within a few miles. If your Mexican food low-light is on, I’d strongly recommend La Hacienda Family Mexican Restaurant at the intersection of E. Tangerine Rd and N. 1st Ave, about 15 minutes from the campground. We ate there twice!
Overall rating = 5!
Summary: An exceptional State Park experience! Nicest restroom/shower facilities ever seen. It is obvious the park’s staff take great pride in maintaining the facilities and grounds.
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Trout 66 would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Access to Tucson”
Reviewed 4/13/2018
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | A8 |
| RV Length: | 32' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
This is a gorgeous park with fabulous access to Tucson. The weather was rainy, cold & windy when we were there in mid February 2018, so we did not do any hiking. There is tons of other things to do nearby, so we were busy nonetheless. I was disappointed with our site, A8. The power pole is on the wrong side of the site, so our Trav... more
This is a gorgeous park with fabulous access to Tucson. The weather was rainy, cold & windy when we were there in mid February 2018, so we did not do any hiking. There is tons of other things to do nearby, so we were busy nonetheless. I was disappointed with our site, A8. The power pole is on the wrong side of the site, so our Travel Trailer main door opened to the road side verses the site side. We could have driven down the wrong way on the campground road to park it so the living side faced our picnic table, but my husband was not willing to do so. Another problem with A8 is it shares the entrance to a main trail, so we had hikers, dog walkers & horses trodding through our site constantly. We moved to another site in B loop & were much happier.
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Julz would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great State Park near Tucson”
Reviewed 3/26/2018
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | A-8 |
| RV Length: | 27' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
This was a wonderful state park and was close to Tucson. The park feels much more remote than it actually is. Directly across the street from the exit gate was a very upscale shopping area with many big box stores and In-n-out burger. The A loop was well cared for and the camp host checked on us a few times. All of the sites are spacio... more
This was a wonderful state park and was close to Tucson. The park feels much more remote than it actually is. Directly across the street from the exit gate was a very upscale shopping area with many big box stores and In-n-out burger. The A loop was well cared for and the camp host checked on us a few times. All of the sites are spacious with asphalt. Highly recommend!
ourairstreamtrek would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“So much to do! ”
Reviewed 3/24/2018
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 39 |
Overall Rating
This park was excellent! It’s perfectly located for everyone’s wants and needs. Nestled against the mountains, the park has a very naturistic feel. It’s very clean, well kept, and layed out nicely. They have lots of hiking trails, paved roads for biking, and tons activities within the park at different times. If you drive 5 minutes... more
This park was excellent! It’s perfectly located for everyone’s wants and needs. Nestled against the mountains, the park has a very naturistic feel. It’s very clean, well kept, and layed out nicely. They have lots of hiking trails, paved roads for biking, and tons activities within the park at different times.
If you drive 5 minutes, out of the park, you cross the main road right into a brand new shopping center. Innovative Market has all sorts of restaurants, shops, and other events at different times. 20mim away is downtown Tucson.
Highly recommended! We will go back! Oh, and they now have WiFi! The antenna is at the restroom....so choose your spot close by if WiFi is important. It is limited to email and web browsing, so don’t plan to binge Netflix all day! 😂
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BigRedOneDoug would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Location! Location! Location!”
Reviewed 3/9/2018
| Nightly rate: | $15 |
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| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | RG17 |
| RV Length: | 19' |
Overall Rating
The location is the main positive point. You are surrounded by the amazing mountains, cactuses, hiking and biking trails. You can road bike easily (we did the Rancho Vistoso drive loop). We camped in a 19ft Motorhome RV in the Ringtail campground, which is open until March 31st for overflow. No hookups, on dirt, very close to your n... more
The location is the main positive point. You are surrounded by the amazing mountains, cactuses, hiking and biking trails. You can road bike easily (we did the Rancho Vistoso drive loop).
We camped in a 19ft Motorhome RV in the Ringtail campground, which is open until March 31st for overflow. No hookups, on dirt, very close to your neighbour, but still, we appreciated we had a place to stay in this area. This park is very booked during Feb and March.
The showers are literally the BEST you can get. Clean, HOT, and spacious.
There's free wifi in the campground B loop, and they told us we can park by the bathroom and stay for a little bit since the cell service is not good in the ringtail loop.
CONS: We would definitively return, but they should apply the 14-days rule better to give more availabilities for travellers. I heard some people were here for 3 consecutive months changing campsites from time to time...ugh.
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Dots on a map would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 8 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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