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5.0
6 votes

Gilbert Ray Campground

8451 W McCain Loop, Tucson, Arizona 85735-9062 USA

$
Budget
  • Independent
  • Pet Friendly
  • Wheelchair
    Accessible
  • Public
    Restrooms
  • No Wifi
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“Outdoors & Recreation in Tucson, AZ”

Next time you need a break in your busy life consider cool weather camping at Tucson Mountain Park's beautiful Gilbert Ray Campground, located on the west side of the Tucson Mountains, a convenient 13 miles from Tucson. RV campers should access the park by way of Ajo Highway to Kinney Road and follow the signs to the campground. The campground has 130 RV sites with individual 30-amp electrical hook-ups. The campground has 5 sites that are designated tent only, however tenters are welcome to camp in an RV site but are asked not to use the electrical hook-ups. It has centrally located water, picnic tables, modern restrooms, and an RV dumping station. Shower facilities are not available. 

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Reviews of Gilbert Ray Campground

155 people have reviewed this location

Ratings Summary

4.6 Access
4.8 Location
4.9 Cleanliness
4.5 Site Quality
4.7 Noise

Cell Coverage

Verizon 4G/5G

Confirmed by 85 users | Last reported on March 02, 2024

AT&T 4G/5G

Confirmed by 43 users | Last reported on March 18, 2024

T-Mobile 4G/5G

Confirmed by 17 users | Last reported on November 07, 2023
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Reviewed by
Tamera Martens

  • 7 Reviews
  • 5 Helpful
May 03, 2021
Rated 5.0

Quiet, clean, a winner! I've stayed at this campground three times now. It's always such a pleasure to stay here. The bathrooms are clean, the people are nice, and the sites are well-spaced. Even managed to get a 23 mile bike ride through the desert today. Will definitely stay here again.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
Kristi & Sara

  • 13 Reviews
  • 7 Helpful
February 03, 2020
Rated 5.0

Gilbert Ray is a quiet, clean and well located campground for exploring Saguaro National Park and Tucson in general. We were in space #38 and it was perfect for our 25’ View and MINI road. The camp staff and hosts are very friendly. Cell reception was very good too.

1 person found this review helpful

Reviewed by
catherine2740

  • 10 Reviews
  • 8 Helpful
July 09, 2019
Rated 5.0

Beautiful quiet campsite! Clean, spacious, and private sites, with clean bathrooms. I came in early July so it was self registration but the site was nearly empty at 5 when I arrived. Many campers arrived later in the evening. Gorgeous landscaping and desert views.

1 person found this review helpful
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Reviewed by
Campendium

March 15, 2015
Rated

The campground was spacious, level, had power at each site as well as many water spigots throughout the loops and a dump site. Love all the cactus!

We stayed here to be close to the Sonoran Desert Museum and Saguaro National Park. There are lots of hiking trails nearby, although Sam tried a mtn bike ride along one of the trails that leads from the campground and found them not marked and pretty technical.

If you are looking to be close to Tucscon, this is not ideal, but its definitely peaceful!

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Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 3

Site Number: 11

5 Access
4 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

April 05, 2015
Rated

While boon-docking often gives one the feeling of freedom and a certain satisfaction in knowing that we are benefitting directly from our own tax dollars, paying to camp at county and state campgrounds provides a feeling of giving back and preserving land that is important for all. At $20 per night Gilbert Rey campground provides ample places to fill your water tank, two modern dump stations and a 30 amp connection which allowed us to cook a casserole in the convection oven. We’d camped here before and were only able to get a smaller site that was pretty out of level. This time, knowing that the sites are first come, first serve, we left the commercial campground early and drove to Gilbert Rey. We got there by 10 am drove around the loops, picked a site and the nice folks there let us park early. One upside to this park is that you can stay in the site for up to seven days as long as you pay each morning by 11am. You can also pay up front with no refund. After leaving for a week you can go back. Another worthwhile tip is, if you plan on meeting friends, as we did, they allowed us to pick and pay for their site as well. When they got there they had the option of keeping that site or switching to another available one. One last tip – The campground is down the street from the amazing Sonoran Desert Museum. Depending on how much time you plan to be there it may be worth becoming a member. The morning are less crowded and members get free hot/cold coffee and ice tea.

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Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 5

Site Number: 63

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

April 12, 2015
Rated

The saguaros are the champions here, clearly. They've earned naming rights to the national park after all.

But everything between them pills the puzzle together to fruition. I won't give away the ending of your own adventure to explore this area, but I will say that from the pinholes poked through the sky cavalcade of stars to the tiniest flowering cactus tucked into some rattlesnake charmer of a shady rock enclave, this place is beauty non-stop and unusual.

From our campsite we sit and watch, study, the constellations. Morning comes easily early as the sun rises over Tucson Mountain and miles of hiking is minutes away, or a bike ride trough the campground itself is right outside of your door.

We arrived early, fearful of missing out on the first come first served spots. It was unnecessary. While the woman working the cash register said February and March were busier than usual, it's now April and aside from a few fellow campers in other loops or sites and sites away, we had the place to ourselves. From our spot we could fill water jugs and replenish our coffers with little more effort than the average suburbanite takes to retrieve his mail from the curb.

Though I tried to never leave the cactus forest, when a grocery store run or gas fillip was necessary, it was nice to have the amenities of a big city so close.

Coyotes howled the early night away, owls played the late show. Traffic could be heard in the distance, but overall it was peace and perfection night after night.

