Gilbert Ray Campground
Tucson Mountain Park
Write a Review 8451 W. McCain Loop Rd. Tucson, AZ 85735 520-403-8116 520-724-5000 Official WebsiteGPS: 32.2208, -111.1444
Overview of Gilbert Ray Campground
Weight restrictions apply to Gates Pass Rd. Long rigs should enter Tucson Mountain Park from Ajo Highway to Kinney Rd.
Generators are not permitted. Dogs are not allowed in Tucson Mountain Park, however, they are allowed in the campground.
Last Price Paid: $20
Reported by ElaineS on 6/29/2024
Longest RV Reported: 40 feet (Class A)
Reported by Geardowntravels on 1/12/2022
Number of Sites 130
Pad Type gravel
Reservations yes
Elevation 2,624 ft / 799 m
Max Stay 7
Tent Camping Yes
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Q&A - Ask the Community about Gilbert Ray Campground
To ask questions of the owner or manager please contact the campground directly. 520-403-8116
Kkenney asked on 2/14/2023
Are the site lengths listed on-line accurate? Looking at a site that is 28’ long, but we are 31.5’. Class C.
TwoChihuahuasTraveling asked on 2/6/2023
Are the skies pretty dark? Yes,I know that they're pretty, but, we'd love to see the stars! Thanks!
Ledhead asked on 1/2/2022
From what I'm seeing, I take it there are no sewer hookups at the sites?
nygirly asked on 2/11/2021
Does Gilbert Ray Campground have standard plug 15 amp electric service at the campsites?
Reviews of Gilbert Ray Campground 155 people have reviewed this location.
Cell Phone Coverage
Confirmed by 86 Users
Last reported 6/29/2024
Confirmed by 42 Users
Last reported 3/18/2024
Confirmed by 17 Users
Last reported 11/7/2023
“Lovely desert camping”
Reviewed 6/29/2024
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | 13C |
| RV Length: | 35' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and stayed in #13C, an E only (30A), BI site for $20/night. The road in is asphalt and the sites are gravel. The site was fairly easy to back into as it was on a good angle off the road. I needed two boards to get level. There was no one close on the door side of the rig, but the s... more
I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and stayed in #13C, an E only (30A), BI site for $20/night. The road in is asphalt and the sites are gravel. The site was fairly easy to back into as it was on a good angle off the road. I needed two boards to get level. There was no one close on the door side of the rig, but the site on the opposite side had someone fairly close. There was no shade, but lots of vegetation and loads of saguaros. The electric connection was WAY in the back and my cord almost wouldn’t reach. It was a long walk to the bathroom (no showers available) and it was older, but clean. There were coyotes close by at night. Sites are a mix of BI and a few PT’s. Some are bunched together and others are very spacious. Check satellite photos to help you pick. Generally the sites on the outside of the loop were bigger. Connectivity: 3 bars 5G with Verizon, 96-204 mbps download speed depending on the time of day, lots of OTA channels and no wifi. Camp hosts/staff were very friendly. Recycling was also available. It was pretty quiet overall, but C-Loop may be a little more quiet since it is further from the main road and has fewer sites on it. I would definitely stay here again.
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Verizon 5G
ElaineS would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great desert experience”
Reviewed 6/3/2024
| Nightly rate: | $23 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | A58 |
| RV Length: | 24' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Nice campground, near Tucson and very near Desert Museum and Saguaro NP- both should be seen while in the area. Our campsite was clean and level, we have a 24ft Class C. There are no hookups but water is available in the park. Restrooms were clean, no showers. There is a dump station which we utilized. Great star gazing at night.
TXtraveler would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“GREAT camp sites...but...”
Reviewed 4/22/2024
| Nightly rate: | $30 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| RV Length: | 16' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Loved the campground, cleanliness, and dump station. We had meant to stay there for two nights, but, left after the first because two 4-ft diamond back rattlers decided to take a short cut through our site, and hang around.
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Verizon 4G
Digger would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Desert Camping with great things to do.”
