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
“Great location next to Saguaro NP”
Reviewed 12/7/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | A5 |
| RV Length: | 16' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We reserved our site a few months ahead of time. Before we left, I was checking reviews here and about had a panic attack reading about others whom had reservations and then got there to find someone had taken their spot. It didn’t happen to us, but I saw it happen to others. No one is really monitoring reservations and site numbers... more
We reserved our site a few months ahead of time. Before we left, I was checking reviews here and about had a panic attack reading about others whom had reservations and then got there to find someone had taken their spot. It didn’t happen to us, but I saw it happen to others. No one is really monitoring reservations and site numbers. Campers without a reservation are supposed to use only the H loop, but they are taking any site that’s open. We loved this spot for hiking in Saguaro though. The sunsets were great, and our site was nice with only neighbors on one side, and no one behind us. Nice having cell service and about 30 min from Tucson.
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bambi_girl would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Nice”
Reviewed 12/6/2020
| Nightly rate: | $35 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 22 |
| RV Length: | 18' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We got a reservation about a week ahead of time. Almost all sites were reserved already. When we arrived we registered and found the site. It was kinda small but most of the other sites had reserved signs. No one ever came to most of the sites that had the reserved tags the entire 3 nights we stayed. We would have moved to a bigger sit... more
We got a reservation about a week ahead of time. Almost all sites were reserved already. When we arrived we registered and found the site. It was kinda small but most of the other sites had reserved signs. No one ever came to most of the sites that had the reserved tags the entire 3 nights we stayed. We would have moved to a bigger site. Oh well, it is a quiet campground with lots of hikes. Beautiful!
mariao would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“A bit remote but otherwise nice”
Reviewed 12/3/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 3 |
| Site Number: | 43 |
| RV Length: | 25' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
A nice Park with PHU's and hiking from the park. Dump station on site. Gorgeous sunsets. Pretty close to the National Park for extra hiking. Tuscon services were about 30 minutes away. Stayed here 11/22/20.
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NauNomads would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful and quiet spot in the desert”
Reviewed 12/2/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 7 |
| Site Number: | 26 |
Overall Rating
This campground exceeded my expectations. It is beautiful and so neat to the Saguaro Park, with trails leading right from the campground. The views of sunrise and sunset are spectacular. I highly recommend if you are looking for a peaceful spot in the desert nearby Tucson.
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janetsland would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“A good spot”
Reviewed 11/28/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
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| Days stayed: | 2 |
| Site Number: | C17 |
Overall Rating
...antiquated website notwithstanding. It is super, super clunky to make a reservation, but totally doable. Sites C17-18-19 were underwhelming; they don’t really feel like separate campsites at all, you just park in an awkward line and the electric hookups are inconveniently placed. That said, the surrounding area is interesting and... more
...antiquated website notwithstanding. It is super, super clunky to make a reservation, but totally doable. Sites C17-18-19 were underwhelming; they don’t really feel like separate campsites at all, you just park in an awkward line and the electric hookups are inconveniently placed.
That said, the surrounding area is interesting and the saguaros make me smile! I used this place as my winter backup to Catalina State Park and would definitely come again.
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whitney would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Reservations Issues Resolved!”
Reviewed 11/22/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 4 |
| Site Number: | A55 |
| RV Length: | 27' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
I have been wanting to make it here for years but the first come first serve system kept me away as I work full time and would arrive on a weekend. So I was happy to see they now accept reservations and booked about four months ago. I was slightly nervous in my long drive from Denver to Tucson that we would show up and our spot would b... more
I have been wanting to make it here for years but the first come first serve system kept me away as I work full time and would arrive on a weekend. So I was happy to see they now accept reservations and booked about four months ago. I was slightly nervous in my long drive from Denver to Tucson that we would show up and our spot would be taken but they have figured out how to manage online reservations! There’s a self registration box but someone is working to make sure you have a reservation and said to come back if there are any issues. Each spot had a reserved sign if it was reserved and it was instructed to go to your reserved spot only. My site was one of the most excluded and I highly recommend. Full ATT and Verizon reception. Close to hiking while not too far from town. One of my favorite campgrounds!
