Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, San Manuel, AZ has a lot to offer. San Manuel is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your San Manuel camping trip.
Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort is your desert oasis, featuring beautiful fruit trees abundant throughout the park, with plenty of good times to be had. The campground offers Pull-thru RV Sites with full 30/50-amp hookups, grassy luxury sites and NEW RV Sites with a Patio and a fireplace! No RV? No problem. Stay in one of the NEW two-bedroom Deluxe Cabins with queen beds. Whether you want to relax by one of the two pools, soak in the hot tubs, play a round on our nine hole putting green, or join in the fun activities, this KOA has something for everyone to enjoy. The completed installation of the two PowerParasols® solar shade structures now allows guest to camp, gather and even barbeque under a patented structure that produces clean solar energy. The structures shade more than two acres of the campground, giving visitors room to park RVs on 30 covered RV sites. Check out our NEW resort style activity park! Providing ample shade and sport courts to bring recreation, relaxation, family and friends together. Lazydays, a full-service RV dealership with a service department, is located next door. Other campground amenities include a bar& grill, meeting rooms, fitness center, three off-leash dog parks and complimentary Wi-Fi. Camping in Arizona is a breeze at the Tucson/Lazydays KOA. Pool: Open all year. Max pull thru: 73 feet.
This area of Mt Lemmon camping is located at the head of a shallow, forested canyon a short distance off the Catalina Highway. Spencer Canyon faces the city of Tucson and the Santa Cruz Valley, both of which are visible as a distant panorama through openings in the forest canopy. Spencer Canyon Campground has 66 sites. Each site has a concrete table, firepit, B-B-Q and bear box for food storage. A beautiful night view of Tucson can be seen from several sites. Spencer is rugged, rustic in layout and close to the hamlet of Summerhaven. Each camping area has clean, stocked vault toilets. Campground hosts live on site. Firewood may be purchased from the hosts. The Catalina Highway is paved, but it can be snow covered in winter when chains and/or 4-wheel drive may be required.
$22 - $36 / night
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.
$10 / night
RV Resort 55+ community Cactus Country RV Resort is conveniently located north of exit 275, I-10, just east of Tucson, Arizona. Cactus Country accommodates nearly all forms of recreational lodging. Surrounded by untouched cactus fields, our park enjoys the peaceful ambiance of a desert oasis, while never leaving you far from the
shopping and dining of Tucson. Whether you stay for a night or make your home here, we look forward to welcoming you to Cactus Country.
Pioneer Pass Pioneer is a large site composed of dispersed campgrounds located in the Globe Ranger District of Tonto National Forest. Set in the cool Pinal Mountains South of Pioneer Pass is the Squaw Springs Trail that leads to Pinal Peak along with the East Mountain Trail. These trails are fun for nature viewing, day hikes, and family outings. ACTIVITIES Camping: 23 camp units with tables and fire pit grills Picnicking: tables and fire pit grills available
The campground is nestled in a secluded canyon amongst the Ponderosa Pines and next to an intermittent mountain stream. The views on the drive up from Globe to the campground at 5,900 feet are gorgeous.
The campground and bathrooms were clean. Some of the sites are a little close together, but others are nicely separated.
Each site has a nice fire pit with a grill gate and a concrete picnic table.
I stayed two nights with a Class B Van and the full hookup site was private, had a small grassy are, a picnic table and a portable fire pit. The common areas were very nice including the several gas firepits with chairs for just a couple or larger group. I was a little disappointed with the bathhouse/restroom, but that is because I am picky. The important thing is that I would definitely stay there again.
