Catalina State Park camping is available in 120 electric and water sites. Each campsite has a picnic table and BBQ grill. Roads and parking slips are paved. Campgrounds have modern flush restrooms with hot showers, and RV dump stations are available in the park. There is no limit on the length of RVs at this park, but reservations are limited to 14 consecutive nights. Campgrounds are open all year.

Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons and streams invites camping, picnicking and bird watching — more than 150 species of birds call the park home. The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails which wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet. The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area. This scenic desert park also offers equestrian trails and an equestrian center provides a staging area for trail riders with plenty of trailer parking. Bring along your curiosity and your sense of adventure as you take in the beautiful mountain backdrop, desert wildflowers, cacti and wildlife.

Catalina State Park Campground

We stayed at this campground for 2 nights in late October 2020 while visiting Saguaro National Park.  We highly recommend this state park-- it was one of the best campsites we've experienced at a state park!

  

Pros:

\-Sites are large and have space between them.  Our site (B45) had a good amount of space between us and our neighbors.

\-Plenty of room on the site for our 1 tent, but you could have had several

\-Sites have power and water in addition to a picnic table and grill

\-Mountain views from the campsite!

\-Tress and shrubs around the site provided shade-- even a place to hang our hammock!

\-Shower house is modern/updated and was always clean

\-Nice touches such as a bulletin board with announcements by the shower hours, a "little free library" with books, and a dishwashing station by the shower house

  

Cons:

\-Honestly none really.  There was a sign that the campground can flood in rains.

  

Highly, highly recommend this campground!

Great state park- highly recommend!

Another super clean and new Arizona state park.  Free hot showers in a beautiful location.  

Right at the base of catalina state park

Excellent campground during cooler months. Summer months temperatures can exceed 100 degrees. Great hiking trails all around the park. Campsites are very nice and very clean. 

Not a summer campground

Lots of hiking in the area, from easy trails through the cacti to steep canyons nearby. There are group hike events with expert naturalists, really worth it. TONS of wildlife, including a bobcat and great birding. Amazing sunsets like nowhere else I've traveled. As for the campsite, it's really clean with nice standard amenities. Good privacy and pretty large individual sites. Shade varies. We couldn't have fires, so bring a gas backpacking stove to cook. Reservations recommended since it's so close to Phoenix and Tucson. Absolutely lovely campground setting. 

Saguaro wonderland near Tucson 

We were pretty much just looking for a place to rest our heads for the night after being in the car for 5 hours from White Sands. This place was very nice and we had it all to ourselves. We were even treated to a lightning storm- which was amazing with the thunder bouncing off the mountains. Clean facilities, dog friendly, lots of hammock trees. 

Stumbled upon this gem

Another amazing AZ state park at the base of mountain with beautiful view and hikes!  Clean new bathrooms with free hot showers!


Catalina state park!!!

We camped in the overflow area of Catalina State Park. The campground was full, the there were a lot of cars, but everyone pitched tents in a large open area with a single large fire pit and picnic shelter.  The campground had Very clean bathrooms with flush toilet and showers. The hiking trails were close by the campground and were really great hikes, with Romero Pools being our favorite. 

Clean and beautiful campground

Catalina SP is amazingly beautiful! The group camping areas are set up very nicely being easy to do all camp activities in a large space. The camp is nestled into the mountains so it's so green and great for nature walks! We saw a pair of owls keeping their nest safe. Side note: the showers were awesome!

One of the best!

Group site with 20 people. Close to the trailheads and bike trails.

Large area with plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Each site come with the the filling amenities:

-Large Pavilion - solar powered night light

-Plenty of picnic tables

-Trash and Recycling bins

-Fire Pit

-Running water

-Amazing Bathrooms - SERIOUSLY AWESOME!

Great Group sites 

Camping in Catalina state park is pretty standard camping. It is well maintained and very clean. We found the sites to be pretty spacious and there were fire rings and picnic tables which always makes cooking and eating way more enjoyable.

