Catalina State Park Campground
Reviewed Mar. 18, 2021

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

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.

  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021
  • Review photo of Catalina State Park Campground by Janet H., March 18, 2021