You can stay at campgrounds in Kartchner Caverns State Park and Colossal Cave Mountain Park (colossalcave.com) just outside Tucson. The Colossal Cave Mountain Park charges based on the number of cars in your party and takes fees at the time of arrival. Kartchner Caverns State Park charges a single fee per campground and allows you to make reservations online at the Kartchner Caverns State Park website (azstateparks.com/parks/kaca). If you need to camp on a budget, Colossal Cave Mountain Park charges less for camping. You can also take a tour of the caves at either park year-round. Colossal Cave offers unscheduled tours and promises never to make you wait more than 30 minutes for a tour. Kartchner Caverns recommends you make reservations online in advance.
The Gilbert Ray Campground (pima.gov) allows tent camping at one of its five tent-only designated sites or at one of the available RV sites. You can't make reservations, and tent camping fees cost less than the fees for trailers and RVs. The campground doesn't permit wood fires; tent campers can't use the electric hookups designed for RVs. Be prepared with cash or a check -- you can't use a credit card to pay fees. The parks busiest season lasts from November to April, so arrive early to find a campsite.
Catalina State Park (azstateparks.com) starts checking in campers at 2 p.m. You must check out by noon the next day, or you can pay for up to 14 days in a 30-day period; make your campground reservations online. Wood fires are permitted in group areas, but not at the individual campsites. The park provides a variety of amenities including restrooms, a visitor center, gift shops, showers, plenty of hiking trails, and biking and equestrian services.
Mount Lemon has a campground in Coronado National Forest (fs.usda.gov/coronado), just north of Tucson. Other campgrounds within Coronado National Forest include the Cypress Park and Madera Canyon campgrounds. Black bear sightings often get reported in the Cypress Park area. However, most confrontations consist of bears ransacking your unpacked food in the middle of the night, so be sure to leave all food in your car or packed in a bearproof container away from your tent. Cypress Canyon provides access to the old Rucker Lake bed and various hiking trails a short distance from the campgrounds. Madera Canyon has picnic areas and is a favorite spot of birdwatchers. Several migratory species stop here to rest during their long flights. Madera Canyon campers have access to an extensive trail system within the Santa Rita Mountains.
