Next time you need a break in your busy life consider cool weather camping at Tucson Mountain Park's beautiful Gilbert Ray Campground, located on the west side of the Tucson Mountains, a convenient 13 miles from Tucson. RV campers should access the park by way of Ajo Highway to Kinney Road and follow the signs to the campground.

The campground has 130 RV sites with individual 30-amp electrical hook-ups. The campground has 5 sites that are designated tent only, however tenters are welcome to camp in an RV site but are asked not to use the electrical hook-ups. It has centrally located water, picnic tables, modern restrooms, and an RV dumping station. Shower facilities are not available. There are handicap bathrooms.

There is a seven-day length of stay limit. The park's peak season is January 1st through March 31st. Camping fees are $10.00 per night for tents and $20.00 per night for trailers and RVs. Senior Pass/Golden Age Pass NOT valid. Due to limited tent sites you can tent in a RV site, however, during peak season the RV campsite fee applies. Wood fires are prohibited.

Gilbert Ray Campground

I arrived late on a Wednesday evening recently and there were plenty of sites available. I’m going to assume there are always sites available because there are several signs posted that if you see someone in your reserved space to simply just find another space for yourself. 

There is a little “tent only” section, but even though I’m a tent camper, I opted for one of the spaces that was a bit bigger. I believe I was at site 74. There was a water spigot just across the road from my site. 🤘🏻

The surrounding flora is beautiful, but there is apparently a firing range just a few miles away. ALL morning long it sounds like a war in the distance. It was fine with me, but if you are particularly bothered by unrelenting noise or if you have PTSD, this may not be the place for you unless you plan to be up and out very early each morning. I cannot stress this enough that the gunfire is clearly audible from the campground and surrounding area (even as you go up the Brown Mountain Trail).

There are flush toilets and sinks with running water on premise, but no showers. The Pilot Travel Center just a short ways down I-10 has a great truck stop showering facility (seriously, it’s like brand new!) if you really need to wash up. 

Saguaro National Park is maybe 10 minutes away. The drive in and out of the campground is absolutely beautiful with saguaro cactus everywhere, but it will take you at least 20-30 minutes to get anywhere else in Tucson. 

Enough Room for All

Tucson Mountain Park offers an amazing opportunity to camp among the saguaros, just outside of the west side of Saguaro National Park. The actual park doesn’t offer developed camping, so this is the best option for exploring the area.

Benefits of Tucson Mountain Park include its cost ($10/night for a tent), proximity to the park (less than 10 minutes), and scenery (saguaros everywhere!). The only downside is that during peak season, the park fills up. Luckily, when we visited in February, there were still a few sites left available for our tent.

Our biggest reason for visiting the area was to see Saguaro National Park, and camping here offered easy access to the park. We loved the west-side scenic loop drive at sunset, hiking in the east district, and attending as many ranger programs as we could to get a better understanding of these desert giants. We also spent one night backpacking in the eastern district, which was an incredible way to dive in deeper to see the desert ecosystem up close.

You can read much more about our four days in the park on our blog: [Switchback Kids (Saguaro)](http://switchbackkids.com/saguaro/)

Scenic, spacious tent sites just outside Saguaro National Park

Give yourself time to explore and enjoy the surroundings.  

To get to the campground you must first go through the Saguaro National Park and the drive is just as fun as it is beautiful.  

I suggest viewing the aerial map of campsites before hand.  I had selected about 9 different sites before arriving and that was good because I ended up at my #6 choice.  Which was still a great site. 

Very quite and peaceful. However, it's the desert so you should bring an air mattress or cot.  Most sites have tables and are close to water and restrooms. The restrooms were very clean and upkeep. Heads up there are no showers at this campground. 

I felt very safe there and actually left my campsite unattended for about 10-12 hours and not a thing was out of place.  

