Catalina State Park

Catalina State ParkThis beautiful state park was really near where I was staying and I was interested in seeing the Romero ruins trail, to see some Hohokam ruins and some wildflowers and of course birds. I have gone many times. For birds I would recommend going on one of the parks twice weekly volunteer docent birding hikes. You will see something different each time. I have seen different hummingbirds, Cactus wrens and their nests. Vermillion flycatcher, owls, Flickers, thrasher, grosbeaks, Phainopepla, ravens ,mocking birds, having gone the guided hike your eyes will be opened more each time you hike,The Romero ruins trail can be easy for someone who's fairly fit but has some areas to be careful at You can park at the second pull out. The trail does cross a wash area so if there's been recent rains it could be a area where you going to get wet. If you go directly to the ruines trail you'll move to the left at the fork.There's about 80 steps to the top of the hill You just take your time if your person of a certain age and you'll do fine coming down is always a little more difficult and you have to be careful. If I were taking kids I would only want to take kids to really listened and then didn't get too close to the edge.There's some great Saguaro cactus at the top of the hill and there's some benches along the trail to enjoy the wonderful views of the mountains. Once you're up at the top you can begin to see the archaeological site and mostly surface areas of the ruins. There's some great interpretive signs along the way so you can really have a sense of what you're seeing and get some great information to learn more. There's a Hohokam village where you can see the rock walls that surrounded the village and you can see some rock outlines of some homes if you have a good eye you can also see some pit areas and middens. There's some great interpretive material actually showing where the Romero ranchero was as well as the Hohokam village. There was also considerable looting of the site You can still see some of the holes were the pot hunters were looking for pots. There's some great views of the wash going down in the mountains It's just a really nice hike. After I did that hike and came down I noticed some wildflower fields across the way so I back to where the trail had split and took the trail to the right which is the Romero Canyon trail and went up about 90 steps so I could view the poppy fields and the other wildflower fields They had a nice flat area at the top of the stairs and again you could get some wonderful views of the valley and the mountains it was worth the extra hike up the stairs. Again you have to take your time slow is smooth and fast and safe both going up and down.. if you are going to take children you got to make sure that they're really well disciplined to stay on the trail cuz there's some really steep drops and there's no handrails or anything else the only safe place is to stay on the trail.There were some really nice poppy groves to see and I think the lupine were also plentiful and there was some groves of those as well and All in all identified over a dozen different wildflowers. The thing to remember is each time you visit it will be different.... Maybe no wildflowers or birds. Just try to enjoy what's there and remember it's a open wild place not a city park. Dress appropriately I always wear long pants and hiking boots and i try to be mindful of my surroundings. Check with volunteers at the gift shop or the entrance to get the skinny.

Went camping there last weekend and apart from the unexpected 110 record breaking heat wave at the end of September... a great park to camp and hike. The electric campsites also had water hookups. The restrooms were extremely clean and well maintained... including the showers. Lots of beautiful trails... but when the temps being high... only early morning or evening walks. An amazing place for dark skies/ star gazing even with the naked eye. Because of the time of year (and weather) attaining a spot was feasible... but otherwise it's hard to score a camping spot.

I think this is the only state park I've been to that's across the street from a Walmart and Red Lobster lol. Despite the encroaching business commercialism in the area, the park itself is a beautiful and serene place to picnic, bird watch, or hike. We stopped here for a picnic and to hike. We got a lot of good picnicking done; hikes, not so much but there's always next time I say. There are multiple picnic spots and very well kept restrooms. You can't beat the view of the Catalina Mountains while noshing on a breakfast burrito and coffee.I attempted to go on an easy trail, the birding trail, but I will have to go on this trail next time with another adult instead of a tiny tot and dogs. The dogs were more interested in sniffing the world rather than taking a nature walk, and the kiddo wanted to play in the sandy wash area near the entrance to the trail. I think I made it about 100 ft when the slow-as-molasses dog decided to turn back. I took that as a sign that a longer hiking adventure will have to wait for a future visit. The sandy wash area is pretty cool and very scenic in itself and I got to hear some birds chattering with one another in the bushes nearby. It's overall a very peaceful place to spend a day.Details:- Very dog friendly!- Poop bags available at trail entrance (For birding trail at least)- Entrance fee $7 per car for up to 4 adults

Our second time here, they have nice sites. Well maintained shower and restrooms. Park rangers are very friendly. No gates, campers can come in and out anytime during the night. Walmart and some restaurants are just across the street.

