A Guide to Camping in Marana & Southern Arizona

The first few months of the year are the perfect time to fully immerse yourself into the desert on a camping, glamping, or RVing trip! The brisk mornings and warm, sunny days of the fall and winter here in Southern Arizona, plus the more-beautiful-than-usual sunsets, make it a great time to spend a few days exploring the Sonoran Desert and reconnecting with nature!

Whether you're a full-time traveler, hitting the road to work remotely surrounded by the great outdoors, or taking your family on a Great American Road Trip, Southern Arizona should definitely be on your list. Marana is an excellent home base to start all of your Southern Arizona adventures!

PicturedWild Burro Desert Retreat

Campgrounds and RV Parks in Marana

Marana is an excellent home base for all of your Southern Arizona adventures. You can camp surrounded by a natural desert landscape that feels like it's far from any civilization, but you'll actually only be minutes away from parks, trails, restaurants of all types, shopping, and more. What's more, most of the regional attractions in Southern Arizona are located less than 30 minutes away, with many being within a 15-minute drive.

  • Valley of the Sun Mobile Home & RV Park is a 55+ Good Sam Club park with 70 RV sites, with options for daily, weekly, and monthly rentals. Amenities include Wi-Fi, a pool, recreation, laundry, and many more. It's located near Downtown Marana, with easy access to Interstate 10 and all the other outdoor attractions in the area.
  • Book the only camping spot at the beautiful Wild Burro Desert Retreat (pictured at the top of the page) or other Marana-area private ranch stays, home stays, and campsites ranging from primitive to luxurious on HipCamp or your favorite vacation rental platform.
  • South Forty RV Ranch is an adults-only, Good Sam Club RV Park located in Southern Marana near I-10 and Orange Grove Road. It's located just a short drive from most outdoor, shopping, dining, and entertainment attractions in the Tucson area, and has options for daily, weekly, and monthly rentals. Several retailers and restaurants are located very close by.
  • Gilbert Ray Campground is a true gateway to outdoor adventures! It's in an excellent location West of the Tucson Mountains, right next to Saguaro National Park's West District, Old Tucson, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The endless dark skies full of stars at night are an added bonus! The park has a 7-day stay limit, and it very popular, so make sure to book your site ahead of time. Tip: If Gilbert Ray is full, ask for recommendations for other camping facilities.
  • Camp Saguaro is also a great base camp for outdoor activities, and is located in a peaceful location less than 5 miles from Saguaro National Park West, Tucson Mountain Park, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. They have sites for tent camping, van campers, overlanders, and truck campers, with a common area with flush toilets, sinks, and showers. Same-day reservations are available!
  • Picacho/Tucson Northwest KOA Journey - Located just off of Interstate 10, north of Picacho Peak. It's open year-round, and has RV sites with water and electricity, tent sites, and cabins. The campground features restrooms and showers, a year-round pool, dog park, firewood and propane for purchase, a laundry room, playground, and more!
  • Picacho Peak State Park Campground is open year-round, and offers tent, RV, and group sites, all in the shadow of Picacho Peak! High-speed Wi-Fi is available for a fee, and the campground has modern, handicapped-accessible restroom and shower buildings. As a bonus, the park is located just off of I-10!
  • Picacho Peak RV Resort is a 55+ community located in the shadow of Picacho Peak, that offers RV sites available for long- or short-term rental, plus many amenities, such as pickleball, a pool, clubhouse, billiards, a fitness center, and more!

Adventure & Backcountry Camping

Want to leave the amenities behind for a little while and truly escape into the desert? You can do that here as well! The wide open spaces around Marana let you disconnect from the modern world, and feel completely secluded, all within a 30-minute drive. These spots are free and first come first served. Be sure to follow the Leave No Trace guidelines when boondocking (dry camping).

  • Camping at Ironwood Forest National Monument is a rustic, remote, secluded experience in a place that is the definition of "off the beaten path". The 120,000-acre monument is home to several historic sites, an 80-armed saguaro cactus, and its namesake, one of the largest groupings of Ironwood trees anywhere. There is a designated campground, but sites are primitive (no amenities except those you bring), so it's great for RV camping. See the camping site map here.
  • Cactus Forest Campground is a primitive, dispersed-camping site located off of Park Link Drive, just north of Marana. What it may lack in amenities it more than makes up for in expansive desert views, cacti, and magnificent sunsets. Camping is free, since it's located on BLM land.
Credit@TheAZHikeaholics (via Instagram)

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Ironwood Forest National Monument

Taking its name from one of the longest living trees in the Arizona desert, the Ironwood Forest National Monument is a true Sonoran Desert showcase. Keeping company with the ironwood trees are mesquite, paloverde, creosote, and saguaro. The Silver Bell, Waterman and Sawtooth are rugged mountain ranges, from 1,800 to more than 4,200 feet in elevation. Desert valleys filled with diverse wildlife, such as pronghorn and mule deer, complete the setting.

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