Tents are $10 a night and RVs are $20.  Tents can camp in any RV space but you can't the use power at the campsites (30 amp).  You can charge small devices using the power outlets in the restrooms. Also Verizon cell/data service was great out here. 

I can't wait to go back next year. 

Peaceful & Beautiful Desert Camping

Just northwest of Tucson is this beautiful county campground, located a few miles from Saguaro National Park and the awesome Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum (a must see). Hiking and mountain biking trails are all over the area, with the Brown Mountain hike being our favorite as it’s accessible from the campground and has great views all around.  

Each site is equipped with electric hookups and there are water spigots throughout the campground, in addition to running water in the clean bathrooms (no showers though) and a nice dishwashing sink.  The picnic tables ranged from normal-sized to very small and awkward, depending on the site. There is decent privacy in between most sites, as it is beautifully landscaped with native desert cacti, shrubs, and trees.  

It’s important to note that this campground doesn’t take reservations, but if you show up by 8am and get in line, you will more than likely get a spot.  You can continue to add nights to your stay before 10am each morning, for up to 7 days total. They also don’t take credit cards, so come prepared with cash or a check.

Great spot with lots to do around the area

May, 2019 we visited Saguaro National Park near Tucson AZ. We had planned to hike into the park at one of their few campgrounds but the office informed us that there was a controlled burn and recommended we not stay in the park and suggested Gilbert Ray as a good option. Gilbert Ray Campground is a great location for visiting the National Park. We arrived to find the office closed for the summer, so self serve option was available, at 10.00 per night for tent camping you can’t beat the price. The bathrooms were clean and as an added plus they have a dishwashing station. We stayed in the A loop. There are no showers and the campsite it all gravel making it next to impossible to put a tent stake in. The sites are fairly close together, for example, I could hear our neighbor unzip his tent. All sites have picnic tables. Cell service is good.

Gilbert Ray Campground , May, 2019

This is a large campground that is great for Tents, Vans, and RVs. The roads getting in are amazing and the scenery is beautiful. I come from a area that is green nearly year round, lots of trees and thick forest. Water is plentiful as well as swamps. This place is in stark contrast to where I call home but is still amazingly beautiful. I had never seen the massive Saguaro Cactus and was sure to be a highlight of this trip. The area did not disappoint at all. 

  

We arrived in weather that was sunny and clear with a temperature of 102 degrees. While that sounds incredibly hot, it should not scare you off. The humid 90 degree weather back We arrived in weather that was sunny and clear with a temperature of 102 degrees. While that sounds incredibly hot, it should not scare you off. The humid 90 degree weather back home is much harsher than the very dry 102 we arrived in. The camp ground was wonderful and"closed" for the summer. This means that while you are able to camp there, the office is not maned. Simply deposit your payment into an envelop and drop it into the box at the office and you are good to go. 

  

The campsites are great. They have a sandy peat gravel which is surprisingly comfortable under a tent and sleeping bag. If you are using a mattress in your tent, then you really have nothing to worry about. The temperature at the time we hit the sack was still high, so we started on top of our sleeping bags. Temperatures however did drop to 64 degrees and I woke up in my bag. The campground also have Bathrooms, but they do not have showers. That bathrooms can be hot and humid but still serve their purpose. I believe all the sites have tables was great for us.

  

The morning was amazing and after a quick breakfast, a bike ride was in order. There are a number of trails in the area and many of them are great. Some have steps for Hikers and are not friendly for Mountain Bikers. The trails do not have good markings but are fairly easy to follow with a GPS map. I say have fun.

An amazing and beautiful place to camp.

This is a very nice self service campground. Clean, scenic, and with decent bathrooms and showers. There is no shade, but you’re in the desert so that is the expectation. The sky is beautiful at night and sunrise/sunset is otherworldly. 

Great

Beautiful location, very sparse spots, very quite.

Beautiful

Fantastic place to stay in the Arizona countryside. Cacti everywhere! So cool!

Excelent place to stay!