Reviewed 3/18/2024
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | A43 |
| RV Length: | 24' (Class C) |
Overall Rating
Stayed here 3/11 - 3/12/2024 at site A43. Only 25 minutes from Tucson and 2 miles from the terrific Desert Museum. Campground is in the middle of a beautiful desert. Campground does not have water hookups nor showers but has multiple water stations throughout the entire campground and dump station area. Restrooms were very clean. ... more
Stayed here 3/11 - 3/12/2024 at site A43. Only 25 minutes from Tucson and 2 miles from the terrific Desert Museum. Campground is in the middle of a beautiful desert.
Campground does not have water hookups nor showers but has multiple water stations throughout the entire campground and dump station area. Restrooms were very clean. Loop is paved and pads are gravel and quite level. Decent spacing between sites with dessert vegetation/brush to provide a degree of privacy.
Very quiet at night. Some occasional noise during the day from overflights of military fighter jets and Blackhawk helicopters, but I liked to see them fly over.
If you mountain bike there is a very large trail system that has several connecting trails to the campground. Old Town Tucson is only 1 mile away.
Early March weather was great, with highs in upper 70s and lows in upper 40s.
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AT&T 5G
Arizona UF Gator would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Friendly, welcoming staff. Spacious sites. Spectacular landscape. ”
Reviewed 3/2/2024
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | 15 |
Overall Rating
Greeted by a cheerful camp host. Spent 4 days. Needed to stay one more due to weather. They found me another, thank goodness. The Desert Museum is a must! Campers from far and wide friendly. Lots of smiles. Biking and hiking galore.
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Verizon 4G
Chris would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great if you can get in!”
Reviewed 3/2/2024
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | 29, 41 |
| RV Length: | 16' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
My last review mentioned the change from FCFS to only reservations. After a lovely few days at the nearby Catalina State Park, I was able to piece together enough cancelations for the week (with daily stalking of the website and many chats with the super nice staff). It's very pretty here and you are right in the cactus! Definitely clo... more
My last review mentioned the change from FCFS to only reservations. After a lovely few days at the nearby Catalina State Park, I was able to piece together enough cancelations for the week (with daily stalking of the website and many chats with the super nice staff). It's very pretty here and you are right in the cactus! Definitely close together with your neighbors, but with privacy too. Verizon signal was very strong without a booster. Easy to work and do video chats. Be aware of the nearby gun range. If you or your dog are uncomfortable with sunup to sundown gunfire and some low flying jets from the nearby base, this might not be the best spot for you.
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Verizon 5G
sharprah would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“No more FCFS- reservations only”
Reviewed 2/25/2024
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 0 |
| RV Length: | 16' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Super bummed to get here and learn that they no longer allow FCFS in the H-loop. Also, the price is $35 unless you are in a tent site. Really pretty spot, strong Verizon signal, and nice folks working there. But, alas I don't plan my life months in advance so I likely won't ever get to stay here.
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Verizon 5G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful Scenery, Worth The Stay”
Reviewed 2/19/2024
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | 35 |
| RV Length: | 30' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
Stayed two nights. The worst thing about this campground is the reservation process. I had to go back and forth between screens to make sure I booked a site big enough. No pictures available for specific sites so it was stressful driving in and I just crossed my fingers it would work out. Luckily, it did. Cactus everywhere, which shoul... more
Stayed two nights. The worst thing about this campground is the reservation process. I had to go back and forth between screens to make sure I booked a site big enough. No pictures available for specific sites so it was stressful driving in and I just crossed my fingers it would work out. Luckily, it did. Cactus everywhere, which should be expected but just something to be mindful of if you have kids or dogs. Sites only have electricity but there is water and sewer dumps on site. Overall a great stay but not something I would do again if I’m the area.
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AT&T 5G
Verizon 5G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“A very nice county park. ”
Reviewed 1/27/2024
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 5 |
| Site Number: | 26 |
| RV Length: | 27' (Fifth Wheel) |
Overall Rating
We really liked this campground. There is plenty of room between sites, and the natural vegetation helps give some privacy. The staff was very friendly and helpful upon check-in. Sites are gravel and not very level but I was able to get things level without much effort. The views make this place. It's close to town but a world ap... more
We really liked this campground. There is plenty of room between sites, and the natural vegetation helps give some privacy. The staff was very friendly and helpful upon check-in.
Sites are gravel and not very level but I was able to get things level without much effort.
