REVISITING CATALINA STATE PARK – TUCSON (ORO VALLEY), AZ

UPDATE:  As of 2012, all Arizona State Parks are on a reservation system.  At this popular park, you should make reservations well in advance, as you would be lucky indeed to find a site for more than one night without a reservation during the winter season.  Check the Arizona State Park website for the phone number, or to make reservations online.

Our Opinion: Rave; a favorite stop for several years.  This is an update to my previous review in October of 2008 (click here to see the campground during the off season).

Date of Stay:  February 17 through 22, 2011.

Weather During Stay: Mild, with sunshine, clouds and WIND.

Site Description:  This campground often is full by noon from mid-January through March, so you don’t get to choose a site… you feel lucky to get one at all.  All sites are fairly level, most are very long and big-rig friendly.  Sites are exceptionally spacious, but most offer no privacy.  All sites and roads are paved.  About half the sites are back-ins; the rest are long pull throughs.  Each site has a heavy-duty picnic table.  Dumpsters and recycling containers are available in each loop.

We were assigned site A35, a long, level, south-facing back-in site in loop A, the old loop.  Sites on the south side of loop A are dry (no utilities), sites on the north (around 20 sites) have W and E.  Nice, clean, modern restrooms are centrally located, and trees (leafless this time of year) are scattered throughout the loop.
Loop B is the big “new” loop (not so new anymore, but is how we think of it), 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.

Just opened two weeks ago: an overflow area (near the group sites and a modern restroom with showers).  If a developed site is not available when you arrive, you can wait/overnight in the large, level, dirt overflow lot.  
Rate:  Rates for sites with 30/50 amp E and water have gone up to $25/night.  No sewer hookups.  $15/night to dry camp in Loop A.  Two large dump stations are conveniently located.  Maximum stay is 14 days, strictly enforced during the busy season.

Phone/radio/TV: Aircard on broadband.  Verizon signal strong.  NPR from Phoenix on 91.5.  We pick up a couple stations on the TV antenna (the local CBS affiliate).  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 - impressive views and frequently gorgeous sunsets.

Lighting/Noise: Very quiet, very dark.

Favorite Sites: We prefer the perimeter back-in sites of Loop B, but didn’t have that choice during this visit.

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, but dining and good shopping (including Trader Joe’s and several great grocery stores) are within a few miles.  A super Wal-Mart is right across the street in a new shopping area.

APACHE PALMS RV PARK, TEMPE, ARIZONA

Our Opinion: Neutral. A small, well-maintained urban park on the Phoenix light rail line.

Date of Stay: January 9 through 16, 2011. We returned February 14 through 16; I updated this review after our second stay.

Weather During Stay: Sunny, cool days; cold nights.

Site Description: This is a small (71 sites), clean, tidy RV park in an urban setting. Most sites are back-ins, but there are a few pull-throughs. Sites are gravel; each has a concrete slab patio. It appears that all sites are FHU (30/50 amps), with cable TV included.

Sites are very level. Our first site (59) was barely long enough for our 38’ motor home, though we had sufficient room for our slides and Jeep in our site. (In the picture of our site, you can see the chair and reflector we set under the corner of our slide to aid our neighbor when she parked her truck next to us!) During our second stay, we had a long, roomy pull through with a picnic table, considerably large and more pleasant.

The park has a small pool and spa, and a laundry room with 4 washers/4 dryers.

Rate: For our first site, we paid $210 for one week, plus another $31.50 for the extra day (this included a AAA discount). For the pull-through, we paid $35.20/night (with AAA discount). Reasonable for the amenities and urban location.

Site 59, our first, much smaller site.	Site 16, a long, roomy pull through with picnic table.

Phone/radio/TV: Excellent Verizon signal here for both phones and aircard (blazing fast). WiFi is included, but we didn’t use it. Our site had no obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite TV dish worked, and the included cable TV had dozens of channels. NPR on 91.5.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: This is a flat campground in a flat urban area at 1,140 ft. elevation. Views are of neighboring rigs and palm trees.

Lighting/noise: Our site was comfortably dark at night. The big surprise: very little noise at night, in spite of the urban location.

Favorite Sites: The largest sites are the few pull-throughs and some of the sites in the back of the park. If we returned, we would be willing to pay the extra fee (around $4/night) for the roomier pull through sites.

Hiking/Walking: Sidewalks outside the park, or drive to parks in the Phoenix metro area.

Comments: Planning renovations to our motor home, we needed a conveniently located urban park. Apache Palms is very tidy, fairly quiet, located on the light rail line, very close to ASU, and convenient to Best Buy, Costco, etc. Not a normal choice for us, but it worked well for what we needed. The small size makes it more appealing to us than most of the HUGE RV parks in the Phoenix metro area.