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: 4

These campgrounds are an excellent option to explore nearby Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Sonora Desert Museum, Pima Air Museum and more! There are hiking trails right off the grounds and it’s also convenient to bike riding. 
There are no showers available but the bathrooms are decent and cleaned frequently. There are lots of sites that offer electric hookups (30amp). There is also water available throughout the grounds and dump stations. 
The reservation system is new, which is a nice update to the previous FCFS system... especially in the winter when these grounds are popular. At $20/night with electric hookups, it’s an amazing value. 
Sites are laid out nicely to provide some privacy in many areas, though not completely private. There isn’t any shade afforded at the sites but the skyline of saguaros is a beautiful backdrop. We love this spot!

Skyline of Saguaros

My grandson and I stayed in a tent campsite for two nights. There are only a 5 tent sites and they don't have a tent pad. After two passes we were able to find a site with a smooth spot without rocks for the tent, B5, a picnic table but no shade. I felt there could have been more bathrooms and water spickets but honestly I did not do much walking in the campground. It is the quiet time of year, before snowbirds come, so we were able to have our pick of electric or not sites. It was quiet; I think three trailers and one other tenter. No generators allowed and 7 day strict limit. The coyotes were very vocal at night, which I enjoyed.This is more of an RV campground but suited us fine for two days. We interacted with the hosts and they were very nice. We explored the trails, visitor center and Sonora Desert Museum, which we loved. Thirty minute drive to Tucson. We went to the Reid Park Zoo, which we thoroughly enjoyed; LOTS of animals for a small zoo. We drove the loop in East Saguaro National Park. Some things closed in West Saguaro park so be aware of that, like Old Tucson, but we found lots to do.

Very Nice

This is a very nice and well maintained campground with many sites to choose from, but it is definitely geared toward staying in an RV given the utility hook-ups. Luckily I packed two sleeping pads along with my tent for the night or it would've been extremely uncomfortable; every site is filled with heavy gravel closer to a stone consistency. I didn't have any problems with coyotes venturing around, but the grasshoppers that would continually crash onto the stones was a little annoying while sleeping. There are no fires allowed at any site here because there are no fire pits or rings, though the large concrete picnic tables are a nice touch. The bathrooms are clean and orderly. If you want to stay here for a nice and easy hike up Brown Mountain nearby, this campground is a no-brainer. 

All Gravel

Traveling thru AZ had a one night stop here. Pretty terrain, lovely sky and mellow vibe.  Nice to  walk around with pups on leash and enjoy the Ancient saguaro cactus. Sunset was epic. Close to Tucson so we checked out the college town and got some amazing donuts. I would not plan a week here but it was pretty for a night. Had electric hook ups!

Great desert stopover with great skies

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.

Beautiful and cozy

Only stayed one night but it’s a beautiful, rustic campground. We will definitely be back for more than a pass-through night.

Great Place

I camped in H loop (first come, first serve) over the new year for several days. The Campground’s three loops were crowded and not much space between sites. H loop offered the best chance to snag a site with shrubbery for screening and I took #6 after two nights in #25 which had roadway on three sides so was noisy😕. There are flush toilets but no showers. Extensive hiking trails traverse the Tucson Mountains and into the Saguaro National Park for spectacular scenery. It’s all about the cactus. Just Incredible, amazing and awesome all at once. 

Great Hiking

I thought the sites were all decent sized. Almost the entire campground is set up for RV's but most of the sites don't have anyone behind them and are spacious, so tents would be fine in those spots if you don't mind an RV a site over. The couple tent spots they have are okay. All 5 of them are right off of the road so they have more noise traffic. I think our spot in B2 was the most private and away from the road. The restrooms are clean. There's also a nice dishwashing sink. The location is ideal for exploring the west side (Tucson Mountain District) of Saguaro National Park. The stars here were great and I love the sound of the coyotes in the night.

