Spring Camping in Tucson, Arizona
Sonoran Desert Season Offers Mild Weather and Unique Joys
Does camping in the desert bring visions of parched, lost, souls who crawl around searching for water? Not for those in the know about the sweet weather and variety of unique events in the Tucson spring season.
Coronado National Forest’s Molino Basin Campground and General Hitchcock Campground
Most of the campgrounds in the Catalina Mountains are only open during summer months. However, two camps below the 6,000 foot level are open until May. Take advantage of the great combination of mild camping weather at lower altitudes, and go skiing about 15 mile drive further up the Catalina Mountain Highway-Scenic Byway to the 9,000 foot high Ski Valley on Mt. Lemmon.
Molino Basin and General Hitchcock campgrounds are open all winter and through the spring season to May. Both are considered rustic, because they do not offer showers or drinkable water. Campers must carry their own drinking water in, and 1 gallon per person per day is recommended. Shade trees, picnic tables, grills, toilets, and bear-proof trash containers are scattered appropriately throughout the campsites. Hiking trails are excellent for all levels of hiker ability, from beginner to expert at both sites, as well.
The differences are that Molino Basin is at 4,500 feet and at a wide, rolling area, offering bigger sites, accommodating larger RVs, with easy in and out, as well as tents. It is a lower elevation with access to trails designated for horses. The General Hitchcock is at about 5,500 feet in a narrow canyon with fewer, intimate sites, more suited for tents.
Arizona State Parks’ Catalina State Park
For campers needing more of the home comforts, down in the Tucson Basin along Oracle Road at the northwest end about 20 minutes from downtown Tucson, is Catalina State Park. It accommodates RV’s and tents, offering electric hook-ups, a visitor center with gift shop & exhibit, two full bath houses with sparkling clean showers.
Like all Arizona State Parks with such facilities, day use, overnights, and up to 14 night stays are welcome. There is even a dump site for RV’s convenience, and several free park trail tours, as well as other scheduled events. A most popular trail in the park is the Romero Ruins Trail, with an ancient Hohokam Native American Ball Park and other archaeological sites well marked along the loop trail.
Arizona State Parks’ Picacho Peak State Park
The dormant volcano jetting out of the desert floor is a prominent site from miles away. Picacho Peak is another site with the bath house comforts, like Catalina State Park, and is about 30 minutes West on Interstate10 Highway of Catalina State Park.
Picacho Peak has awesome views, trails, and even a cave the children can safely walk into. There are showers, electric hook-ups, a playground, dump station, visitor center with gift shop, and exhibits.
According to Assistant Director Jay Ream in the “2009 Ranger Cam,” the Picacho Peak hills have exploded in yellow flowers, thanks to the heavy early spring rains. March camping is among the Mexican Goldpoppies, Brittlebush, and Creosote yellows. April finds the purple Lupines taking their royal stand across the Picacho hills. May brings the various whites, salmons, and yellows of the desert cacti.
See the following website for further information on pricing, regulations, and road conditions for these Tucson area campgrounds or other Southern Arizona campgrounds:
Wild Desert Lupine Spring 2009
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Mexican Goldpoppies Exploding Spring 2009
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Signage at Catalina State Park
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Catalina State Park Horse Stables
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Mexican Goldpoppies close-up '09
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