Douglas Spring

Accessibility is not guaranteed, always scout ahead before driving down dirt roads. Learn more: https://www.campendium.com/camping/boondocking-101/

Redington Pass - Dispersed Camping

## Overview

There are no campgrounds accessible by vehicle (including RV) within Saguaro National Park. For fit hikers interested in backpacking a minimum of 4.4 miles into the rugged Rincon Mountains, 6 wilderness campgrounds are available. 

The Rincon Mountains in Saguaro National Park rise out of the Sonoran Desert to over 8000 feet in elevation and host vegetative communities ranging from desert cacti, desert grasslands, and oak woodlands, to mixed conifer forests. 

In 1976, congress designated 57,930 acres of the Rincon Mountains within the park as the Saguaro Wilderness managed as "an area where the each and its community of life are untrammeled by humans, where people themselves are visitors who do not remain."

## Recreation

**Water**

Without question, water will be your most important concern while visiting the Saguaro Wilderness. Surface water is generally scarce during most of the year. At times, it is non-existent. Start your trip with plenty of potable water. Know where water sources are located and plan your trip according to water availability.

It is recommended that you treat/filter all water used for human consumption. 

All campgrounds within the Saguaro Wilderness are situated next to intermittent streams or springs. During dry seasons, water may not be available. The water source at Manning Camp is a spring surrounded by chain link fencing. Please do not enter the fenced area. Water may be obtained a short distance downstream. The water tap at the Manning Camp Cabin is not for public use and is usually turned off. 

If your itinerary calls for you to exit on the same trail you entered, you might consider caching potable water along the trail. This will assure a source of drinking water on your way out. We recommend sealed water containers with your name and the date written on them. 

For current water reports, inquire at the visitor center - (520) 733-5153. 

**Weather**

Temperatures and weather can vary greatly across the Saguaro Wilderness and is largely dependent on elevation. 

Manning Camp is located at an elevation of 8,000 feet, and the visitor center is at an elevation of 3,080 feet. 

The average high temperature at the visitor center in January is 63 degrees and the average low temperature is 38 degrees. For the same month, the average high temperature at Manning Camp is 44 degrees and the average low is 25 degrees. 

In June, the average high temperature at Manning Camp is 77 degrees and the average low temperature is 48 degrees. For the same month, the average high temperature at the visitor center is 98 degrees and the average low temperature is 67 degrees. 

Winter Rainy Season: The typical winter rainy season occurs from December through February. Rainfall is generally light and gentle but may fall for extended periods. Expect snow at higher elevations. 

Summer Rainy Season: The typical summer rainy season occurs from July through September. Rainfall can be intense and heavy. Lightning and flash flooding are common - extra caution is advised. 

**When to Go**

Summer temperatures in the Sonoran Desert regularly exceed 100 degrees and can reach 115 degrees. Higher elevation areas such as Manning Camp can receive significant winter snowfall. 

Spring and Fall can be ideal times to backpack in the Saguaro Wilderness but it is still important to pay attention to projected weather. If the predicted high temperature at your trailhead is between 80 and 95 degrees, plan your trip so that you arrive at higher elevations by early afternoon. If the predicted high temperature is between 95 and 110 degrees, leave the trailhead early enough that you can arrive at elevations over 7000 feet by 10 am - leaving the trailhead before sunrise is recommended. And, if the predicted high temperature is over 110 degrees, consider cancelling your trip. 

At any time of the year, backpackers should plan to leave their trailhead by noon. Backpacking in the Rincon Mountains is a difficult endeavor. Later starts frequently lead to camping illegally in areas other than designated campgrounds. 

**Topographic Maps**

All visitors to the Saguaro Wilderness should have the necessary orienteering and map reading skills to safely get around. We suggest that you carry National Geographic’s “Trails Illustrated Map”, which covers the entire park in one waterproof, tear-resistant map. The map is available at the visitor center. 

If you would like to purchase the map to aid in planning trip, by mail or phone prior to your arrival contact the Western National Parks Association bookstore. 

WNPA Bookstore

3693 South Old Spanish Trail

Tucson, Arizona 85730

(520) 733-5155 

**Livestock**. Limited overnight livestock pack trips are permitted in the park. Please contact 520-733-5153 for additional information.