We followed the website instructions to the campground(CG) by taking I-10 Exit 164B versus our RV GPS and Waze, which wanted us to get off sooner. After driving that route while staying here, we discovered that route would have been good as well. Check-in was easy and informative. We then drove ourselves to FHU pull-through site 1505 with a patio and fire feature. We maneuvered to get our 10’ sewer hose to fit between our two dump valves as the utilities are centered on the pad. This KOA is a true resort with major amenities, such as a pool, putt-putt golf course, pickleball, restaurant, and planned activities. At check-in we received a Tengo Internet WiFi code, so we tried it out. We were able to do sporadic email and texting. We used our Starlink the rest of the time as we were able to get a good shot of the north sky. We got 5 bars on Verizon. Water pressure in our site was good at about 50 psi. As we are dog people, we enjoyed walking our pups to the fenced dog areas and letting them run. In the front of the CG by the gate there’s a huge 1 to 2-acre fenced dog park. In the northwest corner of the CG, there’s another, but much smaller, fenced dog area, and then another even smaller fenced dog area around the corner from our site. They have a variety of sites with various amenities. As we have family in the area, we would stay here again. The next time we would get one of the sites with a fenced dog area, such as 1476-1479, which has a fire feature and a fenced Paw Pen around the patio. There are covered sites under the solar panels, but we would avoid those areas as pigeons are roosting above. Four RV techs were staying at the CG with signs in front of their campsites while we were there. The week in January we were here, we were able to get some work done on short notice. The CG website has good pics of their wide variety of sites and an expandable site map that identifies amenities. We are not normally high-dollar“resort” campers, but this CG was impressive.
The staff was great and the customer service was great. There are very unique spots you can choose from. All the amenities were clean and in good condition.
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.
I spent my late-September camping weekend at Spencer Canyon Campground in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, Arizona. Overall it was an ok experience, but I’m kind of nitpicky. The campsites are a little too close together for my taste. There was some noise at night, but for the most part folks were well-behaved during my 2-day stay. There is a nice view of the Tucson city lights at night, although I tend to want to avoid such things while camping because it takes me out of the experience. The staff was friendly and helpful. The site that I had was pretty small, but I came too late to get choice of the bigger ones.
For those who don’t mind a somewhat tightly packed campground and a view of sparkly city lights at night, Spencer Canyon is a nice place to stay.
There are about 14 camp sights, some right by the little river that forms during snowfall. We camped at site 6, right across from the restrooms. Has some nice boulders to tuck your tent away in, and no really close neighbors. Seems like the rest of the sites you have neighbors right next to you, basically sharing a camp. We like to be as far away from others as possible lol. Light traffic in and out and the sites are right near the road. Decent spot for 20 dollars a night. We chose this spot because our normal spot at camp molina basin campground we closed for the summer
This place is incredible. Huge gated property with many different site options. Each site offers a metal table with 4 chairs. Some have playgrounds, private doggy runs, a fireplace, a sky deck, a covered patio, and many other awesome options. There are 2 main community areas. The larger one by the front check in offers a BBQ restaurant, a pool with spa, gym, laundry, putt putt, pickleball court, basketball court, corn hole, playground, indoor rec room with games and pool and other outdoor games. There is also multiple events throughout each day, some for kids, some for family, and some for adults. The second area has a playground, 24 hour laundry, clean bathrooms, a dog wash, and a pool with a spa that is still a very decent size. There are also multiple dog parks and bathrooms throughout the park. Phone service for Verizon and ATT are not good, but they do offer wifi. Very quick check in and quiet neighborhood. Huge property so not all of the spots were filled during our time in May, so we had empty spaces surrounding us. The spaces are not tight at all and very easy to park in. They have curbside trash pickup 24/7, so all you have to do is leave your trash on the curb and you’re good to go! Overall wonderful stay and highly recommend!
We just stopped over for one night to use laundry and shower facilities while we were traveling north . Nice clean campground good for riding bicycles and walking, and a 60 mile loop trail around Tucson if you feel that way inclined. 
This was a great place to call home for a week. Great amenities and the people were very friendly. We will definitely stay here next time we come to Tucson!
Big RV parking lot. Amenities you'd expect at a KOA park. Clean. Surrounding area kinda blah. Can hear highway noise. Onsite restaurant not great. BBQ tasted like it came from Sysco. Beans and potato salad were decent. Bar at restaurant. Staff friendly. Big rig friendly.
We have enjoyed our stay here. People are friendly, grounds are very well kept. Very quiet for as full as it was during our stay. It is a great area to get out and see the desert around Tucson.
This place is huge. Very nice, clean, and quiet. Lots of things to do. Roomy lots that are level with gravel where we parked. Internet not great but all the hookups.
Second time here in one year. Great location and amenities. Sometimes you just need some downtime in a city.
Convenient location just off I-10. Had some great sunsets. Park facilities are clean but a little run down. It’s more of a mobile home park and RV park combined. Some permanent stationary mobile homes and some RV spots with lots of yard stuff that makes it look somewhat junky. Pull through sites are very close together but level enough with gravel and a patio pad with table and fire pit. Dog park is all dirt but large with fresh water. Laundry is $1.75 for a large load both washing and drying. Propane fill available. Workout room was minimal but kept cool. Cactus garden was nice.
