Best Cabin Camping near Arivaca, AZ

We stayed here in early summer and were so comfortable in both an RV site and cabin. Wonderful. Staff great and the solar structures above most RV sites were great at keeping us cooler and happier! Best cabins we’ve seen in KOA Places. Nicest pool in a Koa. Super hot tubs and picklevall court. Wow. We’ll be back!

What can I say. This place was my #1 KOA in 7 months of travel. We stayed for 3 1/2 weeks over Christmas and New Years. We cannot wait to come back. RC track, 2 pools, 2 hot tubs, fire pits, game room and great mail service too. We met amazing people here who became great friends. Fresh citrus trees on your site. The BBQ restaurant was great too. Clean laundry facilities.

General: Large KOA campground laid out in typical RV style with no privacy/separation between sites. There is every imaginable kind of site here from tent sites (with water and electric) to back-in sites with water and electric to FHU sites, some with covered sites to sites with private pet areas or play structures. There are also cabins sprinkled throughout. 

Site Quality: Most sites are gravel; some have grass. All are level. Amenities vary per site. Ours had a round table with four chairs (in lieu of a picnic table) 

Bath/Shower: In okay condition but then I saw a sign that they were scheduled to be remodeled a few months after our stay. 

Activities: There are so many offerings including two pools, a hot tub, a fitness center, corn hole, putting green, basketball, and bike/surrey rentals. Also a daily “schedule of fun” with daily classes including Zumba and yoga, arts and crafts, bingo, etc. 

Other amenities: On-site restaurant (delivery to your camper available), laundry, little lending library, pet wash.

This campground is located in a less desirable part of Tucson with very few (if any) grocery stores, restaurants, etc. nearby. There is nothing scenic about the area and the campground is located on a busy street so you will hear road noise (and an occasional train). While we appreciated all the amenities, we prefer campgrounds with more privacy and scenery. This was a last-minute reservation when our plans changed and worked for an overnight stay.

When spending time on the road many times you will find campsite after campsite that is welcoming but not quite like home away from home. But when you drive through Tucson, there is a mecca filled with winter bird campers and long term campers which create a home away from home.

With only tent sites available on the facility, we were fortunate to find a site, however when we arrived we were so excited by the facilities we extended our stay by a day.

Office staff immediately greeted us and let us know about the facilities, which happened to feature a mini golf course, an indoor events facility, 2 swimming pools and hot tubs, an indoor recreation area and multiple on camp fire chinineas. In addition there was a fishing pond and dog park area.

Each of the 4 campsites were considered to be regular campsites instead of upgrade sites but when we arrived it was the most delux sites we had encountered along the way.

Pad sites were large and the first to actually accommodate our large tent and the ground was u like any we had seen before at a site. The soft mulch was similar to that of a modern day playground and made for a much more comfortable sleep over the two days we were there.

In addition to the standard picnic table of most facilities, this campground offered a kitchen facility at each campsite including a large copper sink and food storage as well as electricity and overhead lighting in the pergola designed to allow shade from the harsh Arizona sun.

It was the closest thing to glamping we had encountered by far!

Then as an added bonus, fresh fruit trees abounded ready for the picking. The front desk informed us of the allowance to pick what you want as everything was in season! An amazing treat on the road!

We spent many hours at the pool facility, enjoyed amazing neighbors, used the wifi and even did a load of laundry while in Tucson. The facility really was like a home away from home on the road.

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If the scale went higher we would rank it more Bunnies. There were no real areas we could see for improvement. Staff was very accommodating, long term and short term residents of the facility were amazing and this was a desert oasis like no other!

This has been our least favorite campsite in the Arizona State Park system so far in our travels. We shortened our trip and headed home early because it just wasn’t for us. I’ve listed pros and cons below, but to give you an idea of our camping style, we are a family with young children and a dog. We head out in our 24ft trailer at least once a month for a long weekend totally immersed in nature.

Pros: -Close to Tucson -beautiful drive (topography and scenery) -although we didn’t partake due to covid there is a nature center & gift shop, market, boat rentals, and a ranger stations -primitive cabins with a great view -water and electric and on site dump station -bird viewing seemed awesome if that’s your thing. We aren’t birders, but thoroughly enjoyed the variety of birds in this area. -Junior Ranger program with fun prizes... posters and wooden badges. Although the rangers didn’t seem interested in engaging with the kids and just tossed them the prizes.

Cons: -the campground was not clean at all. Dog poop was everywhere and litter was strewn all over the campground. Our site alone was full of bits of broken plastic, paper, dog poop, and cigarette buds. It was disheartening that neither the rangers nor the campers take pride in this campground. We did our best to leave our site much cleaner than we found it. -while the sites are more spacious than an RV park, they are not as spacious as nearby karchner or roper lake. There is not any privacy. -many sites are not level. Our parking spot was level but nothing else. Leaving us without a great spot to put our chairs and table. -the traffic is non stop. Even up until midnight we had trucks driving through the campground. (This may have been campers or Border Patrol as we saw them driving through every couple of hours) -there is a lot of day use foot traffic through the campground. Between that and full campsites, we didn’t particularly feel safe outside of our campsite in terms of covid. Very few were wearing masks in congested areas.

With that being said, we will not be returning to this campground.

Patagonia Lake Campground is well maintained. Very busy in the Winter months so you must make reservations well in advance. The visitor center is great if you have children, they have all kinds of activities for kids, and a junior ranger program. The RV spots are full hookups no sewer but there is dump station there on the premises. They have tent camping right by the lake as well. Cabins will be completed in October 2018. Staff very friendly and the grounds are well maintained. One of our favorites.