This campground is a great place to camp if your going to enjoy Saguaro NP and wanna see that fancy cactus. We were here in December and there were hardly any people. There are showers here which are huge while you living out of a van. Get your showers in while you can. We saw a giant praying mantis while we were here and some coyotes. Theres definitely a bunch of wild life around the park.

Cheers!

Windy and flash floods..but lets look beyond that.

We stayed 2 nights at Catalina State Park in early May. We were in site B48 - this site was at the edge of the loop so it was nice and fairly private - but there was very little shade. I probably wouldn't pick that site again in the warmer months! There were a lot of other sites that had some trees around them and seemed much shadier. Campground was very clean. Bathrooms were spotless with giant free showers, which was awesome. The bathrooms were a pretty long walk from our site (there is only one bathroom facility for that loop). There are some trails in the park. We saw (and heard) coyote, prairie dogs, and a rattlesnake eating a prairie dog along a trail right behind our campground loop! We explored nearby Tuscon (interesting town with really cool murals and a great craft beer scene) and Saguaro National Park (about 30-45 minutes away). The park is very quiet and peaceful, yet very close to stores and a main road if you need anything. The campsite we were in had full hookups for electricity and water (we were in a campervan and didn't need them but it was nice to have access to).

Clean, spacious, lots of trails and wildlife

Love this campground! Close enough to civilization for first time campers, rugged enough for experienced outdoors families. Plenty of hiking available, trees for shade, and room for activities. The bathroom and showers are big, spacious and incredibly clean.

Catalina state park

So close to Tucson! Take in a game at U of A. Go shopping. Explore the area. This park is in a prime location. Large sites, hiking trails for all levels.

One of our favorites

**Campground Review**

Catalina State Park is just a bit outside of Tucson Arizona, and more importantly, Saguaro National Park.  We used this State Park as a jumping-off point for our trip to Saguaro and it was a pretty good location for that.

Oro Valley is a modern area with tons of shopping and dining options right outside the park.  This was very convenient for us to pick up McDonalds or grab something we forgot from the store.

The Park itself is stunning.  Right up against the mountains, the views are gorgeous, especially at sunset.  We were in campsite #A-23, which was AMAZING. Perfect for tent camping, the space is large and flat.  You could easily fit several tents in this site.

We drove around campgrounds A and B and found the sites to be much more spaced out in A.  Most of the sites were occupied by RVs, which made for a very quiet and non-stressful night!  

Our site had electric hook ups and a water faucet.  Also a BBQ grill and picnic table are provided. Wood fires are NOT permitted in the park.

Overall we LOVED this place.  We will for sure return in the near future!

The Park also has a lot of amazing trails, including a very short hike to see Hohokam ruins which were so cool to see!!  The kids loved this hike and the views were amazing.

**Product Review**

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - at Catalina State Park we had the opportunity to try out the Wenzel Camp Quilt (or 2!).  These quilts are so great! Our old camp blanket had to be carefully folded in a particular way and then zipped up. These quilts come with stuff bags and you can just stuff the quilt in them when you are done!  I now keep these in the car with me at all time, because you never know when you need a picnic blanket, or something to keep you warm!

For us, it is a no-brainer to just toss one or two of these in with your camping gear.  Here in Arizona, the temperature drops fast once the sun goes down. Although it was over 100F during the day, it was still FREEZING cold in our tent at night.  We were so grateful to have these quilts to snuggle up and keep us warm!

**Campground Video**

https://youtu.be/yw_dUs9b7aM

Ranger Review: Wenzel Camp Quilt at Catalina State Park

Catalina State Park was beautiful in a very unique way. The campground sits at the base of the Catalina mountains and it made for gorgeous views. The landscape is pretty standard desert. There was a lot of plant life but not a lot of green. There are a ton of ants and other desert crawlies (just be prepared). Most of the spots are not well shaded so I don't think this is a very good summertime campground unless you are in an air conditioned camper of some sort. Some of the sites do have electric and water which is a nice perk. The campground is literally right on the edge of town. The road you take to get into the park is at a stop light intersection with a shopping plaza on the other side. Even with the close proximity tot he highway and town I didn't notice any unwanted noise.