SADDLE MOUNTAIN RV PARK, TONOPAH, ARIZONA

Our Opinion: Recommend.  Great spot for a cleanup after a week of desert boon docking.

Date of Stay: January 24, 2011.

Weather During Stay:  Sunshine.

Site Description:  This large (300+ sites) RV park has been revitalized since our first stay 5 years ago, when it appeared on the verge of bankruptcy.  We didn’t have time to check out all the activity rooms and common areas, but it is clear that the current ownership cares about the park.

Though there are plenty of snowbirds here, the park has many level pull through sites for overnighters or short term stays.  Sites are gravel and/or decomposing asphalt, each with a concrete patio (no picnic tables) and a couple of tall palm trees, Our site had another little obstacle, a large utility box that made pulling in a little tricky (we unhooked the Jeep to allow us to maneuver).

It appears that all sites are FHU (30/50 amps).  Voltage was on the high side, barely under the level acceptable to our EMS, but it stayed within the safe range.

Rate:  We paid $23.80, the price for Escapee RV club members (15% off the normal rate).  Passport America accepted March through December.  Weekly and monthly rates available.  2 pet limit.

Phone/radio/TV:  Usable Verizon signal here for both phones and aircard.  WiFi is available (TengoInternet), but we didn’t use it.  Our site had no obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite TV dish, and the air antenna picked up quite a few channels from Phoenix.  NPR on 91.5.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: This is a flat campground, surrounded by a high brick wall, in the very small town of Tonopah in the desert between Quartzsite and Phoenix.  Local views are of neighboring rigs and palm trees; distant views of arid mountains.  We really liked the palm trees and the wide streets.

Lighting/noise:  Our site was comfortably dark at night.  Very quiet.

Favorite Sites:  As shown in the photos, not much difference between the sites!

Hiking/Walking: We didn’t explore at all since this was just an in-and-out overnight for us.

Comments:  We needed an easily accessible RV park with FHU to clean up on our way to Phoenix after a week of desert boon docking.  We weren’t the only ones - as the afternoon wore on our row filled with other transients leaving Q.  Very friendly office staff make check in easy, and they allowed us to wash both the rig and the towed.

THE FORTUNA FOOTHILLS, YUMA, AZ

Not a campground, the “Fortuna Foothills” (usually just called The Foothills) is a sprawling, RV-friendly development of privately owned lots 10 miles east of downtown Yuma, AZ.  The area is bounded on the north by Interstate 8 and accessed from either Fortuna Road or Foothills Blvd, stretching south for a couple of miles.  The area was developed from I-8 to the south over several years, so the newest lots are south of 48th Street, with the newest and most “upscale” residential use in the southeast area.

Spacious RV sites can be rented from private owners, usually for 1-3+ months in winter.  Craigslist.com is a good source, or drive the streets and call phone numbers on the “RV Site for Rent” signs. 

Our Opinion: We liked the area south of around 44th Street, which is the part of the Foothills we explored.  We were happy with our inexpensive stay on a no-frills lot in this sunny snowbird destination.

Date of Stay: December 25 to January 2, 2011.

Weather During Stay:  Ranged from sunny and warm to sunny and cool/cold, with a day of rain thrown in.  Usually breezy, sometimes windy.  Yuma is often windy is winter and spring.

Site Description:  We rented a gravel site on a gated double lot that had FHU for 4 RV’s, plus trash and recycling bins.  Lots of room, no frills.

The variety of residential options on these lots is amazing, ranging from graveled, no frills lots (like the one we stayed on), to lots with RV sites and patios, to casitas, park models, modular homes, and site-built homes, some selling for upwards of $300,000. 

What they all have in common: RV’s are allowed to park on all lots.  Streets are paved and wide enough to easily maneuver a big rig while turning into a gated lot.

No frills lot in the foothills.	Front wall, gated – a step up.

Rate:  We were told that the average monthly rate January through March is $325, which includes utilities.  Because we stayed prior to January, when the snowbirds flock to Yuma, we were able to rent short-term.  The typical daily rate appears to be $10-15, including utilities.  It is very difficult to find a short-term (less than monthly) rental during the high season.

Phone/radio/TV:  Good Verizon signal here for both phones and aircard.  Our site had no obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite TV, but some of the landscaped sites might have palm trees to avoid. The air antenna picked up several channels, including networks and a PBS station.  NPR on 88.9.

