Beautiful group campground! Roger keeps it clean and stocked. The weather is great and the sites…read moreare easy to get to. Mount Lemmon is beautiful with lots of activities to keep you busy.

I reserved Site 1 at this campground for my group to use in late April and had a fantastic…read moreexperience. The camp host called me a few days before our reservation to confirm everything, go over the main details, and to ask me if I had any questions. I was greeted again by Bill when I arrived and had no problem finding the campsite. It's near the top of the mountain and the drive up is stunning. Our campsite had everything we needed including electricity. The huge fire ring is wonderful for a large group and the covered table area was wonderful. Bill and his wife serviced our outhouse multiple times while we were there and the trash was emptied regularly. Each site has it's own parking "lot" and there are sidewalks leading to the fire ring and ramada. I will definitely camp here again in the future and look forward to coming back! Hopefully Bill and his wife will still be there as they're the best camp hosts.

Get new kind and happy camp hosts! We drove 2 1/2 hours. To be yelled at called stupid and have a 5…read moregl bucket water thrown on our fire which hit a member of group who is not physically well! We checked before we left home and fires were fine. He did it to other campers as well. I come from a fire fighting family! Well aware of the danger. The host at the entrance who took our money was his wife she yelled at us all . Including the other 6 campers who were there to complain, said we were all stupid and that she quit. Mind you not one person was being rude or yelling. I deal with people daily. I would never treat any one so harshly. I feel that we were assaulted!

Starting off, I'm going to recognize 'Monica E' as an incredible resource for nearly everything as…read morea great breakdown on the intricate details of Rose Canyon Lake, so I won't capitulate on the details she provides; look up her review! There is one error I'll note with her review which is minor but important; you ARE able to reserve locations at Rose Canyon Lake. It's on numerous websites and even by calling, you can. No worries though, small detail but again, her review is amazingly full of all details that I found across three different websites and she put together for you! On a more simpler context I'll say this about Rose Canyon Lake, It's super tiny, very hilly (which I prefer!) and unfortunately the campsites are not 'near' the water. However with 70 some sites, you'll often hear someone near you because the trees deaden so much surrounding noise, you'll hear your neighbor; warning! In fact, our neighbors had to be reported on our visit in May because they were just obnoxious and atrocious with incredibly foul language - throughout the day and well past the quiet hours. Let's be honest, you come to the forest for some peace and quiet. Had we known there was a Ranger on duty throughout the night, we could've communicated that but we learned this the next day. RCL is small, beautiful with surrounding hiking and about 30 degrees cooler than Tucson. Win. Never saw the little 'Lake Store' open during our May visit but no worries nonetheless. Cell phone signal is absent in all the campsites unless you climb the hills around the lake. For at least the four phones with my group, that was the norm. You can use a canoe, ONLY if you pay extra for this. Not sure what good that is but the extra pay keeps you and other out of the water I suppose? There are also a generous amount of restroom spots throughout and some are unisex ones, most, with water spigots. You never have to go to far for a potty break so that made my daughters feel more comfortable. The wildlife surrounding is filled with humorous crows and tons and I mean TONS of squirrels of different species. The pine smell and the beautiful temps in May are a win... One final note, they make it much safer here by implanting 'bear proof' trash and campsite specific lock boxes to store all your food safely out of reach of Bears at night. This no doubt dramatically reduces interfaces thus, making it safer for continuous use as a campsite. The campsite Rangers where attentive and polite and overall, we highly recommend this location albeit secluded, no cell service and a bit on top of your neighbors. No real negatives per se except that the lake is REALLY tiny but is a reprieve nonetheless! It's a nice break from the heat of Tucson and the fresh pine smell is a win!

So here's the cool thing: While most (all?) other campgrounds on Mt. Lemmon are closed during the…read morewinter and open in the summer, Molino Basin has a season that is just the opposite: open from November 1st through early May. During the closed season, the paved road system is only accessible to bikes and pedestrians, and no camping is allowed. Thanks to Google, here's some additional useful tidbits: This campground lies within the desert grassland and open oak woodland ecosystems, at an altitude of around 4,300 feet. There are 37 campsites which can accommodate trailers up to 22 feet in length. Camping (or day-use) costs $10.00 per vehicle, and all fees are payable at the time you occupy the site. There's a limit of two vehicles and ten persons per site, for up to 14 days. This accessible campground features rest rooms (the non-flushing kind), picnic areas, an Arizona Trail trailhead and a group-use site by reservation. So why do I dig this place? During the summer, I can haul my kids and their bikes to the campground and have miles of paved roads (and public restrooms) all to ourselves. I don't THINK we were even breaking any laws/rules by being there. Sure, we have to go early or we'll end up featured on the 5:00 news.

