Catalina State Park Campground Arizona
Catalina State Park Overview
Catalina State Park has 120 campsites (95 with electric/water hookups in A and B loops) and is located at the base of the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains outside of Tucson. The campground is set up in three loops (A, B and Ringtail) and is open year-round. Equestrian campsites are also available.
Campground amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, and hot showers. There’s also an RV dump station. Campsite hookups are 20-30-50 amp. Each campsite also has a table, fire ring and grate. There is no size limit on the length of RVs, but camping is limited to 14 consecutive nights. The park also has a visitor center, amphitheater, gift shop, equestrian center, picnic areas, hiking trails and group ramada. Cell service is good in the area.
Dogs are allowed on Catalina State Park trails and in the campground. They must be on a leash at all times. Dogs are not allowed in the surrounding Pusch Ridge Wilderness (e.g., Romero Pools).
Catalina State Park Area Recreation
The park in includes over 5,500 acres of foothills and canyons within the Santa Catalina Mountains. There are miles of hiking, biking, birding and equestrian trails in the park and into the Coronado National Forest. Other outdoor activities include picnicking, photography, stargazing and wildlife viewing.
Park Trails
The Romero Ruin Interpretive Trail also meanders through the ruins of a prehistoric Hohokam village site. There’s also a mile long nature trail which offers great views of the Sonoran Desert and Santa Catalina Mountains. The Romero Canyon Trail (7.2 mi.) and the Sutherland Trail (10.5 mi.) offer longer, more strenuous hikes through beautiful desert terrain and riparian canyons. Both climb to cool natural pools and connect with other Coronado National Forest trails which continue on to Mount Lemmon at the top of the Catalina Mountains.
Equestrian Camping
Equestrian camping is also available for visitors who trailer their own horses to the park. Eight pens are available (first-come, first-served). The equestrian camping area has tables, grills, flush toilets and drinking water.
Other campgrounds in the area include Gilbert Ray (Tucson Mountain Park), Colossal Cave Mountain Park and Picacho Peak State Park.
Make a Reservation for Catalina State Park
Amenities
- Amphitheater
- BBQ Grills
- Campground Host
- Campsite Tables
- Cell Service - Good
- Drinking Water
- Dump Station
- Electrical Hookup
- Equestrian Facilities
- Equestrian trail
- Fire Pit
- Firewood Available
- Gift Shop
- Grills
- Ice
- Park Interpreter
- Pets OK
- Picnic Tables
- Ranger Station
- Restrooms (Flush Toilets)
- RV Hookups
- Showers
- Visitor Center
Activities
- Archeological Sites
- Backpacking
- Biking
- Bird Watching
- Hiking
- Historic Sites
- Horseback riding
- Interpretive Programs
- Mountain Biking
- Nature Trails
- Photography
- Picnicking
- Stargazing
- Visitor Center
- Walking Trails
- Wildlife Viewing
Tucson, Arizona 85737
520 628-5798
Lat / Long:
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Campsite Types
- ADA
- Electric & Water Hookup
- RV
- Tent
- Trailer
# of Campsites:
120
# of RV Hookup Campsites:
95 with electric and water
Campsite Vehicle Size:
No limit.
Season:
Year Round
Elevation:
2,650
Catalina State Park Comments & Reviews
Visited Catalina State Park Campground lately? We'd love to hear about your adventure. Did you find us useful? Did we forget something? Anything our community should know before heading out to Catalina State Park?
campsitephotos.com
rvshare.com
Can I use my chair on the grounds?
Hi Beverly,
Yes, you can set a chair and use it on the ground in the campground at Catalina State Park.
I had seen that dogs ate not allowed on the trails. Are dogs allowed in the campground on a leash?
Hi Mindi,
Dogs are allowed on Catalina State Park trails and in the campground. They must be on a leash at all times.
“Pets must be leashed and cleaned up after on all trails within Catalina State Park. Dogs are NOT allowed in the surrounding Pusch Ridge Wilderness (e.g., Romero Pools).”
Is there 50 amp electric?
Hi Sharon,
Yes – each campsite has 20-30-50 amp hookups at Catalina State Park.
We have a reservation in the ringtail loop with an rv. Will we be able to fill up our fresh water tank when we enter the park? Or must it be taken care before arrival?
Hi Deborah,
Yes – if you are camping at Catalina State Park you can fill up your fresh water tank at the campground. You can do it at your site (if you have one with hookups), or at dump station.
To be clear, Ringtail does not have electric.
Thanks Brenda!
We will update our info.
What month & year were these photos taken? Thanks…
Hi Tara,
We took those in December, 2011. Time for us to reshoot I think!
A couple of things to be aware of at Catalina.
1) The flood warning is REAL. It happened 2 times in Jan/Feb 2023. Be sure to have plenty of necessities before checking in. You can sometimes wade a creek and walk to the stores and restaurants across the street, but it’s quite a ways if carrying much.
2) Also, several of the pull-throughs in Campground A will leave your RV with the entry side facing the street. The two outside roads are ‘one-way’ from the top to bottom of the map, leaving more pull-throughs with driver side towards the site than not. I saw a couple of rigs that had been located with entry side towards the site, but it was not clear how the driver managed that while abiding with the one-way.
3) To me, the attractions of this park are the mountain views with their spectacular light at sunrise and sunset, some easily accessible trails – though pretty repetitive scenery-wise, and the many shops around the park. The shops are a nice attraction if you’ve been on the road for a while or live in a more rural area. Oh, and the Oro Valley parks and bike trails!!
Thanks for the great info Brenda! Good to know.