State Parks are always such a great way for kids to get out from in front of that television and out into nature, and Catalina State Park is no different!
This beautiful piece of Arizona wilderness is located at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains, and is a haven for beautiful desert wildlife and plants. There are nearly 5,000 saguaros!
With 5,500 acres to explore, you might need more than the one family day out to enjoy it all! There are endless canyons and streams which are the perfect location for family picnics, camping and amazing bird watching. Did you know that over 150 species of birds call the park home?
There are also miles and miles of hiking and biking trails – great for those active families – and even equestrian trails where you can enjoy meandering through the countryside on horseback. These trails wind through the park, and even into the Colorado National Forest which are at elevations of nearly 3,000 feet.
At Catalina State Park itself for the family to enjoy, there is not only a campground, but picnic tables and grills for you to enjoy your own private meals under the sun, and an equestrian center that offers the horse rides.
The park, with it’s backdrop of amazing wildflowers and cacti, also put on fun events for families and kids! From family campout programs, to jazz concerts surrounded by nature…even geology walks…it makes for a fun experience!
So turn off those televisions and enjoy a little slice of Arizona nature – right at your doorstep!
We had no sooner pulled into our site when I left our dogs out of our vehicle. They were leashed but the one got away from me to pee. The camp host was right there informing us of the AZ state law requiring dogs to be leashed. Let me add, we were the only people within that area.We soon found out it was random enforcement of the leash requirement. All weekend long we watched dogs from several other campsites roam freely without a leash and no camp host interaction.The restrooms were very clean. No covers over the picnic tables as somebody previously mentioned and very little shade. This may be a good place to go in the winter and without dogs.
Very inhospitable. We stayed in Feb 2014 in our RV in a part of the park with no electric. We found out after we got here that the rules forbid using a generator between 8PM and 8 AM. So no movies at night and no coffee until 8AM. Interestingly, the Quiet hours are 10PM to 6AM. So you can play your music loud at 7AM but can’t start the generator to make coffee at 7:30. If you do, you will get a pounding on the door first by the “host” and then by the Police – really. The rules for dogs is they must be on a leash of no more than 6 feet at all times, even going from the RV to the car – we were told we would be sited if our small dog was ever outside the RV without a leash, no exceptions. This is a police run campground with a host of rules to make your stay uncomfortable. Most of the trails have been used by horses so they are deep sand and full of horse poo – not really good for walking or biking. I rented a spot fo 7 nights and left after 2 nights..
This was a really nice hike, there are multiple hiking trails and you can’t beat the scenery
Only water electric hookups. Nice Clean Showers/ Tiolets. Very busy park. Near large shopping mall with WalMart, Olive Garden lots more. Get Reservations well ahead of time it can be very busy.
Very nice campground with great facilities, good hiking and calm surroundings. Plenty of room for RV’s.