  

The bathrooms were really well kept and had showers that even in the cold of November were putting out hot water. There are a ton of neat little hiking trails through the park (and quite a few geocaches). I could totally see this being a fun place to take pictures just because of the views. If you are looking for a large group event they had some facilities that could accommodate. My biggest dislike about this campground is they do not allow wood fires at all. It makes sense because EVERYTHING there is super dry but with the cool night temperatures (even when it was hot mid day) you couldn't warm up with a roaring fire. As a workaround you can use the fake logs in the BBQ pit (but they didn't seem to put off enough heat for us) and it looked pretty silly having 5 people standing around a BBQ pit trying to warm up!

Cute campground right on the edge of town

Great stop in an AZ state park within minutes of civilization at Tucson. Plenty of hiking trails nearby, great campsite amenities.  Showers, clean bathrooms, water at every campsite.

Showed up on a Monday afternoon with no reservation and picked up a non-electric site no problem. $20 fee or $30 with electric hookup.

Would definitely stay here again.

Desert Camping with Close City Access

Nice little park. Staff was great. Sites are too close together for my liking but lots of trails off the park. Dropped in on Memorial Day weekend, sites were mostly full (1 site left) but the neighbors had little dogs and we have 2 big German Shepherds so that wasn’t going to work so we asked if we could stay in the equestrian area since there was only one person in there &amp; they agreed. It was PERFECT for us. Not sure we’ll stay again if we can’t use that area!  

Not what I expected but it worked out

We have stayed here a couple of times on trips to the West Coast.  The park is beautiful at the foot is the mountains overlooking Tucson.  The elevation is fairly high up.  So, the temps are quite moderate compared to Tucson.   They have a mix of reservation and non reservation sites all ranges from large RVs to tent camper.  Great showers and restrooms and good roadways all the way into the sites.  Tucson is just minutes always and the State Park Entrance is near a residential neighborhood.  The mountains are beautiful in the morning.  I would highly recommend this site if you are wanting to camp near Tucson, Arizona.   

Great Mountainside Campsite 

Lots to see.. Stayed In the open camping community sights.. Very nice and clean

Cool

  

The views are unreal!  It's nestled up against the Catalina mountain range with great views of the mountainside. The park entrance is not very obvious until you come right up to it and then you see the large entrance signs. It's very convenient to local shopping but yet very removed once you enter. The RV section is very clean and the spaces are wide apart for privacy. The hiking trails are well maintained and graded. The evening we stayed there was an outdoor concert that we did not attend but sounded fun from the notice the friendly attendants handed out at the gate. This was a very popular park even for day use so plan ahead. The river stream was running due to the recent snow storm the previous week and although the mesquite trees were still bare, the ground was covered in grass. Overall very nice state park in the spring. We made it to one of the easier hikes called Montrose Pools which was very picturesque and a great place for a picnic stop.

Fantastic views and lots of fun trails. They also have a lot of activities and entertainment to attend at various times each month. 30&amp; 50 amp with water and no dump on their"B" loop sites with restrooms and showers. The"A" loop sites have some with and some without power. There are also 2 easy to access dump stations in the park. Very close to town.

great facilities, beautiful views! 

Quite place. The area I was in, the camping spots were spread out. The Catalina mountains were right behind us and made a beautiful back drop. Bathrooms seemed to be far away, especially when you really have to go. I do have reservations to go back in October. One down side is that though dogs ARE allowed in the park, they are not allowed on the hiking trails and since I didn't know that ahead of time and I couldn't leave my dog alone at the camp site... No hiking for me =(

Nice and quite state park

Loved this state park, and really enjoyed our campsite (A11). The campsites were spaced apart with some privacy and all had great views of the hills. They have campsites with electricity and water but no sewer (but they have a sewer dump). 