Excellent for RVer's, ok for tents

This campground was great. We were only there one night passing through, but found everything we needed. We were on the west side and had a great view of the gorgeous sunset. There were a few tent sites but overall it seems oriented to RVs/vans, etc. Great facilities, too. While we weren’t working those days, there was a good AT&amp;T signal. I would definitely stay longer if in the area! 

Surrounded by Saguaros 🌵

This campground is really nice and very well maintained. Upon entry into the campground, signs were up saying the place was full. Was so glad I made reservations online through their website. Check-in was very easy and all campground staff seem very friendly. There are several camp hosts, it looks like one per loop.

  

The sites are all gravel and most seem fairly level. Most seem to be back in and some can be a bit tricky for the less experienced. There are some pull through sites, but not very many.

  

The scenery is really nice, but there are also many scenic pull over sites along the ride in, but best to go after you unhook your rig as they don't to be large enough to accommodate trailers or large rigs.

  

There are very nice clean bathrooms with running water and a sink behind them for washing dishes. I only saw grills in some tent only sites, so bring your own if you want to grill some food.

  

The sites seem to be separated by a lot of vegetation, but voices do carry, Lots of family and dogs walking. Everybody seemed very friendly. Although Covid is still a real threat, he only people I saw wearing masks were the employees, so social distance is very important.

  

All sites have 30 amp hookups, but water and dump stations are available. There are also water spigots throughout the camp. They also request you separate your trash for recycle and recycle bins are available. 

  

I do prefer BLM camping for the privacy, but there are none I could find in this area. This place was a really nice place to stay, and they do have a 7 say strictly enforced limit. Peak season is January 1st through March 31st.

Really great campground

We stayed the last weekend in February. The place was fully booked. Spots were a bit tight. We have a 30ft TT. Electric hook ups only but plenty of dumping stations and water sites. Bathrooms but no showers (we didn’t use them). While the spots were kind of close together the views and vegetation made it feel more intimate. 

Lots of great hiking and biking trails from the campground, minutes from the Sonora Desert Museum and Saguaro National Forest. Great spot for a getaway

Great Campground

You can't get closer! This campground was located in a great spot... Scenery all around and trails to Tucson Mountain Park. Minutes from Saguaro West. The staff was very nice. Site was clean and spacious with vegetation and space between the other sites. Nothing like a Tucson sunset every night.

At the edge of Saguaro.

Wow what an incredible desert experience! The closest you can get to camping inside saguaro National park. Come here for hiking and stargazing. Stay for the cool evenings, wildlife, and true desert beauty. The desert museum is minutes away and the best way to learn about the surrounding area. Plan to spend several hours here. Almost completely outdoors so covid safe. Pack lots of water and sunscreen. Head into town for authentic Mexican food at St Mary’s restaurant or Anita street market. 

Saguaros galore!

I wanted a close by camp site for my first trip out in the new travel trailer. Gilbert ray was perfect. I chose a nice spot with a bit of extra distance from the next camper so I wouldn't stress about folks watching me back in. The site was a lovely patch of desert with electric and a picnic table. Water and Sewer were community spots and easy to use.

GREAT LOCATION FOR MY FIRST TRIP IN THE CAMPER

The scenery here is perfect for Arizona.  Great views of Tucson Mountain and surrounded by all kinds of hiking trails in the Tucson Mountain Park.  The sites are gravel and mostly flat.  Loop A seems to have the best views.   

Great Southwest Feel

 $20 nite but NO senior discounts, 7 day limit. Only loop H is open first come, no reservations., 25 sites in H loop..most suitable for vans, class b and c rvs. A few look ok for larger trailers, class As on far end of loop H. Water spigots scattered, centrally located dumpsters and toilets, 30 amp electrics to all rv sites included. NO firewood fires allowed....charcoal only!  NO dogs allowed on trails.  Negatives are the crappy reservation website, no showers, constant sound of shooting from nearby shooting range. Summary: Too pricey for this boondocker and 7d limit is too short also, hence 3 stars otherwise a ch close in to Tucson
 

Only CG close to Tucson

Camp in a Saguaro “forest”. Close to the NP. Electric campsite. Nice view and sunset.

