Arcadia Campground
Reviewed Feb. 16, 2020

Nice break from the desert heat but overpriced

My husband, myself and our 2 small dogs live in Tucson, AZ. We recently acquired a roof top tent and we’ve been trying out various campgrounds across the Southwest.

The drive up scenic highway 366 is worth a trip regardless. There are some amazing views of the Pinaleños. Since it’s still February, the road to the top of the mountain was closed to us so we decided to stay at Arcadia since it’s open year round.

We were the only people staying overnight, which surprised us since it was a holiday weekend. We did see a group picnicking when we first arrived though. Also, we could hear sports cars on the highway at night. Probably racing down the tight switchbacks.

No water, so make sure to bring your own. Toilets were clean, pit toilets and there were 2 sets. Campsites are pretty spread out. Some were 30-50 feet from the main road and wouldn’t really suit our needs as RTT campers. Lots of trash cans and a few bear boxes. Each site has a fire pit with a cooking grate and a cement picnic table. For camping in AZ, it is well suited for tent camping. We stayed in site 12. Most other sites wouldn’t not be ideal for RTTs.

I would definitely return to the Pineleños, but I’m going to wait until April, when we can access the sites at the top of the mountains.

Overall, it’s a nice wooded area, but with only 1 hiking trail (to Shannon Campground, 10mi r/t) and no vista views from the site, I don’t think it’s worth $20 a night. We decided to only spend 1 night here.

  • Review photo of Arcadia Campground by Beth G., February 16, 2020
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  • Review photo of Arcadia Campground by Beth G., February 16, 2020
  • Review photo of Arcadia Campground by Beth G., February 16, 2020
  • Review photo of Arcadia Campground by Beth G., February 16, 2020
  • Review photo of Arcadia Campground by Beth G., February 16, 2020
  • Review photo of Arcadia Campground by Beth G., February 16, 2020