We've now stayed here 3 separate times. The first time was pretty good. The second and third times, not as much. The shore power 30 amp showed reverse polarity and a faulty ground, so we used the 50 amp with a dog bone. The last time we stayed, we were given the same site and the electric had not been repaired...after reporting it 3 weeks prior! Oops. Next time...we may go elsewhere.
They have so much going on here. They restrooms are due to be updated which will add to the many amenities.
I stayed at a total of 3 site types. Both of the Buddy sites and one along the back brick wall with a concrete slab. Each had their own personality and flare and all provided a great experience.
Beautiful, clean campground. Sites are nicely spaced apart, bathrooms are clean, and fire pits are great.
Great place for a weekend, I went with a couple a friends if you go prepared with winter gear you won’t be cold, hiking trails are great and near campsite. Great views.
They have store n great bbq restaurant on site.
A great place to stay if passing thru or visiting the Tucson area. Not your typical KOA.
We have never been to a KOA before and 4th of July weekend was kind of a wild time for our first experience.
There were lots of amenities but because KOA’s are really really really full of families and young children—it was hard to find a time/ space to utilize them. At one point I counted 25 kids in the pool—not including adults.
The WiFi never ever worked but we had good Verizon and ATT service. Laundry was always full but we squeezed a load in. Bathrooms weren’t great- in the ladies room, the doors didn’t lock and they were always in gross state (not from lack of cleaning via management—just from overuse).
Our site was nice with a lime and olive tree on each side and a table and chairs. It was level and had enough space from our neighbors. We had a full hookup and everything worked well. Next door was a tent site and another RV on the other side.
The pools were nice including a jacuzzi and waterfall element, but just totally overrun. KOA texted us pretty constantly throughout the weekend with events we could participate in—for a fee. I’m not sure if this is standard or just due to the holiday. If you’re with a family, this is an obvious benefit for kids.
Seemed ADA accessible!Staff was nice and picked up trash from your site. There is also a restaurant and service center connected to the campsite. Restaurant not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. Service center won’t work on a rig older than 10 years.
Honestly, it was a very different vibe from our normal campsite and boondocking experiences. I’m rating as a 3, because I don’t think that the campsite capacity matched the need (the whole park was only about half full and totally overrun at every turn.) If you’re a young or old single couple, I’d rethink, this is definitely a family spot geared towards kids.
Great place for the kids
Me and thefamily decided to go camping for the weekend and chose this campground. On the website it says that the road is good enough for sedan vehicle which is true in good conditions. If you're afraid of heights this might not be the drive you want to take as most of the way you are looking off the side of the mountain with no rails.
It is all worth it once you make it to the to top. Unfortunately with the fire restrictions we weren't able to light a fire and the hiking trails were closed. Please keep in mind that you are at elevation and temperatures drop significantly. We stayed at campsite 1 which seemed to be the biggest of the 3 sites there. We didn't have any neighbors the whole weekend but I can see this place getting busy.
We usually stay in state parks so this was a splurge for us. We were able to get a spot for $35 a night. This was my first campsite resort and I was blown away. There is not much shade unless you get a spot under the shade cover but overall it was great.
This was the first outing with our new camp trailer and we had a great time. The park is immaculate and the staff is very friendly. It is a very enjoyable and peaceful campground.
If you are looking for a traditional campground, this is not it. It's really a long -term RV park with plenty of park model campers. It does have nice bathhouses and exceptional laundry and pool, but you won't be roasting marshmallows on your 8 by 10 concrete slab next to your asphalt driveway. If you need a place to park your camper while exploring Tuscon, then it should work out.
Camping near San Manuel, Arizona, offers a mix of stunning landscapes and unique experiences. Whether you're in a tent or an RV, there are plenty of campgrounds to explore, each with its own charm.
Camping near San Manuel, Arizona, has something for everyone, from stunning views to family-friendly activities. Just be prepared for the unique challenges and joys that come with desert camping!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near San Manuel, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near San Manuel, AZ is Tucson - Lazydays KOA with a 4.6-star rating from 48 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near San Manuel, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 glamping camping locations near San Manuel, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