Convinient

This was the second time my husband and I have stayed here. We first tent camped here in September 2020, it wasn’t busy and there were maybe 3 other people in the whole camp. When we were traveling this past time though Arizona we stopped again because we loved it so much last time. This trip we were in our RV and it was during busy season, but we still loved it just as much! You can’t beat the views and it was only $20/night for full hook ups! We will be back! 

Love this place!!! 

Quiet, close to NP and Regional Park with many trails, 
Be patient with service
Clean toilets
No Showers
$20 per night

Beatifule Quiet Place

Pima County campground.  Positives are that it is convenient to Tuscon.  Nice mountain biking and hiking trails right from the campground.  East access to Suguaro National Park.
Negatives are that it seems pricey for what you get.  We stayed in H loop which is first come  first serve and had to pay $20.  No showers.
Pretty crowded and noisy.  Wanted to like it more than I did.

Camping near Tuscon

Gorgeous desert, close to Saguaro National part West side, flush toilets and helpful camp hosts. 
The spots on A loop at least were super snug. Some larger ones against open desert that we will shoot for next trip. Great jumping off spot for the national park. 

Great, but tight

I booked Gilbert Ray based on campground location.  We wanted to be close enough to Tucson for day trips yet far enough out to enjoy some peace and quiet.  We were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the place.  Sunrises and sunsets are something to behold!


Happy Accident!

Nice county campground with hiking and biking. No water hookups and no showers but outdoor dishwashing station available. Some sites are fairly small and not level. Only a few would take big rigs. Great desert views. 

Quiet and well laid out

We love this campground. It is packed solid from mid January in the middle February for the Gem show in Tucson. However, there is a loop for first come first serve campers.

Amazing campground !

Beautiful views. Spacious campsites. The electrical hookups are only 220, no 110 plugs. 

Nice campground near Saguaro NP

This park is beautiful!   Campsites are set in the middle of the desert.  You can see the sun rise and set over the Sonoran desert.  There are easy and more difficult hikes in the area.  The Saguaro National Park is just a few miles away.  

There are no showers available in the campground.  You can only stay for 1 week at a time.

One of our favorite parks in Tucson, Arizona area!

Camping among Saguaros was such a treat. Very close proximity to the park. Gorgeous sunrise/sunsets. Very peaceful. Clean bathrooms. Decent cell coverage. 

Best campground in Tucson 

I dont know why it’s listed as closed for the season. The registration office is closed but campsites are reservable online and are available first come first serve w self pay as of May 16 2022. The closed for the season on Hipcamp appears to be in error. Mostly close together sites but the scenery is gorgeous. Right outside Saguaro Natl Park but also in a county park itself. Nice bathrooms, plentiful water fountains for filling. My site was supposed to have shade awning per county reservable website… it did not. Only a handful of sites actually have shade structure. There are no showers but there is a large handled faucet w hot running water behind the bathroom in C loop you can clean hair off with.

Basic w a few amenities 

Beautiful campground, ￼ the desert plant life comes right up to your campground in such a natural way, it is beautiful! We love it and recommend it! It was nice having electricity at a somewhat remote site. The hosts and park employees were very friendly and cheerful and helpful! Paved roads around the site, nice fairly level campsites. ￼We have a 36 foot fifth wheel and a long bed four-door pick up, which made parking a little difficult in our spot, but once we got in, it was really nice. ￼ We played guitar and had some friendly international traveling neighbors come help us sing.

Gilbert Ray of Sunshine

We were only able to reserve 1 night here but our spot was perfect!

