Catalina State Park is in the Oro Valley area of Tucson just off Hwy 77 (Oracle Rd) and directly across the street from the Oro Valley Market Place where there are plenty of shops and restaurants.
View of the Santa Catalina Mountains from the Canyon Loop Trail at Catalina State Park
Campground: Catalina State Park
Location: Oro Valley, Arizona (Tucson area)
Site: B48
Cost: $30
Services: W/E (50 Amp)
Comments: A beautiful campground with fantastic hiking trails, large, level sites, and close proximity to shopping and restaurants but still very quiet 24/7. We love it here.
Site B48 – empty
Site B48
Site B48
Site B48 – view out our window
Site B48 – coyotes frequented our site daily
Site B48 from the trail
Sunset at Catalina State Park Campground Loop B
Sunset reflection in our window
The hiking in the state park ranges from easy to extremely difficult with hikes up the mountain with a starting elevation from 2700′ and ranging to 8000′. There is something for everyone here.
Catalina State Park Canyon Loop
Catalina State Park Canyon Loop
Catalina State Park Canyon Loop
Catalina State Park Canyon Loop – lots of beautifully colored trees
Catalina State Park Romero Canyon Trail – lots of hikers on the trail on a Friday morning
Catalina State Park Romero Ruins
Catalina State Park Romero Canyon Trail – view of Oro Valley
You can see our rig (the leftmost RV) at the campground in the distance
Along 50 Year Trail – where I lost my lens cap
Catalina State Park Canyon Loop Trail
View from Sutherland Trail – our favorite hike
Lunch spot atop Sutherland Ridge
Along Sutherland Trail
Catalina State Park is only about a 30 minute drive to the heart of Tucson where we visited the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona campus and the Museum of Miniatures.
Center for Creative Photography U of A Tucson
Center for Creative Photography U of A Tucson
Center for Creative Photography U of A Tucson
Museum of Miniatures – Foyer
Museum of Miniatures – Part of the man cave
Temporary exhibit of Southwestern Churches
Museum of Miniatures – Wedding gifts
Oro Valley Library sculpture
Another lovely sunset in Oro Valley
Border Dynamics Sculpture at U of A
Sculpture at U of A
Flowers at U of A
Quail at Naranja Park in Oro Valley
Visiting Davis Monthan AFB
Friends RV site at Davis Monthan AFB
Hanging on the streets of Tucson
2 comments
Wow. I’ve always wanted to try hiking and this could be one of my destination. By the way, how’s the terrain?
It’s a varied terrain. You have easy, moderate, and advanced trails with steep elevation gains. There is open desert and also mountainous rocky terrain. If you hike to Mt Lemon it would be an overnighter probably. Nice hiking!
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Wow. I’ve always wanted to try hiking and this could be one of my destination. By the way, how’s the terrain?
It’s a varied terrain. You have easy, moderate, and advanced trails with steep elevation gains. There is open desert and also mountainous rocky terrain. If you hike to Mt Lemon it would be an overnighter probably. Nice hiking!