Great getaway for a weekend

We stayed here once in March of 2020. Must have Spring Break - tons of families, tons of kids, dogs and a few old timers. There's a couple short hikes from the campground that were OK. Lots of birds, saw a couple javelinas. 

There's some boat rentals and a small visitor center/general store. We had water and electric at our site. Sites can be pretty close together with boundaries undefined. Shore of the lake difficult to get to in places because of thick vegetation. East CG is maybe a little less busy than the west.

Lots of places to explore nearby - Tubac, Madera Canyon, the Town of Patagonia, Ramsey Canyon near Sierra Vista, which is a good place to resupply and other more far flung places like Tombstone.

It was to have a lake by the campground which is a little unusual in Arizona. The land is different than the Sonoran desert of Tucson but still cool. We probably wouldn't go back unless it was offseason.

Great Lake if you can hop on a kayak and get away from the day beach area. Weekends during the summer are crazy. It’s the only real lake in the whole area so it is what it is. We go 3/4 times a year. Bird watching is amazing. Also can hike the trail and see some cows. Water and electric on sites plus fire pits. 6/25/2020

Fun place to spend a couple nights :) The camping area seems designed with RV campers in mind, but tent camping is possible as well. I would say the sites a a bit close together for my taste, but still manageable. Site #16 treated us well! The amenities were very nice and clean! A nice feature is the lake and boat rental within the park. Bird watching is very popular here we learned as we talked to others at the park. (There are also a few boat in camping site, which seems like it would be a fun adventure! We did not explore this on our visit.)

Lovely blue water that makes an oasis of green around its edges with rolling hills. Various water activities (rentals on-site), swimming, and fishing are popular. Nice easy trails on site and many choices in other nearby state and federal lands. Great birding, check the migration schedules. Lots of neat wildlife including little lizards. Incredible stargazing. Find any hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in the area for some of the best food of your life.

There are a lot of camping options, from backcountry/primitive to RV hookup. Make a reservation if you can. Varying shade. Good basic amenities and very clean (like all AZ State Park sites I've visited). Not too crowded for camping but the day-use water areas can get pretty hectic. Overall a lovely site that's a nice lush change of pace from the AZ desert.

Place is a nightmare. Have police report from requiring police to escort due to harassment from disturbed owners. Dog was bitten by pit bull, owner did nothing but blame me and call me mentally ill. Very sick thing. Horrible road, brown water and a homeless camp setting. Go for a drive through first. And rules aren't followed. Owners Michelle and Jim even harassed the police officer, which caused me to make multiple trips to Colorado to leave. I walked away from a home, ATV and 5th wheel just to get away from these people. It's like hell on earth with demonic people.... Good luck should you go, you'll need it. Owner also posted a response comment with lies calling me names etc. These are sick evil people who will harm you, caution. Check police report from April 17th with sheriff dept.

We visited for our first time for 3 nights and campground was full. Even so, we were surprised how quiet it was. Lots of day use spots if you want to picnic by the lake under trees. Camp sites are sparse (table & fire pit) but we didn't feel as tightly packed as those areas down by the beach. Nice trail out to Sonoita Creek. Store was well stocked and husband even found shaving cream with razor there. Marina has canoes for rent ($35 for 2 hours, with specials for Vets on Mondays and Seniors on Wednesday); 2-person kayaks also for rent (same price); and pontoon boats and row boats (didn't get prices). I got a good 3-mile walk in every morning just walking around campground and out to Marina and day use areas. Also nice that lake has no wake zone near campground and boats can go faster on furthest away part of the lake. You definitely need to bring something to use on the lake or take advantage if marina rentals!

Most sites have a lake view. Seems like Arizona takes good care of her parks. Lots to do in the area.

Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're so excited to have this property on our platform. I love how close you are to local spots to eat, drink and explore, but also are immersed by nature. Come check them out and leave them some love!

 Upon entering it was dirty and restrooms not clean. I never received info they claimed was sent, so went on a hunch. It was dirty, dogs off leash and poop everywhere. Trash disposal area was unclean attracting insects and bugs and wildlife. People living there were not nice or clean. Staff was not friendly either. We decided to leave early. Found place 20 miles away that is wonderful by comparison. Advise trying elsewhere.

 Beware, it's foul in every way. People 55 plus still drugging and drinking. Dog poop all over, dogs not following rules and many pit bulls (my dog bite by pit bull) owner refused to help causing my move by police escort. It's a complete nightmare you'll become trapped in.. many better places close by. Picture is of my dog after going to vet in Colorado for dog bite. Owner uses the attackers owner to baby sit his dogs, so he defended her! Imagine that. Owner harassing caused police escort to move, he harassed cop too. A very sick and sad pathetic place... Truth stings sometimes.. sorry to be negative, but if it saves kind folks time and money I'm okay with it.

I have lived here for 10 months now, and love the place. Like any campground, there are malcontents that will complain about little things like not being pampered or catered to. The reality is that this is a relatively remote place where you absolutely must be self-sufficient to a large degree. There has not been full-time management until recently, but the new management team are very attentive and reasonable. Since the ranch has been under new management many of the so-called bad influences have left. If you love natural beauty, privacy, and solitude, and are willing to make some sacrifices of comfort, this is the perfect place.

Campsite is o.k. Not the best especially because it was specifically designed for RV. They do provide water and other essentials