Mount Lemmon and the Catalina Highway, AZ. Early Dec, 2025. Mount Lemmon, the highest peak…read more(9,175') in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson, is managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service as part of the Coronado National Forest. (Fun Fact: Mt. Lemmon is named after Sara Plummer Lemmon, an amateur botanist and the first white woman to climb to the summit in 1881. It is one of the few peaks in the U.S. named after a woman). Our objective was to drive the Catalina Highway Scenic Drive (27 miles) to the Mount Lemmon summit. This is the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of the Santa Catalina Range, and is one of the most scenic highways in the southwest. Because the road starts in the lower Sonoran vegetative life zone and climbs to high forests, it offers the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to the forests of Canada in only 27 miles. Before proceeding on the drive, we downloaded a free app entitled "Mt. Lemmon Science Tour" by the University of Arizona, which provided excellent commentary on the Sky islands, rocks, life zones, water, forest, and fire, that was well-synced with our drive up the mountain as it evolved. This is a windy, slow drive with the posted speed limit of 35 MPH or less on most sections. Plus, you're sharing the road with bicyclists riding in both directions. The road is paved, and is well-designed with frequent pull-offs and stops that allow for vista views or just to take a rest. A few of our favorite and recommended stops include: *Babad Do'ag for its excellent vistas of the desert environment and saguaros. *Gordon Hirabayashi Campground (and Historical Recreation Area). I've reviewed this separately on Yelp. *The Palisades Visitor Center, with family-friendly exhibits, brochures and general information, and a small gift shop. *Windy Point Vista, for sweeping views. *High-elevation picnic areas at Box Elder, Alder, Loma Linda, or Inspiration Rock. *Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, where there is a restaurant and ski lift rides ($). We were disappointed that the entrance road to Rose Canyon Lake was closed on the day that we visited. This is a Forest Service fee area. A day-use pass is $8 per vehicle, and can be purchased on-line or at the Palisades Visitors Center on-route. We didn't have time to hike on the day that we visited but there are miles and miles of trails of varying length and difficulty. While there are restrooms with pit toilets at multiple sites, but there is no potable water nor service stations. I've posted a handout about the area that I picked up at the Visitors Center. Only Spanish-language brochures were available.

This place has always been my go to place. I love the absolutely scenery and the view when you get…read moreto the top. This place has also some parking spots where they have a nice view and you can also walk as well to the rock place.. been coming over 4 yrs now and love when it's sunset it's a beautiful view of it. All the way to the top it's a resort when winter comes you can ski, also camping place or walking trail and picnic area as well. Pets is allowed as well. It's a must go...

Get rid of the manager and clean up the place We were…read moretreated poorly and people who bought trailer models are stuck.

Such a relaxing place to camp. It was a short drive to town where we were able to also enjoy a nice…read moredinner, get gas and odds & ends.

Came here on a night walk early June. The park is well maintained and the guides were amazing. We…read moredid ice breakers to start and really enjoyed that each guide has their own expertise. We learned about the unique wildlife, rock formations, insects and constellations! I highly recommend.

I went here for a night walk in June and had an amazing time with friends! The Rangers were so…read moreknowledgeable and friendly. I thought it was pretty cool the way they reflected pictures onto the ground of the animals they discussed. They taught us not just about the animals of the desert, but also about the rock formations, and constellations as well . They did an introduction before we set out on the trail and an icebreaker, which I also thought was a cool little activity to help us all feel more comfortable. I would definitely do this again, and recommend it for anyone who's never done it. This would be a great activity to bring an out-of-town friend on. FYI- the hell when you first start, the trail is pretty steep.. I was huffing and puffing a bit lol. If you have any knee injuries or struggle with steep land, you might want to sit this one out. The rest of the trail is flat after however the hill is needed to start and end the trail (it probably took like 1-2 minutes to scale it). Also to find the area where the hike starts, you'll want to drive all the way through the park until you get to the parking lot on the left. For some reason, I thought it would be pretty close to when you enter the park, however, it is a little drive.

Easy overnite. I've camped here 8-10 times. Will likely be back…read more Only had a problem once, a camper lost control of her dogs. Over fast. Quiet nights. Convenient! Some shiny spots, broken glass. Eyes open. Spread out. ButtsRLitter2

Didn't stay. The entire ground, all of it, was covered in glass shards. All the roads were bumpy…read moreand it smelled like a$$ :(

Such a beautiful experience! So many different sites on the hour and a half up to the top of the…read moremountain. This is perfect for those who want to see the World and the different terrain of Arizona. It changes so frequently it's unbelievable!

One of the most beautiful places to hike ! Summerhaven is…read morethe so much fun to shop and eat . Highly recommend.

The Good: very nicely taken care of, easy to park in the spaces…read more The bad: they have a new policy that will not allow camper/tow vehicles over 40 feet in length total. Although there are plenty of spots in which those kind can fit, they have made the decision to not allow bigger vehicles in here. Make sure to check before you come!

Peaceful and beautiful. This campground has nice sized spots with freshly layered rock flats on…read moreeach site. The A loop has 30/50 electric and water at each site with a central dump. Most important once you are comfy are the staggeringly beautiful views. Come and relax.

General Hitchcock Campground is located just off the Catalina Highway. It's near mile marker 12 on…read morethe right side of the road just as you're heading up. The campground has a much more rustic feel to it than the ever popular Rose Canyon, and it is wheelchair accessible. Situated along a sandy and rocky streambed in upper Bear Canyon, the campground is among ponderosa pines, junipers and oaks. Lots and lots and lots of trees! Elevation is about 6,000 feet. On this summer visit, the temperatures were mild, granted the monsoon did move in a big way, which helped to drive temperatures down to the 80s. Overnight temperatures were in the low 60s. Definitely plan to pack a light sweater just in case. Also, the ground tends to be covered with leaves, making it soft. It is quite the picturesque site. There are 11 sites on location and from what I could tell all of them are under heavy shade. Each site has a table, fire pit, grill and their locker. There is no drinking water here, but there are vault toilets. Also no trash dump up so pack in and pack out. Some sites are located along Bear Creek, which is dry unless there is a ton of rain or snow melt. This place is ideal for tent camping, not RVs. Pets are allowed but must be on a leash at all time. Camping fee is $10 per night. The campground is open all year. Sounds like an ideal location! But I took one star off because the campground, while rustic and beautiful, does attract some degenerates. Be forewarned that there is no host on site, and people tend to go all out with loud music and loud noise (Screaming and yelling?! Why? Really, why?) well into what would be considered elsewhere as quiet hours. And there were beer and soda cans everywhere! Even found cigarette butts. There was even trash at the restroom trashcan... right at the foot of the actual trashcan, which was not yet full by the way. People, this is bear country. And our shared, beautiful natural lands. Please take better care.