Best Tent Camping near Topawa, AZ

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.

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.

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.

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.

This is a huge dispersed camping area. You definitely want to go early in day to scout out a spot because it is quite large. The campground has "all walks of life" staying here. You will see areas with upper scale 5th wheels/travel trailers all the way down to people living full time in cars/tents although the max allowable stay is supposedly 2 weeks per stay. The main road is paved, but then you have to pull off into gravel/dirt roads that are hard bottomed. Many areas have ruts so if u have a low axle, you will need to scout area first. If you have a small camper/tent and a 4 wheel drive you can drive up to the top of some areas to get spectacular sunsets over the city lights of Tucson. The solar system of stars is breath taking at night. I highly recommend this campground. There is a convenience store less than a mile down the main highway for any amenities you may need. There is no water/electric/dump station, but there are two different truck stops who have dump station and potable water. Generators are allowed in less populated areas but we asked our neighbors anyway and they had no problem with it. It is also a popular area for recreational vehicles and dust can be high at times with them running around as well as on days of high wind. There are bobcats, mountain lions, coyotes, snakes and spiders. We did not encounter any but they all have been reported so I guess it will be the area u choose as well as the season when u arrive.

We will definitely be returning when in the area. I hope this helps with any questions u may have had.

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.

Very easy to find, just outside the Saguaro National Park (West District). The sites and loops were very well maintained and had some beautiful views. Bathrooms were well kept and dumpsters were convenient to find. All sites had picnic tables and seating, some of them had canopies that were nice to set up under in the C loop, which is where we camped. Since we came in June, there’s no staff or ranger on site so you check in in good faith. We made our reservation online, but they do have envelopes at the administrative building right at the entrance with envelopes for cash.