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Streaming Nomads would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Awesome but Busy Campground ”
Reviewed 11/21/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | H20 |
| RV Length: | 22' (Travel Trailer) |
Overall Rating
We were driving through the area and wanted to stop at Saguaro NP. This place is right down the street from the west side! We got a bit lost coming in , I recommend you use google maps in addition to another GPS because it can alert you of road closures. DO NOT GO ON GATE RD ! Upon arriving at 1pm on a Friday there was a sign saying “c... more
We were driving through the area and wanted to stop at Saguaro NP. This place is right down the street from the west side! We got a bit lost coming in , I recommend you use google maps in addition to another GPS because it can alert you of road closures. DO NOT GO ON GATE RD ! Upon arriving at 1pm on a Friday there was a sign saying “campsite full , H loop first come first serve only.” So only 20-30 spots are first come first serve , 7 day stay limit. The rest is reservation only. We were able to find one open spot ! Beautiful and clean place, wish we could have stayed longer. Dump station has three different places to dump. Great Verizon cell service !
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Laura L would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Close to Saguaro West”
Reviewed 11/18/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | 31 |
Overall Rating
Also had trouble booking through website, and when you call the number you get a recording that during the off-season they are usually only 10% full and there will be plenty of space. So we took a chance and just showed up at about 4:30 on a Friday evening in November. There were spaces, but not many, I would say they were 85-90% full ... more
Also had trouble booking through website, and when you call the number you get a recording that during the off-season they are usually only 10% full and there will be plenty of space. So we took a chance and just showed up at about 4:30 on a Friday evening in November. There were spaces, but not many, I would say they were 85-90% full by that time. The recording does say if someone is in your reserved space to choose another, and I read reviews that people had that happen, but when we arrived we did observe yellow Reserved tags on the campsites, so it is a shame if people without reservations were taking those. They have flush toilets, but those would be a good walk from a lot of sites, especially in the middle of the night. There was 30 amp electrical hook-up at our site but no water. Most sites are close together. Neighbors were quiet, but we were woken up in the middle of the night by a lot of gunshots, not sure what that was about...
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Cassie L. would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Reviewed 11/11/2020
Overall Rating
I tried to make a reservation online. Impossible. I called the two phone numbers offered at the website to reserve a site. Both answered with recorded greeting that offered nothing. Gave up.
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
“Beautiful with some cozy sites”
Reviewed 11/9/2020
| Nightly rate: | $20 |
|---|---|
| Days stayed: | 1 |
| Site Number: | C09 |
| RV Length: | 23' (Class B Plus) |
Overall Rating
The park is large with views that go on and on. We had a back-in site on the edge of the loop, so there wasn't anyone behind us and we felt very cozy. The site was a little tighter than we expected, so pay attention to the length of the vehicle recommended for the site (on the website) and whether it is a back-in or pull-through site. ... more
The park is large with views that go on and on. We had a back-in site on the edge of the loop, so there wasn't anyone behind us and we felt very cozy. The site was a little tighter than we expected, so pay attention to the length of the vehicle recommended for the site (on the website) and whether it is a back-in or pull-through site. Even the sites in the middle of the loop had fairly good privacy. Loop C is smaller, so quieter. Loop A had far more sites, but you do not need to backtrack to get to the dump station.
Be aware: the only hookup at the RV sites is electricity. There are plenty of water spots to get potable water, but they aren't at each site and aren't available to hook up to while camping. The dump station is in the middle of the park and has two places to dump, but can get backed up if there is a line.
Definitely go. And definitely stay for more than one day.
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gtdfranks would stay here again
This review is the opinion of a Campendium member and not of Campendium.com
Page 9 of 16
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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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