Gorgeous, breathtaking, spectacular! I can go on and on about how wonderful this state park is! I have hiked all the trails more than once and every time I do the views still get to me! The trails are always maintained, the rangers and helpful, and there's always something cool to see! We miss the nature program as it was such an awesome experience for the kids (and adults) to learn new things! Would love to see that come back! Until then they offer many other programs and activities such as star parties, music in the mountains and even guided hikes!

Happy to be camped at Catalina State Park. Great dessert campground. Plenty of space between campsites, and some sites have water and electric. Dump station is near the front kiosk.We are here in May, and it is HOT. Not much shade to be found, but the wind kicks up in the afternoon, and the nights are cooling down to 63 or 65. Not many people camped here, I believe because of the heat.Great trails here for hikers, cyclists, and horses. I've seen quite a few roadrunners, and have seen first hand how they control the lizard population.The bathrooms and showers are A+. In the "A" loop, there is a soda machine and a small lending library (take a book, leave a book), located in the alcove between the men and women's restroom. Camp host on site.

I visited Tucson in August. If you don't wake up at 6am for you hike, you'll be cutting it short for sure. It's hot by 8am. I took the Short hike, Romero ruin trail, as it was hot and I'm not really a morning person. The hike has no shade, but it was worth it. It's a beautiful hike. You'll definitely see saguaros up close. Make sure to wear hiking boots. It is sandy and there's many sharp plants out there. Take plenty of water. Use the all trails app to guide your hike. The entrance fee is $7 per car. They have a small gift shop and restrooms at the entrance. Dogs are allowed in the park

Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona, May 27, 2023They have water and electrical hook ups, but no sewer hook ups. They do have a dump station. The overall campsite is very well-maintained and there are lots of areas throughout the campground that are covered with a lot of picnic tables and plenty of parking.We pulled in on a Memorial weekend Saturday at about 1:15 PM. First order of business, after checking in, was to dump the black and gray water. We had been dry camping for about four days prior to our arrival. They have a nice water Spicket with about a 12 foot hose that you can use to flush your black water system as you are dumping. We got into site A-8, which is a pull through. We have stayed at this site before; however, there is actually an issue with the site. Because you have to take the one-way road to the site, it puts you into the site facing away from the picnic table and the camp site itself. Fortunately, no one was in site A-7 when we arrived and we were able to pull through their site and flip our rig round so that it was opening out to the campsite. The hook ups are then on the wrong side of your rig, so hopefully your water hose and electric chord are long enough to go under your rig and to the hook ups. Ours barely made it with only a couple feet to spare. It's about a 30 foot stretch depending on how you align your rig.There is a pretty substantial westerly sun exposure, so don't expect any shade. When we were here, it was 100° out and it was hard to get our rig to cool down. Fortunately, we were able to put up a tarp that blocked the sun and helped us to manage our heat.Other than those challenges, the site is fantastic. It's very large (40x80') with only one neighbor to the south. The bridal hiking trail is right next to the site. All the sites here have a picnic table and a standup barbecue grill. Trails are both hiking and biking. If you're looking for some more modern amenities, there is plenty of shopping and restaurants only a mile or so away.

Went to Catalina State Park for a short pre-Thanksgiving hike. Read some reviews online and had to see this place for myself. The hiking trails are pretty well marked and the paths are clear. There are long hikes and short ones. I chose to walk the "nature trail". The trail is a loop, about 2 miles long all together. The scenery is that of mountains and desert plants (this is Arizona). Cactus, desert plants, and maybe some wildlife can be scene in abundance. It was a great visit. I liked it so much, I bought the year parking pass for $75.This is the third State Park that I've visited in Arizona. So far, I find that Arizona State Parks keep their grounds in excellent condition.

Came here with a friend to get some fresh air and sunshine. Not even sure what trails we hopped on but they were beautiful! We even saw some running water which was surprising and very cool! I noticed they had some animal exhibits in the parking lot on our way out which looked cool for kids.