I only wish we had more time here. We will definitely come again!

Beautiful park!

Great views. The back-in sites around the outside of the loops are more private, particularly in Loop B. Definitely worth a visit.

Gorgeous Views

I stayed here for two nights on 12/30/20 and 12/31/20. The first night was full and very quiet. The second night was a bit louder but quieted down by 10:00 PM. I expected it to be louder since it was New Year’s Eve. The bathrooms were cleaned multiple times throughout the day. The sites were also well taken care of. Water and electric at most sites and there was trash and recycling as well. Views of the mountains were awesome. I recommend making reservations early since they fill up fast. You can not burn wood either. You can use a propane fire pit or burn a duraflame type log in the grill. 

Very nice site

In general its a lovely state park with good provisions.  Ended up in the group site, which appears not be an actual group site, as sites are individually reservable and functions as overflow camping. You are unfortunately....right on top of each other. We had maybe 8 ft between us and the camper van next to us. That said, other campers were quiet and respectful. 

Group camp is tight, but nice

I loved this park. The staff was friendly and the camp hosts were so helpful. I stayed for 7 nights at the A site, B site, and Ringtail Loop. A and B have back in’s and pull-thru’s, &amp; water/electric. There is a dump station and several picnic areas, plus short hiking loops and horse trails. AND the VIEW of the Catalina mts is stunning! 

Conveniently located a short 15 minute drive from the heart of Tucson, this state park is one of our all time favorites! We first stayed in the Ringtail Camping, which is overflow for the main campgrounds. The showers and bathrooms were clean and well maintained. The campground hosts were lovely people who were very helpful. There are no hookups at the ringtail campground, but the price reflects it. 

We moved over to campground A for a few days, which had full hooks up and spacious sites with lots of trees and privacy. All the amenities were well maintained and the staff is friendly. The hiking trails are endless, along with the gorgeous Catalina mountains and colorful sunsets. Would highly recommend! 

Catalina State Park, AZ 

Camped 14-15 March 2021 - Minutes from the hustle and bustle of Tucson and Oro Valley, but surprisingly quiet. Catalina State Park Campground has two campsite loops- A and B, as well as the Ringtail group tent site. I tent camped at site A16, which was a decent distance from the neighboring sites. The loops and parking slips are asphalt paved. Familiarize yourself with the site map, because most of the campsite numbers were on posts set back a distance from the road, making it tough to locate some of the sites, especially if you’re arriving after dark. Campsites are typical desert sand, with mesquite and palo verde trees. I had plenty of location options within the site for setting up my tent, but had to choose carefully, as to not sleep atop an access hole to the round-tailed ground squirrel burrows that are in abundance throughout the campground. The site had water, an electric hook up (which I didn’t need), a nice sized thermoplastic polyethylene coated metal picnic table (easy to clean), a raised BBQ grill and a beautiful view of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The restroom and shower facility in loop A was clean and adequate, with three toilet stalls (one of which was ADA compliant, as well as two showers (one being ADA compliant). Signage on ADA shower stall indicated adaptive equipment (shower chair, etc.) was available through the camp hosts. An open breezeway between women’s and men’s restrooms includes a sink, soft drink machine, a small “Take a book, share a book” cabinet, and informational bulletin boards. A posted sign indicated wifi password for the campground, but whenever I tried to connect, I got a prompt that it was unavailable. I had a strong Verizon signal. Per another sign posted in the breezeway, the 48-day Bighorn Fire of June 2020 burned almost 120,000 acres / 25% of Catalina State Park. Because of vegetation loss, the Canada del Oro wash (along the main road between the entrance/ranger station and the campground) is prone to flooding when it rains at higher elevations. The wash has been running black with ash, and for longer periods of time than before the fire. The ash coats the sand, preventing the rainwater from being absorbed, creating the potential for flash floods. The Romero Trail to Romero Pools has been closed since the fire, with signs indicating reopening in May 2021. There are still plenty of miles of beautiful desert trails to enjoy. There are two large grocery stores and two gas stations within five miles of the campground.