The views make this place. It's close to town but a world apart. The desert museum is next door and the National Park just down the road so there is plenty to do and see.
The only drawback is the website to reserve a site. Make sure to read the instructions or you may not get what you think you are getting. They are supposed to get a new reservation system this spring.
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Verizon 5G
kartdoug would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Great Views, But…”
Reviewed 12/21/2023
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | 5 |
Overall Rating
I was really looking forward to spending the holidays here but should have know from all the difficulty accessing and using the website it was not going to be a 5 star stay. Don’t get me wrong, the views are beautiful! The website to reserve is a horror story. So user unfriendly, I ended up making reservations for the wrong month and d... more
I was really looking forward to spending the holidays here but should have know from all the difficulty accessing and using the website it was not going to be a 5 star stay. Don’t get me wrong, the views are beautiful! The website to reserve is a horror story. So user unfriendly, I ended up making reservations for the wrong month and didn’t realize until I got the emailed confirmation. I tried to contact someone immediately but this was on a weekend and there is NO ONE available on weekends or after hours. Also, for a large part of the year, there’s NO ONE to help you figure out the monstrous website. Anyway, finally got a hold of someone the following Monday who changed my reservation. The only thing left was A Loop which has 50amp (which I didn’t need) but these sites are more expensive. I assumed they were designed for larger class A RV’s but these are SMALL sites. I have a 3500 dually and truck camper and I took up the entire site. Anyway, FYI: NO SHOWERS! For this price you should be getting a hot tub. I was told on entering there was a “nice sink to wash your hair by the bathroom.” Also FYI: dogs are NOT ALLOWED anywhere on the trails in the Tucson Mountain Park, which this campground is a part of and consists of hundreds of miles of trails. Also FYI: You need to be out of you site by ELEVEN AM! This is worse than some hotels. The bathrooms were old and dated but mostly clean. Found garbage in my site when I came. There is certainly no grooming of sites or gravel here. I was able to get level after back and forth if my truck to fit it in in such a way as to be level side to side, but my nose was still higher than my rear, but doable. It’s a lovely location, but I won’t be back and neither will my dog.
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AT&T 5G
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 1 of 16
21 reviews
noted 4/26/2023
The Official Website is wrong. Correct website is https://www.pima.gov/1228/Gilbert-Ray-Campground
9 reviews
noted 1/31/2021
To make reservations online, it must be at least 72 hrs in advance of the arrival date. Just sayin'.
19 reviews
noted 2/12/2020
We have not been there yet, but they do not give refunds. You can only change to a different date or cancel and lose your money. Thanks Pima county.
2 reviews
noted 1/2/2020
As of Jan 1, 2020 on-line reservations are accepted at Gilbert Ray. Details at https://webcms.pima.gov/cms/one.aspx?portalId=169&pageId=1327
2 reviews
26 reviews
Camp among the cacti in Tucson Mountain Park!
Located in Tucson Mountain Park just west of the city, Gilbert Ray Campground is a hidden gem among the desert for partial hookup camping spots. Chosen for its close proximity to Saguaro Nationa...
42 reviews
My Little Batch of Sky: Time to Get Away
Although it was planned for a while, we had to get away last weekend. It was the perfect time to turn off the news, Facebook, and our phones and go live in the desert for a few days. We visited Sagu...
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Last Stops in Arizona: Tucson, Benson & Willcox
Last Stops in Arizona: Tucson, Benson & Willcox It never fails to surprise me. We reach the end of another season, with more places left on our ‘must see list’ than we ac...
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Christmas in Tucson - WatsonsWander
Unlike last year when we spent Christmas smack in the middle of Florida at my Grandmother’s house, this year we decided to enjoy a desert holiday in Tucson. Our very favorite place to stay in Tu...
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Desert Time
As winter approached, we headed south. Outside of Tucson, we chose the highly recommended Gilbert Ray Campground as basecamp for a visit to Saguaro National Park. Airstream tucked in at Gilbert Ray...
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Amenities
Hookups
- 30 Amp
- Partial Hookups
Recreation
- picnic area
- recreation trail
Site Amenities
- big rig
- picnic table
- pull thru
Facilities
- dump station
- ADA Accessible
- recycle
- restrooms: flush
- trash
- water available
Pets
- pets
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