## Natural Features

The 70,000 square mile Sky Island region of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northwestern Mexico is globally important because of its rich diversity of species and habitats. These mountain "islands", forested ranges separated by vast expanses of desert and grassland plans, are among the most diverse ecosystems in the world. The Rincon Mountains of Saguaro National Park are the largest roadless sky island in the region.

## Charges & Cancellations

For more information on cancellations or changes, visit <https://www.recreation.gov/rules-reservation-policies>.

Saguaro National Park Wilderness Permits

In 1884, Levi Manning emigrated from Mississippi to Tucson, Arizona, and after some years established L.H. Manning and Company. He later expanded his business interests with ranching and acquired a 160-acre homestead in the Rincon Mountains. There, at an elevation of 8,000 feet, amid pine forest near a perennial spring, he selected a site for what would become his family’s summer home. Manning hired local workers to build an 11-mile wagon road to the site, which was used to transport the tools and materials used to construct his remote, five-room retreat. However, Manning would only enjoy his mountain getaway for a couple summers before his homestead was absorbed into the newly-formed Coronado National Forest in 1907. For the next half-century, the Manning Cabin was used mostly by Forest Service fire and trail crews. During this time, it went through various states of disrepair and reconstruction. From the late 1950s until the late 1970s, the cabin was largely abandoned until it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. One again restored and back in operation, the Manning Cabin serves as a base for area research and backcountry rangers. The cabin is not open to the public, but visitors can hike to the cabin and pitch their tents in the nearby Manning Camp. This small campground has six tent sites that can accommodate up to six people each. Camping here requires obtaining a Saguaro National Park backcountry permit, which can be acquired at a park visitor center, or by mailing in a request form in advance. There are several hiking trails that can be used to get to Manning Camp. All are long, and all are difficult. The trail from Happy Valley is 9.8 miles (one-way), and gains a total of 4,700 feet of elevation. This trail starts at the Miller Creek trailhead, near the eastern border of the park, and requires driving an unmaintained forest road; 4WD and/or a high-clearance vehicle are recommended. From the Loma Alta trailhead, in the southwest corner of the Rincon Mountain Unit, the route is 13.5 miles (one-way), and gains more than 5,700 feet of elevation. The trails to Manning Camp climb through a mix of desert scrub, oak woodlands and conifer forests. This area is home to black bears and mountain lions; store all food in the camp’s bear-proof lockers. Hikers should follow LNT guidelines, and treat all backcountry water sources.

Manning Camp

Spud Rock Spring

Tucson Under Canvas

The story of Saguaro National Park dates back much farther than its establishment in 1994. Prior to this, the area was designated a national monument in 1933 as a way to preserve the unique Sonoran Desert landscapes of the Tucson and Rincon mountain districts. This saved the area from the ranchers and miners who settled in the area in the 1880s. These followed the Spanish explorers who established a military fort in Tucson in the 1770s, nearly a century after founding a mission in the ares in the 1690s. Petroglyphs and potshards indicate that the Hohokam peoples inhabited the area for more than a millennium prior to the Spanish. Travel back even farther, and there’s a complex geologic history of exactly how the landscape came into being—and why it’s worth preserving. Camping in Saguaro is like entering a time machine. With no campgrounds in the park accessible by vehicle, the only way to camp is to hike in to any of the six designated campgrounds. The trails to get to the campgrounds typically start from developed roads and trailheads, but venture deep into the Sonoran backcountry, where only the rocks, plants, and animals tell the story of a landscape that’s changed little—with the exception of who’s occupied it—for the past several thousand years. One of the more popular campsites for those looking to bag 8,482-foot Rincon Peak, is the Happy Valley Saddle, which lies in a grove of scrubby pine and juniper forest, about halfway along the hike to the peak. This small campsite is located on the east end of the Rincon Mountain District. The campsite is accessible via a 3.9-mile trail that climbs 2,000 feet from the Miller Creek Trailhead. The road to this trailhead is not maintained, so may not be passable by passenger vehicles, or following inclement weather. The site offers three spaces for pitching tents. The water supply at nearby Miller Creek is seasonal at best, so visitors should plan accordingly. There are no facilities here, so hikers should exercise Leave No Trace and pack-it-in-pack-it-out practices. Camping in the Saguaro Wilderness backcountry requires a park-issued wilderness permit, which can be acquired in person at the park visitor center, or by submitting an application in advance.