Catalina State Park campground is one to add to your trip itinerary 

This campsite is in the heart of the Sonoran Desert on the outskirts of Tucson. You are minutes from the city, but still tucked into the valley of the Catalina Mountains. The perfect place for a desert retreat! Across the street (5 min drive for the campsite) you’ll find in ‘n out, Walmart, and other retail stores. Just down Oracle Rd. you’ll find great local restaurants... El Molinitos, Guadalajara Grill, Tap and Bottle, Village Bakehouse, and Truland Burgers. There is so much to explore in Tucson, but this campsite alone is a destination. If you’re lucky enough to be around after mountain snowmelt, you can enjoy the water. Hiking baths are aplenty as are the birds for birding enthusiasts. 
Campsites are clean and spacious. There isn’t much shade in the desert, so plan accordingly. Stargazing is great here. This State Park is a hot spot for locals, so hit the trails early in the morning or just stick to the campground on the weekends to avoid the crowds. 
The park and the adjacent mountain range suffered greatly from a large fire in the summer of 2020. Deeper into the park on hikes you’ll notice the devastation and also see desert regrowth. Be sure to check before you go as some trails are still closed from the damage.

Southern Arizona’s best State Park

I typically rate campgrounds as they fit into 1 of 5 categories. This campground will be rated as a Regional/Public Park — Grounds that are on public lands, and have a cost for entry and/or overnight stay. 
Ratings for this category are based on:
Cost: 5
Allure of the park/lands: 5
Amenities as available (bathrooms, showers, hookups, etc): 4
Layout and privacy of sites: 5

Catalina SP is at the Northern end of metro Tucson. It’s about 30 minutes to downtown and 1 hour to either division of Saguaro National Park (East or West). 

Reservations during January for a short-term (2 night) stay were surprisingly easy to obtain via their online booking tool. Longer stays should book far ahead of time, max stay is 14 days, I believe. Price of $30/night +$5 booking fee was very reasonable for RV Electric and water hookups for the stay. 

Check in was easy with the attendants and there is no extra cost for park admission for campers, which is a nice bonus for AZ state parks (many states charge the fees outside of the cost of camping). 

The sites were huge, very big-rig friendly, and private. Additional signage for numbered sites would have been helpful, but it’s not hard to find your spot using the power of deduction. Backing in our 25’ trailer was easy. Electric and water hookups were available at our site (30) in the B Loop. No sewer hookups and the dump stations were crowded when we left at 11:45am on checkout day. Restrooms were open, and require masks. They were spotless! Water pipes at the campground froze overnight on an evening where temps barely touched 32 degrees. They were defrosted and flowing by 8:30am. There were also dish cleaning stations outside the restroom. 

Very nearby are grocery stores, gas stations and other shopping/eating spots, but the proximity to commerce doesn’t impact the natural feel of these grounds... night at the campground is very dark. 

The hiking accessible from the campgrounds is fantastic with tons of desert landscape and saguaros dotting the skyline. Low mountains add to the scenic view and trees throughout the campground contribute to privacy from your (fairly distant) neighbors. Yet another fantastic reason to choose state parks for your camping/rving adventures!

A destination of its own

Me and my family did a 1 day tent camping trip to Catalina state park. And we all absolutely loved it there. The bathrooms are super clean, the staff was very helpful. The camping sites are great, lots of space. Would definitely recommend a trip to Catalina state park.

Absolutely love Catalina state park

Two of us camped together in a group area with one other couple. Beautiful sunset. Coyotes howling. Good company over the fire pit. Great shower facilities 

Beautiful

Walmart nearby DOES NOT allow overnight. Did not check out amenities but the campground had roomy sites and is very well groomed. Everyone was friendly. Filled fresh tank at campsite. Dump station very clean. Great mountain biking-50 mile trail- in park. 