If I weren't already in a pretty serious relationship with the mother of my children, I would marry this desert and never leave.

Alas, she'll be but my mistress for the next few weeks as we explore various other state parks nearby, though I can't imagine any will live up to Gilbert Ray's splendor.

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Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 3

Site Number: B9

4 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

AT&T 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

December 27, 2015
Rated

We loved it as others have. What can we add? We attended an excellent ranger talk (Bob) at the NP that was an excellent primer on the flora and fauna of the area. We also attended a "binoculars" tour of the night sky sponsored by Mt. Kit observatory (but held at Saguaro NP). When you are picking your site, consider one that faces west for the fabulous sunsets. Watch out for the little ball shaped cactus spikes - if you step on one, best removed with a comb (or other - not your bare hand!)

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Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 4

Site Number: -

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Reviewed by
leighwetzel

  • 307 Reviews
  • 0 Helpful
January 19, 2016
Rated

Gilbert Ray Campground is conveniently located on the west side of the Tucson Mountains.

The girl in the office was very accommodating when we arrived. She assigned us a spot and mentioned that it wouldn't be a problem if we wanted to move. We then drove around the loops, picked a new spot, went back to the office and she cheerily reassigned us.

The grounds are naturally landscaped with saguaro and cholla cactus, so we kept our dog on the paved roads to avoid getting prickers in paws.

Sites are somewhat close together; one night we could hear our neighbor's television.

Verizon - DOWNLOAD: 10.21Mb/s, UPLOAD: 1.88Mb/s
AT&T - DOWNLOAD: 6.54Mb/s, UPLOAD: 2.36Mb/s

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leighwetzel would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 7

Site Number: A43

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
4 Site Quality
4 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

AT&T 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

January 21, 2016
Rated

Enter the campground office and hold back from giving the host hugs and gifts, she's that friendly. Chat while she fills out your tag and tells you not to forget to hang it properly (and you won't because you'd never disappoint her). Go to your campsite and get out your camera, take a thousand pics. Then put on your hiking boots and climb Brown Mountain (6.2 miles round trip if you walk from A59). Don't even look at cholla cactus or they will attack you. Bring tweezers in case. And pliers. Come back, get your mountain bike out and ride from the grounds over to Starr Pass trails and just try to be unhappy. Then when you are thoroughly exhausted peruse the campground and find all the cool kids (you'll know by their rigs) and drink their bourbon, tequila, beer, or whatever else they are offering. They may even feed you. Enjoy fantastic company. Exchange social media info. Go to bed ridiculously content. Wake the next morning early and watch the sun rise over the sonoran desert. Walk to Old Tucson or bike to the Desert Museum. Head down to the city for lunch at Martin's Comida Chingona and then have dinner and beer at Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink (google it). If you are still able to drive you can go over the Barrio and drink their beer. Get a cab back to the campground. Stay for the entire 7 day limit and do a variation of the above each day.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 7

Site Number: A59

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
5 Noise

Cell Coverage Rating

Verizon 4G

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Reviewed by
Campendium

February 14, 2016
Rated

While we didn't get the "super nice" woman checking us in (ours was rather bored and rude) we did enjoy the close proximity to the park and Sonoran Desert Museum. The dump was easy to use but REALLY smelly. There is water near almost every camp site and electric hook ups at each. It is naturally landscaped and has a nice walking path to explore.

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This reviewer would stay here again

Nightly Rate: $20.00

Days Stayed: 6

Site Number: H2

5 Access
5 Location
5 Cleanliness
5 Site Quality
4 Noise

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Gilbert Ray Campground

8451 W McCain Loop
Tucson, Arizona
85735-9062 USA
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Hours

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  • Unavailable
    Parking
  • Check
    Pets Allowed
  • Check
    Restrooms
  • Unavailable
    Wifi
  • Check
    Wheelchair Accessible
  • Unknown
    Credit Cards Accepted
Affiliation
Other public land (TVA, DOD, county parks with campgrounds)
Back In RV Sites Count
15
Last Nightly Rate
20.0
Longest Vehicle Length Reported
40.0
Lowest Nightly Rate
10.0
Max Stay
7
Sites Count
130
Standard Tent Sites Count
15
  • Unavailable
    Paved Sites
  • Unavailable
    Fifty Amp
  • Unavailable
    Full Hookup
  • Check
    Rec Facilities
  • Check
    Pull Through
  • Check
    Tent Sites
  • Check
    Dump Station
  • Check
    Big Rigs
  • Unavailable
    Open Seasonally
  • Unavailable
    Age Restricted
  • Check
    Back In RV Sites
  • Unavailable
    Boondock
  • Unavailable
    Cabin Sites
  • Unavailable
    Dispersed Sites
  • Unavailable
    Firewood
  • Unavailable
    Fulltime Residents
  • Unavailable
    Group Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Laundry
  • Unavailable
    Mobile Homes
  • Unavailable
    Permit Required
  • Check
    Potable Water
  • Unavailable
    Propane
  • Check
    Public Water
  • Check
    Pull Through RV Sites
  • Check
    Reservations
  • Unavailable
    Sewer Hookup
  • Unavailable
    Showers
  • Check
    Sites
  • Check
    Standard Tent Sites
  • Unavailable
    Vehicle Wash Permitted
  • Unavailable
    Water Hookup
  • Unavailable
    Adult Only
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