Looking for a place to go glamping near Vail? Camping has always been a favorite form of travel for many, but Vail, AZ glamping is a new and unique way to do it. You're sure to find glamping for your Arizona camping excursion.
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.
All campsites at Kartchner feature electric hookups and water. Your camping fee includes use of the shower/restroom, water, electrical and dump station facilities.
All campsites have a table, hose bib and power post. Each back-in site power post is 110 volt AC with a 30 amp RV connection and a 20 amp receptacle. Each pull-through site power post has a 220 volt 50 amp AC & an 110 volt 30 amp AC RV connection and a 20 AMP GFI receptacle. Sites vary in length from 35’ for the shortest back in sites to 60’ in the pull through sites; all sites are single width. Sites have ample room on the side areas for pull out units.
There are three handicapped designated sites (one is a pull through site), 12 pull-through sites and 43 other sites of varying sizes. Handicapped designated sites have paved access to the site and adjacent restroom, a paved pad, and wheelchair accessible table.
Waste bins and shower/restroom facilities are located on the upper west end of each campground. Restroom buildings have bottled water vending machines and dishwashing sinks located on the rear east side.
Important Note: At this park, the entrance gate is closed nightly at 10 p.m. The two-loop campground is located off of the main road past the Discovery Center on the southwest end of the park. Camping fees are payable with cash, Visa or Mastercard at the Contact Station the day of arrival, or at the Discovery Center the following day. Fees must be paid daily or in advance and there is a 14-day stay limit.
Access card keys for camper after-hours entering the park are administered by the four Campground Hosts.
$30 - $99 / night
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
When it comes to activities at Patagonia Lake, camping is a must. The campground features 105 developed campsites with a picnic table, a fire ring/grill, and parking for two vehicles. Select sites also have a ramada. Sites have 20/30 amp and 50 amp voltage. Sites tend to fill up in the evening from May until November. Campsite lengths vary but most can accommodate any size RV. Quiet hours (no generators, music, or loud voices) are from 9 p.m. – 8 a.m. See Park Rules.
$25 - $119 / 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.
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
$25 - $40 / night
$29 - $50 / night
Scout
stayed 1 night here in December. we were 1 of 2 groups there so very peaceful. toilet was well maintained and stocked. there must have been a shooting range nearby because there were shooting noises from midnight to 3am. $20 per night.
Traveler
Wi-fi non existent, bathrooms under construction, otherwise good for a week.
Guide
-This was a great little spot! There is no light pollution besides maybe a neighbor that forgot to turn off their lights. -Kartchner Cave is walking distance with a great observation center even if you don’t take a tour into the caves. -Couple stores within 20miles for any forgotten items. -Spots a very large and spaced well. -Restrooms/showers well maintained *Shower water pressure is less than desired. -Visited Tombstone, AZ as well. About a 30min drive. **Watch your step, we came across a Diamond Back Rattle Snake about 4 feet from our picnic bench. ***It’s Arizona, summer times will be hot, our temp in June was 108.
Guide
Quiet park, level and clean gravel sites. About 5 minutes from the town of Tombstone. It’s was getting down to freezing temperatures in November briefly over night. You can rent an outdoor fireplace and buy firewood on site too.
ScoutThe place was clean. People were friendly close to attractions and enjoyed our stay very much. Would recommend it. Five star bathrooms were clean.
Legend
Great campground located on a lake. It's offers all the standard campground amenities. I do really like the birdwatching area outside the visitor center. There's also a small beach you can swim at.
Scout
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.
TravelerStayed one night will return to explore more. Clean restrooms, nice showers, friendly camp hosts.
GuideGood campground for fishermen and bird watchers. There is also some hiking available.
Pros - well maintained facilities but a little old. Hot showers and clean bathrooms. Camping next to the lake. The campground has a visitor center and camp store.
Cons - campsites are very close with limited privacy.
RangerWe stayed here for 5 nights at the end of March, 2023. The campground has paved roads, showers, dump station, water & electric hookups and the usual campsite set-up.
Three trails are located within the park. The campground itself is large, sites somewhat spaced apart and the grounds have a lot of stubby trees which were leafless when we were there.
A large visitor center is near the park entrance and the cavern is up the hill behind the center. We reserved and did the Rotunda/Throne Tour. It was very cool and our 1st cave tour. I would suggest reading the rules for tours before reserving. Access to the cavern is very controlled as far as how you get in and what you can take. There's quite a story about how this park came into being.
The location of the park allows quick access to the I-10 and the town of Benson, about 12 miles away. Other interesting sights are within an hour or so of the park.
LegendWe 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.
RangerWe 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.
ScoutThe 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.
LegendGeneral: 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.
TravelerBarking dogs, no parking for passenger vehicle or tow vehicle. The stench of marijuana smoke and drunks yelling. Place is a frigging dump. Close to town big deal! Clean that crap hole up!
Traveler
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.
GuideGrounds are well kept and staff are very nice. Highly recommend.
ScoutThere 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
GuideThis 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!
ScoutWe 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. 
ScoutThis 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!
GuideBig 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.
ScoutAwesome park with plenty to do, hiking and boating. Guided hike and bird walks along with boat tours. They do need to heat the bathroom when it’s really cold. Also need to fix showers so you don’t have to keep pressing the button every two minutes
ScoutWe 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.
GuideThis 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.
TravelerSecond time here in one year. Great location and amenities. Sometimes you just need some downtime in a city.
Legend
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Vail, AZ?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Vail, AZ is Tucson - Lazydays KOA with a 4.6-star rating from 48 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Vail, AZ?
TheDyrt.com has all 13 glamping camping locations near Vail, AZ, with real photos and reviews from campers.