Double wide modular home with RV space and landscaping.	Typical lot that needs some TLC

Elevation/landscape/terrain: Not far above sea level, Yuma is one of the sunniest places in North America.  Foothills Blvd. rises slightly as it heads south from I-8, so the distant view improves as you continue farther south.  Local views are of neighboring rigs and homes; distant views are of arid, very rocky mountains. 

Lighting/noise:  NO streetlights in our area - YAY!  All nighttime lighting is low, on the 3-4 ft. high brick fences.  Very nice.  This is a very quiet area; no disturbing noise at night.

Hiking/Walking:  Walking on the wide roads is safe, easy, and interesting - good for biking, too.  Lots of variety and pretty views.

Typical scene of RV’s and a home on a wide street with palms.	Couple hundred thousand dollar plus home, fully landscaped.

Comments:  Because of the difference in age between the lots closest to I-8 and those farthest away, there is a wide variety of appeal between the older lots and the newer lots.  We stayed in one of the newest areas and enjoyed it, but drove some of the older neighborhoods and found them less appealing and somewhat run down, varying from lot to lot.  If you rent via the internet, be sure to ask for photos of the site, the lot, the neighboring lots and the view across the street.

Plenty of businesses in the area, including a large Fry’s grocery store at I-8 and Fortuna Road, and a post office that accepts General Delivery mail on Fortuna Road.

SANDS RV AND GOLF RESORT, DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA

Our Opinion: Neutral.  Since we don’t use many of the common area offerings, it’s a little high-priced for us.  Friendly and appealing, though.

Date of Stay: December 16 through 24, 2010.

Weather During Stay:  One of southern California’s worst winter storms on record brought rain and some flooding to the area.  Our last two days were sunny and pleasant.  This area gets VERY windy at times.

Site Description:  With 521 sites, this might be the largest park we have stayed in.  All sites are back-ins. Some sites are occupied by park models or RV’s that probably aren’t going to move again.  Lots of “seasonals” here, but most sites and rigs are nicely maintained. 

Sites are reasonably sized, with hedges between the sites providing privacy.  A quarter of the sites would be too sloped for us to use, another quarter appear very level, and the remainder slope to some degree.  We (and many other rigs) used boards to shore up our passenger side to help level the rig.

I believe that all sites are FHU (30/50 amps).  A small number of sites have “hot” cable TV, ready to hook up, but most sites either have no cable TV hookup or are set up for long-term rental - contact the cable company for service. 

Roads are paved and reasonably wide, sites are gravel with concrete pads for a tow or towed vehicle.   No picnic tables, trees here and there (lots of palms, not a lot of shade).   One central trash area for this huge park!

While the RV sites are average, the common areas are a cut above.  Nice swimming pool (seemed a little on the small side for the size of the park), two Jacuzzis, plenty of indoor space with a shuffleboard table, several pool tables, computers, a couple big screen TV’s, comfortable seating - very, very nice.  A 9 hole golf course (extra fee, of course) tennis courts, fitness center, and an appealing dog run round out the common areas.

Rate:  We stayed on a special deal only available to first-time visitors: pay the normal weekly rate of $215 and get two additional days for free.  The “special” price (under $25/night) seemed reasonable for what was offered - not sure if we would go back at full price.  I don’t know the monthly/seasonal rates, but they are likely very reasonable if you like a park offering these amenities.

Phone/radio/TV:  Strong Verizon signal here for both phones and aircard.  WiFi (TengoInternet) is included, but we didn’t use it.  Our site had no obstacles for our roof-mounted satellite TV dish worked, and the air antenna picked up some channels.  Instant-on cable TV is an extra $3/night or $15/week - we didn’t bother.   NPR on 89.3 (or was it 89.5?).

Elevation/landscape/terrain: Around 600 feet above sea level, the Coachella Valley has arid mountain ranges on three sides.  It is obvious from the hundreds of wind mills in the area that that this area (especially Banning Pass) gets a LOT of wind, so be prepared.  Local views are of neighboring rigs; distant views are of arid mountains (sometimes snowcapped). 

Lighting/noise:  Our site was comfortably dark at night; the low level park lighting makes it easy to see when walking or driving, but not intrusive.  Very quiet at night (except when the coyotes get going). 

Favorite Sites:  Not a lot of difference in the sites, except some back up to the desert perimeter or one of the washes that run through the park (we were told that these cost more).  The BIG difference we noticed was how level the sites were - some are very sloped.

Hiking/Walking:  Walk the big park twice for 10,000 steps.  Otherwise, drive 10-20 miles for area hikes, or 45 miles to Joshua Tree National Park.

Comments:  Not the sort of place we usually stay, but it is quite appealing if you like large parks with lots of activities.  Two grocery stores within a couple of miles.