Reviews

Fabmumof2

Great campground right in The Tucson Mountain park and a few minutes drive from the Saguaro NP west. So many saguaros at this park you almost feel like you are in the NP. Campground links to quite a few nice walking trails, none of which are dog friendly. Plenty of rattlesnakes, so be mindful at night and use a flashlight and we were also advised to leave our good up due to the pack rats. Water fill station slow with quite low pressure. Electric at sites and quite a few large rocks/boulders to maneuver past. Would definitely stay here again.

Kerry Murray

We’ve stayed here many times and usually appreciate the great sunsets and generally friendly, relaxed neighbors. We just checked out from a 4-night stay and had a truly terrible experience with the camp hosts. This couple came by 3 different times between 10:15 and the 11:00 am checkout time. We told them we were packing up and that we might have a slight delay as our son was performing in a concert overseas and the live feed was set for 10:30-10:50 Tucson time. They were obviously uninterested in our communication but I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Our son’s concert ran a bit over and we were ready to roll at 11:08. This is when things got truly whacked. The camp hosts came by for their 4th or 5th pass and I just jokingly mentioned that we “We’re gone” since we were ready to pull out. The female camp host responded “No, you’re not gone” in an incredibly rude way. I was rather taken aback as in our experience the camp hosts at Gilbert Ray are typically kind and engaging. The one time we went a few minutes past checkout due to a work meeting, the host was considerate and accommodating. To add to the bad behavior, the male camp host then marched onto our site saying something about a towel and proceeded to stab a piece of cloth that had blown behind our rig with his knife. As we were closing up I went to run our dog’s waste to the dumpster and I got an elaborate pantomime from the male camp hosts of looking at his watch. I called him on his ridiculous behavior and he started to argue with me. Then he stomped to his golf cart and drove off. I have been a camp host at an RV park and understand the issues but rule number one is to have some basic customer service skills. A few minutes leeway at check out when the rig is obviously packed up and ready to go should not have sent these two into such rude dramatics. They had zero work to do to flip the site for the next camper. I honestly could not believe the juvenile behavior from two people in their 60s. I hope the campground will re-evaluate who they choose to be camp hosts and make sure hosts actually have the ability to interact well with guests.

Alison Leach

What a beautiful campground. Very clean, the camp hosts were so friendly and helpful. The location is beautiful yet it's very close to Tucson. Very quiet, even when it is busy. Everyone was so respectful and friendly. Nice variety of sites, from tent only to accommodating a 40ft class A. Power hookups with water spigots in every loop. If we ever come back to this area we are definitely coming back to stay here.

Dusty

Great campground. The dump, the flush water is ridiculously low as non existent. If you want to flush your tank minimally it won't even do that. Pressure from not flushing a minute or two will build up on your next stop from feces in the pipe, and that's not fun. Terrible reservation policies, the feeling of being scammed of money from this county is apparent.

D W

Wonderful campground with outstanding staff and beautiful scenery, highly recommended! I especially want to give a big thank-you to Jodie (CTA). I accidentally left a steel wind shield from my camp stove at the campsite. I emailed the campground the same day, and Jodie replied promptly and kindly. I was able to come back the next day and retrieve my item with no issues at all. Would absolutely stay here again.

Juli McIntosh

This is the most beautiful campground. The park is clean, well maintained, and the location is very close to Saguaro National Park-west side. And most importantly, the scenery is breathtaking! We had a little trouble with our confirmation email after having made reservations, which must be done through Pima County, online. When I called the campground phone number at the county, Vera was delightful; very kind and helpful. Before I had a chance to talk to Vera though, we went into the campground looking for help with our reservation and Tom was able to look it up and point us to the right campsite. He was also very kind and helpful. What lovely staff you all all have connected to this campground! Be aware, there isn’t water or sewer at each site but there is power and there are two dump stations and two potable water stations that you can use. Thank you to everyone at the county and the campground for helping make our stay so nice.

Jay Peery

Overall an amazing resource if you are visiting Tucson. Tons of hiking options right from your campsite. Walkable to the Tucson desert museum and several other trails. Sites vary, but are mostly good. The tent only sites have no electricity and require you to pitch a tent - but that seems to be loosely enforced. If you are in a vehicle and just need a spot for the night, just show up later and you should be fine. Bathrooms vary in terms of amenities - some are well maintained and have outdoor sinks with warm water for doing dishes, some do not. This campground used to have showers, but they are no longer there. Campground is surrounded by stunning Sonoran desert habitat and you are adjacent to the mountain park. 30 mins to downtown Tucson over Gates pass - unless you are in a large RV in which case you will have to go around the pass. All reservations are done online, which is not always ideal - the reservation system is quirky as well.

Andrew B

Limiting to 40 ft total between truck and trailer is extreme and not reasonable by any measure. Stated they have "hair pin turns" which is not true on loop A at all. I understand massive Class A's not coming in, however; not being able to bring in a 25 foot TT and Truck is over the top.

Paul W

This county owned campground is quite nice, with lots of sites, but they now have a new policy that disallows tow vehicles and campers in excess of 40 feet, total in length. Inquire before you come here.

Michael McLeod

This is a great campground. So quiet. The flora is incredible. Cholla’s, prickly pear, of course saguaro’s, and ocotillo will surround your campsite. The road in is winding and hilly so take it slow. No water or septic at your site but there were 4 or 5 dump stations and water spigots all over. Less than 10 minutes to Saguaro National Parks entrance. A little expensive at $35/night but still worth it for a short stay.

Will Fishburn

Caution when booking campground. They will only refund 50% of the cost if you cancel before 14 days. I lost $125 and didn't even stay there. I canceled more than a month in advance because of change in plans. This is absolutely criminal. If you are staying it is a nice place and the desert museum is great.

C Rains

Sites are very small, our 16 ft trailer and the truck filled it up. We did not understand that they do NOT have a place to shower. It would be a great winter camp, late August not so much!

Cynthia Cassidy

Stayed 2 nights here to visit Saguaro NP and it was so gorgeous. We had a wonderful site and went to sleep under the blooming Saguaro & Ocotillo cactus. The area is absolutely gorgeous. Site A64 was angled well to back in and very roomy. I think there were some semi homeless people in an old/rundown RV nearby. The woman tried to steal my husband's toiletry bag at the sink behind the bathrooms for dish/hair washing. She bolted out of there and left it on the ground when he heard her and turned around. It was nice to see the county sheriffs coming through occasionally. Other than that, we made sure to completely secure our site and belongings and truly enjoyed our visit to the area. The setting was absolutely gorgeous.

Chris Phillips

Nice campground. Electric at RV sites, water and dump at station. Bathrooms are clean. Close to Old Tucson Studios (walking distance). Some sites are tight and not all are level. Overall a nice place to stay

Micheline R

We stayed here for the allowable 7 nights. Such a quiet campground. I loved hearing the coyotes howling at night, so peaceful. The bathrooms here are very clean, with a very good setup for washing your dishes outside. The camp hosts in Loop H, Perry, and his wife were very friendly and kind people. Enjoyed our talks and appreciate everything you guys do for this campground. There are 4 camp hosts all together doing an amazing job! There are no showers here and only have electric hookups, 30 and 50 amp. but the dumping station and water stations are nicely situated and easy to maneuver around. There were some sites that we're a bit narrow or on the short size, so be careful when booking. There are so many trails and other things to do around here. We needed the 7 days, lol. We will for sure come here again, if we come back down next year. Thank you so very much!