Breathing views 

First come first serve rules..didnt apply to everyone equally..I was 3rd in line..but another person in lot was there b4 everyone..they took first 2 in line..then let him go in front of me?? Making me wait almost 2 hours for someone to leave..just be fair people.

Beautiful  spot..horrible  reservations system

Gorgeous campground, from the saguaros all the way down to the bathroom signage. We stayed for a couple of nights in the A loop, which gave us 30amp service (needed for heat) and plenty of solar. Getting our 27' trailer and full-size truck into the spot wasn't super easy: the campground road is narrow, and we really wanted to avoid damaging cacti. 

  

Once in the spot, though, we loved it. Our butt faced open desert, and we got a beautiful show each night as the golden mountains went red and faded to black. You're right in amongst the cacti here, which helps you feel like you're IN the desert, even when you have neighbors 30 feet away.

  

Great access to Saguaro NP's West Side, though this isn't a great campground for biking and only so-so for hiking. Unbeatable at this price or even twice it (but don't tell them that!).

Enchanting AF

Perfect place to camp with family, Great views, big sites, clean restrooms.

Great place

We made a last minute change in our itinerary and decided to swing through Tucson to check out Saguaro Ntl Park.  We had no reservations and arrived after dark, hoping to get one of the campsites for walk-ins (the entire H loop is first come first served).  We were surprised to find the entire campground nearly empty and we were able to stay in a spacious and mostly level site in the A Loop with amazing views in all directions and hardly any neighbors.

In addition to visiting the Saguaro Ntl Park west side, we spent the better part of a day at the nearby Desert Museum which was fantastic.

This county park was nicer than many state and federal campgrounds we’ve visited, well worth the $20.

Outstanding desert camping

No water at the site but there are full stations within the park. For the price, you get a great view and a wide open quite spot. 

Great spot for the money

Only issue with the site was traffic noise.  Was woken up by loud exhausts/tire squealing at 3 &amp; 4 am.

Great views and beautiful campground.

Loved this spot for a night. Practically in the NP, hard to tell the park bounds of Saguaro. Camp hosts were orderly and extremely friendly and available. Grounds were tidy! Bathrooms were clean. Felt really safe as a solo camper. Tent only sites are secluded to themselves. I was in B2 and I’d book that one or B3 if I ever go back. This tent site cluster has a little shade whereas the other two tent sites down the road are pretty exposed.

Organized and clean tent camping

Enjoyed this campsite and all it has to offer - electrical hookup for our RV, a dump station, several drinking water spigots around the loop, and hiking trails all around. Easy to get to, easy to park and level. Our rig is about 38 feet total. So close to the national park &amp; easy to ride in for hikes or exploring! Would definitely return. 

Great stay amongst the saguaros! 

This campground is so cool!!! I prefer to be in nature while camping and this is it! You really feel like you’re in the desert. Sites provide some privacy and aren’t right up on each other. Quiet and relaxing. Good accessibility to the NP. I would definitely return. 

Out In It

Gilbert Ray campground integrates the beautiful desert environment seamlessly with the campsites, which are very generous in size. Some reviews seem to suggest that sites are really backcountry and private, but I wouldn’t say that - most of the landscaping is low so you definitely see your neighbor and you can hear the cars on the nearby road. 

We reserved ahead of time (I didn’t have a problem with the online system, but I did read a lot of complaints). We showed up after hours and I felt the information at the Administration Office was really straightforward, but I got stuck behind two sets of campers who couldn’t figure out what to do or where to go and seemed to expect me to walk them through the after-hours process. In general, most of the campers were older and we didn’t see a single family.

That may be in part because the chief amenity is the landscape and proximity to the Desert Museum and SNP. Sites have electric hook-ups and there is a bathroom, but no site water hook-ups and no showers.  On our way out we drove to the dump station (located at a different loop) and water was available at that location.

The only other consideration is be careful what route you choose to enter the park. We started traveling according to directions only to realize it wasn’t recommended by the Park that RVs over 24 feet take that particular road.