RUN BY: Pima County
LOCATION: Tucson Mtn
Park west of Tucson, AZ
UTILITIES: Electric
COST: $20
DISCOUNTS: none known
OUR RATING (1-5): Category I.
Rating 4.5
NOTES: This is one of
the more expensive places we’ve stayed but it was beautiful and well managed.
You are in the middle of a large valley close to the Tucson Mountains in a county
park known as Tucson Mountain Park. Pima
County gets kudos for this!! The sites
are fairly level and not too close to your neighbor. We had some shrubs between
us and our neighbor. All of the sites on the outside of the loops have great
views. The park is on the edge of the Saguaro National Park, so the desert is
magnificent with 15-20 varieties of cacti including forests of the giant
Saguaro. The park is very green. If something can be recycled, they recycle
it. In fact, they take the little Colman
gas cylinders. It is neat and clean. There is a seven day stay limit! Bummer!!
In early March they were filling by 10 or 11am. Dispersed camping isn’t as safe near a city
as it is in the wilderness. That’s why we picked this place. It was an excellent choice. We will
definitely go back if we want to be near Tucson or spend more time in the
Saguaro Nat’l Park.
Environment:
In the middle of a beautiful part of the Sonoran desert in the Tucson
Mountains. Surrounded by cacti and low shrubs.
Amenities: NONE
Dump: YES
Public Water: YES
Toilets: YES
Showers: NO
Laundry: NO - but
several places <15 miles in Tucson
Phone Service: Verizon
4G3
Nearest Propane:
Tucson
Location:
Proximity to shopping:
Quickmarts just down the road. Tucson shopping 8-10 miles.
Camping Population:
wide variety. Mostly full-timers
and snow-birds around us.
Sites: Very
nice. Not too close. Picnic tables and
charcoal grills. (No wood fires permitted)
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RATING KEY:
category - score
Categories: I -
established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days
II
- boondocking, dry camping where there
are no designated sites and no amenities but
one might choose to stay for more than a night.
III
- over-night areas
You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to
things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities,
location, safety, camping population, site, phone service
* There are people who are not full-timers and van-dwellers
by choice. We try hard not to be demeaning or assume that they are bad people
but sadly, as you find in the poorer parts of a city, there seems to be more
crime. Many call these people van-dwellers. That isn’t really accurate even
though they do often live in vans. We know quite a few van-dwellers who have
good incomes, are full-timers by choice and prefer a van to other types of
vehicles. To try to show some respect for people who have a difficult lot in
life, I’m calling them ‘residential campers’. It is only when you get a high proportion of
residential campers in an area that you find an increase in petty theft,
etc.
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