Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Tucson, AZ

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Tucson, AZ

838 Reviews of 125 Tucson Campgrounds

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  Steve & Ashley G.

  Legend

  May. 28, 2019

  Catalina State Park Campground

  Great Mountainside Campsite

  We have stayed here a couple of times on trips to the West Coast. The park is beautiful at the foot is the mountains overlooking Tucson. The elevation is fairly high up. So, the temps are quite moderate compared to Tucson. They have a mix of reservation and non reservation sites all ranges from large RVs to tent camper. Great showers and restrooms and good roadways all the way into the sites. Tucson is just minutes always and the State Park Entrance is near a residential neighborhood. The mountains are beautiful in the morning. I would highly recommend this site if you are wanting to camp near Tucson, Arizona.

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• 

  Beth G.

  Legend

  Feb. 17, 2020

  Bog Springs Campground

  Excellent weekend trip

  The sites are first come, first served but we didn’t have any issues finding a spot during the winter. Our site had plenty of space for 2 vehicles, 1x 3-person tent and 3x 1-person tents. The sites are well shaded with trees and each site has a fire pit and bear box.

  Lots of hiking trails available. Since it’s a wilderness area, they are all pet friendly. It is the perfect getaway from Tucson.

  The Ranger and camp host we meet were super friendly!

• 

  Rob F.

  Traveler

  Mar. 28, 2022

  Picacho Peak State Park Campground

  Great place close to Tucson

  This is a great place to camp near Tucson with great views and lots of hiking. If you plan to climb Picacho bring lots of water and gloves. There are parts of the climb you must use cables to pull yourself up. They have electrical hookups, but no water due to a water shortage. There is also a dump station to “unload” prior to departure from the campgrounds. I believe there is also WiFi available for a fee if you need it. Personally speaking, we go camping to unplug so we try not to use cellular or Wi-Fi connections.

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  Candy P.

  Legend

  Jun. 29, 2021

  General Hitchcock Campground

  Perfect tent camping spot

  This sky island campground in Mt Lemmon is perfect for a quick weekend getaway from Tucson. The weather here is 10-15 degrees cooler than the city. This campground is small, with tent sites tucked away between pine trees. A vaulted bathroom is at the center of the parking lot.

• 

  Dray S.

  Guide

  Sep. 8, 2019

  Spencer Canyon Campground

  Great, easy getaway if you don't mind company

  Spencer Canyon Campground is a nice campground approx. 20 miles from Tucson up the General Hitchcock Highway(often called the Catalina Highway or Mt. Lemmon Highway). It is located approximately 3 miles past the Palisades Visitor Center and the entrance is marked well by a big brown sign as you approach. Phill and Denise, the friendly campsite managers will give you advice and suggestions about campsites that suite your needs. The photos attached to this review are from campsite#6, which is close to the Phill& Denise’s camper location and the highway- yes, we did hear road noise. Most campers chose locations deeper in the campground, but we were there on a busy weekend so most of those“deeper” campsites were occupied. All sites have a large bear box, concrete picnic table, charcoal grill and an iron fire pit. The picnic area of the site is level but the whole campsite is NOT so pick your location carefully if you want to pitch your tent on a flat, level plot. We did find some firewood left over from prior campers but recommend bringing your own, dry wood if you have room in your rig. In my observation, there is a rather nice, vessel toilet house strategically located to serve 6- 7 campsites. There is also a water faucet to be shared by 6- 7 campsites. Campsite#6 has its own faucet so others might also. There are 60+ campsites throughout Spencer Canyon and I would suggest that those“deeper” in the campground are more desirable. It should be noted that most of the campsites are close together, that is, about 50-75 feet apart, hence, my“... if you don’t mind company” comment. It should also be noted that Phill& Denise are really nice and helpful, the campsites are well maintained and clean, it is only 22 miles from Tucson and less than 6 miles from the mountaintop hamlet of Summerhaven, and is situated at approximately 7,900 fee of elevation. Thus, Spencer Canyon Campground is a great getaway from the Arizona heat and close enough to Tucson for a 1- 2 night weekend.

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• 

  Irene L.

  Guide

  Sep. 30, 2017

  Kartchner Caverns State Park Campground

  Cool caves

  Even if you don’t want to camp here the caves are worth the drive from Tucson for the tours and to hike around the grounds (gift shop is good too). The trails are not long but have some good views and give a good sense of cactus country without long grueling hikes. The campgrounds are a short distance to the caves and museum. The campsites have sparse shrubs and nice views, not huge sites but not awful, lots of water. Birding is great certains times of year.

• A

  Andrew B.

  Guide

  Aug. 30, 2022

  Cieneguita Dispersed Camping Area - Las Cienegas National Conservation Area

  Away from civilization with beautiful views

  I was traveling from Tucson to Sonoita and had myself a nice overnight. I saw one other camper here, but never heard them. Pulled down the road then through the gate and went about a mile. Beautiful secluded space, bugs weren't too bad. LOTS of nature sounds, heard a pack of dogs, plenty of cows and (?) And the birds are everywhere! It's super awesome! I'm camping in my car, so I didn't find a normal site, just pulled off the road and set up my chair to kick back and enjoy a local craft beer before bed.

• 

  Candy P.

  Legend

  Jan. 23, 2021

  Kartchner Caverns State Park Campground

  A treasure in the desert

  Wow, what an awesome AZ State Park! If you live in Arizona and haven’t camped here you are doing something wrong! It’s a quick weekend getaway from Tucson or even Phoenix. The camp hosts are friendly and stopped by to say hello, leave us maps, and give us the run down on a few rules. Kartchner is a designated Dark Sky park, so they do a great job of making sure everyone keeps the lights off after 8pm so you can enjoy the stars. It really is an awesome perk of the park! The campgrounds are immaculate. Like the cleanest and most well taken care of sites I have ever seen. Everything was perfectly raked and swept prior to our arrival. *We didn’t use the restrooms, showers, or dish washing stations due to covid, so we can’t report on those. We did notice family restrooms, which is always welcomed with little ones! We walked around the loops, like we always do when camping, to make note of the best ones for future trips. There were too many to count! All the sites looked spacious (for state park standards), clean, and had plenty of mesquite trees (perfect for learning how to climb trees for the first time!) The hiking trails are aplenty and dog friendly. The caverns are a quick 5 min walk from the campsites. We didn’t visit due to covid, but in the future plan to visit the caves, discovery center, and cafe. Although the campsite seemed to be most occupied by snowbirds, it really is the perfect destination for families too! We can’t wait to go back!

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• 

  Avery T.

  Traveler

  Dec. 16, 2024

  Tombstone Territories RV Park

  Nice big lots!

  Off the beaten trail a bit but we really enjoyed our stay here. Hiking trail entrances right in the park and it’s close to the San Pedro river.

  There is a laundry/mail room with a restroom and then a separate bathhouse near the front. Nice little dog park for our pooch to run around too and we used the public firepit.

  Kiddos said there were horseshoes to play.