Happy Valley Campground

Coronado National Forest Molino Basin Campground

## Overview

Visitors are drawn to Molino Campground for its group camping area, scenic mountain surroundings and hiking and mountain biking opportunities. While most other campgrounds in the Catalina Mountains are closed in winter, Molino Campground and its picnic area are open in late fall, winter and early spring. The pleasant winter weather at this elevation makes it a great time to visit.   
  
Molino Basin is conveniently located 5.5 miles from the base of Mt. Lemmon on the Catalina Highway, and about 10 miles northeast of Tucson.

## Recreation

Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are popular activities. The Arizona Trail, which extends from Mexico to Utah, passes through the campground, and the Molino Trail leads to the Pusch Ridge Wilderness (hiking and horseback riding only). A variety of additional trails, including some on 9,157' Mt. Lemmon, are available in the area for those who wish to venture away from the campground for the day.

## Facilities

This facility has a few dozen individual campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis, along with a reservable group camping and picnic area. The group area is accessible with a paved walkway, and is equipped with a large picnic shelter covering several picnic tables, two serving tables, grills and food storage lockers for bear safety. Six cleared tent pads, as well as one accessible tent site, are adjacent to the picnic area. Most of the tent sites are open and sunny. RVs and trailers are permitted.   
  
Visitors must bring their own drinking water; none is provided.

## Natural Features

Campsites sit amid a high desert oak scrub ecosystem at an elevation of 4,500 feet on the slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Along the banks of Molino Creek, which flows during and immediately after rain or snowmelt, species such as cottonwood, Arizona live oak and mesquite provide a scenic setting. Views are dominated by rugged, rocky hills. Colorful wildflowers bloom in spring. 

## Nearby Attractions

Catalina Highway (also known as General Hitchcock Highway and Sky Island Scenic Byway), the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Range, is one of the most scenic highways in the Southwest and definitely worth a day trip.   
  
Other notable attractions include Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, Colossal Cave and the city of Tucson.

Molino

The name Prison camp came from the Federal Honor Camp begun in 1937 to house federal prisoners supplying labor to build a road providing access into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Prisoners had been convicted of federal crimes ranging from immigration law violations to tax evasion to bank robbery. During World War II, many of the prisoners were conscientious objectors whose religions prohibited them from serving in the military. Some were Japanese Americans protesting the “Japanese American Relocation,” the largest forced removal and incarceration in U.S. History. After the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, over 100,000 Japanese Americans, many American Citizens, were imprisoned in crowded internment camps for fear they would conduct espionage and sabotage along the west coast. Gordon Hirabayashi was a senior at the University of Washington in 1942. He challenged the constitutionality of internment based on race or ancestry. He turned himself in to the FBI rather than report for relocation. He was convicted and sentenced to serve at the honor camp in the Santa Catalina Mountains. In 1987 Hirabayashi’s case was overturned. A federal commission determined that the internment had been motivated by racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. In 1988 the Civil Liberties Act was signed by President Ronald Reagan, which acknowledged the injustice and apologized for the internment. In 1999 the Coronado National Forest renamed the site in honor of Dr. Hirabayashi and the other resisters of conscience who were imprisoned there. Dr. Hirabayashi and others attended the dedication ceremony.

Gordon Hirabayashi Campground

This small, sheltered campground is tucked away just off the Catalina Highway, along the rocky streambed that forms the floor of upper Bear Canyon. Campsites are nestled under a canopy of ponderosa pines, junipers and oaks. Some sites are located right along Bear Creek among large rocks. The Creek generally only flows during rainy periods or during the Spring snowmelt, but be vigilant of flash floods.

General Hitchcock Campground

National Park Service

Hiking Through Saguaro National Park in the late Winter is now my favorite past time. You get the feel of Spring but the look of Summer. Between the higher elevation changes in scenery and the lack of people on trails, this is one of the best spots to hit up if you want to get away but don't have the ability to handle super cold weather. 

  

Douglas Spring is a little over 6 miles from the trailhead and it is super popular usually so reserve your backcountry permit fast! You can have up to 6 people on your permit and there are three sites available at the top. It's only $8 per campsite in the park but there is NO vehicle access, so you will need to hike into any camping you need and ONLY camp in designated areas. 

  

Bring lots of water, there isn't much water available near you, contrary to the name. The trial is also pretty open and not much shade, so early Spring and Fall are your best bets. 

  

This trail is pretty heavily populated by horse riders so wear shoes that you don't mind sidestepping manure in.

Douglas Spring

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