Introduction:
We've stayed at this campground several times. Overall, it's a fantastic place to set up. There are a couple "bad" sites, but the majority of them are fantastic.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Price per night / Discounts: $30 / None
Campground website: Catalina State Park
Our Site #: 2018: 23A and 40A 2019: B17 and B72
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
4.5/5: Sites are very well spaced. In Loop A, the sites are scattered about so you're not parallel with most other rigs. In Loop B, the sites are more uniform and parallel with one another, but because they are spaced so nicely, you really don't have to worry too much about being on top of your neighbors. Our preference is Loop B, but really, either one is great.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
4.5/5: This state park is a beautiful outdoor oasis in a very busy suburban area. When you're at the campground, you completely forget you're in the middle of a huge area of urban sprawl, but once you pull out onto the main street, everything you could possibly need is available for you. It really is the best of both worlds.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
3.5/5: This was completely dependent on the site we were in. All the sites in Loop B are large and nicely spaced, whereas there is a lot more variation in the older Loop A. Our first site on our first visit - 23A - was LOUSY. It wasn't a normal site at all - we basically just pulled over on the side of the road and parked. The camphost, who was obviously well versed in the shortcomings of our site, showed up as soon as we pulled in to help us get situated. She suggested that we flip our RV around and run our cords underneath the RV so that entrance door wouldn't be on the main road.... which seemed reasonable. She then closed off the road so we could drive the wrong way down the one way street and pull over as far as we could. She also gave us small orange traffic cones to, hopefully, alert other drivers to our presence. We then spent the entire week hoping no one broadsided our rig as they were driving by. The site is just bizarre and should only be available to very small rigs, or they should just get rid of it entirely. (There are one or two other sites that are just like 23A in A loop, so choose carefully.) Site #40A was a normal site and we loved it. Lots of space, lots of privacy, great views, no fear of being broadsided in the middle of the night. Much better.
When we returned in 2019, we stayed in two different sites in Loop B. Both were absolutely awesome - spacious, private, level, and convenient. As far as we can tell, you really can't go wrong in B loop.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
5/5: We were able to book our own sites, the website is modern and has all the information you need, and customer service at the park is always excellent.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
5/5: The park now has wifi and it worked pretty well. Additionally, our AT&T hotspot had a solid signal the whole time.
Summary:
Overall, this is an excellent campground. It is surrounded by dramatic mountains, offers fantastic hiking trails, is convenient to everything Tucson has to offer, and provides very nice sites. The only downside is the lack of full hook ups, but that's not really a big deal to us. What did suck was our first site where we had to park the wrong way on the side of the road and hope no one broadsided us. It was just a completely awkward set up and had the camp host not helped us, we would have been walking out our door into the middle of the street. All three of the other sites we've stayed at in the campground were excellent. And the larger park is just fantastic. We absolutely enjoy staying at Catalina and will return as often as we can.