Late arrival -found nice people to share their roomy campsite 

Separate dry (area a) and hook up areas (area b) first come first serve. $ 30 full hook up includes entry fee.  Showers. Lots of birds. Little free library. Friendly folks all round. 

Spacious, very nice

Beautiful state park campground. Huge, level, paved sites. All the sites in the B loops have water and electric( 20A, 30A, and 50A). Picnic table and bbq. No fire pits. Dump station near exit of loops and another near state park entrance. Nice selection of pull through and back-in sites. We had a back-in on outer edge and had beautiful views. Plenty of space between sites and with clever positioning and trees, you have some privacy. Was very quiet (with the exception of the coyote's at sundown 👍) Nice clean bathrooms and showers. Many sites have some trees that may provide some needed shade in warmer months. Great hiking and biking in park. Bicycle paths in Oro Valley area are also awesome. 

Tucson Beauty

I have stayed here a twice and enjoyed both visits. Bathrooms are clean and all sites are well maintained. No wood fires are allowed but you can bring a propane fire pit. Plenty of trails are nearby. 

Plenty to do

We camped in the Ringtail loop which is open to individual camping from January through March (usually a group camping area).
It is a big gravel parking lot where they jam everyone in there.  Super tight!  Decent hiking trails from the park especially Romero Canyon trail.  Bathrooms/showers were fabulous.

State Park

Well kept Campground north of Tucson. We stayed in 3 different sites because we made last minute reservations. Great hiking and biking.  Birds everywhere, fun to watch. 

Can't beat being nestled in the Catalina's!

Catalina State Park in Tucson, Arizona, is a fantastic campground that offers a perfect blend of natural beauty and convenience. The campsite is surrounded by stunning desert landscapes, with majestic saguaro cacti and rugged mountains providing a picturesque backdrop. 

  

The well-maintained facilities and spacious campsites make it an ideal destination for both novice and experienced campers. What sets Catalina State Park apart is its remarkable proximity to the town of Tucson. Just a short drive away, campers can easily access the vibrant city to explore its cultural attractions, dine at diverse restaurants, and shop for supplies. 

  

This accessibility makes it an excellent choice for those who want to enjoy the serenity of the outdoors without sacrificing the convenience of urban amenities. Whether you're into hiking, stargazing, or simply seeking a peaceful getaway, Catalina State Park offers it all. The stunning natural beauty combined with its proximity to town makes it a top-notch choice for a camping adventure in Tucson, Arizona.

Base of Catalina Foothills

Very nice campground with great views of the mountains, hiking, and biking around Oro Valley on road bike. Easy access to the loop trail. It was low 30s in the mornings (February). Bathroom and showers in loop A were coolish. 

Oro Valley

We've stayed here on 3 different trips to the SW, 2019,2020 &amp; 2023. A very nice break from the remote, amenity-less places we usually camp. It's a great place to resupply, dine out, see the sights, clean up and relax in the Arizona sunshine while gazing a the Santa Catalina Mountains. 

There is some hiking including guided Ranger led tours. Lots of birds, coyotes and a whole lot of giant saguaro cactus. In spring at least, there is water, sometimes a lot.

I find that some of the sites are well spaced, some with stunted trees which could provide more shade once they leaf out. We've never had that experience with all out visits coming in March or early April.

We're not much for big campgrounds or RV Parks but this one works for us. It has however gotten, like everywhere else, EXTREMELY HARD to reserve a site, especially one of the better ones.

One other note - **Wood fires are not allowed!!** We use a propane Firebowl there.

A very nice, urban, campground with spectacular mountain views. 

I travel to Tucson from Phoenix on a regular basis. CSP is close enough to get to my destinations and it provides scenery and views comparable to $400 a night resorts in the same vicinity. Plus I can camp and do my astrophotography at the same time. 