CATALINA STATE PARK, TUCSON (ORO VALLEY), AZ

Our Opinion: Rave. This has been a favorite stop for several years.

Date of Stay: Our most recent visit was 1/29/2009. This review was written for our stay in October, 2008, one of several over the past 4 years.

Weather During Stay: October: Warm/hot and sunny during the day, cool at night. Late January: sunny and very mild during the day, cool at night. Click HERE to see flooding during another stay.

Site Description: We have been in backins and pull-throughs in both old Loop A and new Loop B. We prefer loop B (all the sites in this loop have 30/50 amp E and water) for the spaciousness of the sites and the exceptional restroom/shower facilities. All sites are fairly level, most are very long and big-rig friendly. All sites and roads are paved. About half the sites are back-ins; the rest are long pullthroughs. Each site has a heavy-duty picnic table.

Loop A is the old loop. Sites on the south side are dry, sites on the north (around 20 sites) have W and E. Clean restrooms are centrally located, and trees are scattered throughout the loop.

Loop B is the big new loop, with 75 large W and E sites. The restrooms, with showers, are the nicest we have ever used. There is a “family” restroom/shower we have used together, very roomy and comfortable. The great showers make it much easier to stay for an extended period without a sewer hookup.

Rate: $20/night for 30/50 amp E and water. No sewer hookups. $15/night to drycamp. Two large dump stations are conveniently located.

Phone/radio/TV: Aircard on broadband. Cell phone signal good. Local NPR on 91.5. TV on antenna is iffy - only the local CBS affiliate comes in clearly. No obstacles for satellite TV.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: This flat, desert campground is at 2700’ elevation. Native trees are scattered throughout, providing a bit of shade. The arid, rocky, Santa Catalina Mountains tower over the campground - beautiful views.

Lighting/Noise: Very quiet, very dark.

Favorite Sites: When available, we pick a perimeter back-in site, facing north or south depending on the season. Most sites here are very nice.

Hiking/Walking: Fantastic. Hikes of all lengths and difficulty. The hiking and views are the big draw for us here.

Comments: Catalina State Park is just north of Tucson in an upscale, quickly developing area. In the park, you feel as though you are quite remote from the city - we have seen a Gila Monster and a family of Coatamundi here - but dining and good shopping (including Trader Joe’s and several great grocery stores) are within a few miles. We were surprised to see that a signal has been added at the park entrance on Oracle Road (been needed for a long time), and that a new shopping area with a WalMart is going in across the street!