Picacho Peak State Park

Sites at Picacho Peak are well-spaced and surrounded by desert foliage, with good views and relative privacy. The slight elevation of the campground against the base of the mountain gives excellent views of the peaks as well as the surrounding valleys. Our site was perfectly level and generously sized, and the bathhouse and dump station were modern, clean, and functional. Sites are electric only but there was water available at the dump station. Park staff and hosts were friendly and welcoming. We particularly enjoyed being able to hike directly from the campground.

The only dings on this park are the relatively small number of trails and the location. There are a handful of trails within the park, but they are limited in length, especially for people who don't want to tackle the very steep steel-cable-assisted summit route. I-10 and the adjacent train line are visible from the campground, especially at night, although the noise was negligible. Yet while there are signs of industry all around, there is little in the way of services in the immediate vicinity of the campground so bring all your supplies with you. It did serve as a good base to explore the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, and the location right off I-10 made for a perfect short stop on the way between Tucson and Phoenix.

The location right off I-10 makes for uninterrupted internet service and we had quite a few over the air TV channels as well.

Date of stay: Dec. 24 - Jan. 2, 2018/19

For a southern Arizona state park in the winter and over the holidays, this one doesn't seem to get the push that others do, probably because it's not as close to shopping and amenities as some other parks. The entrance gate is a tight squeeze with a big rig, and the campground roads are narrow, but no real problem getting in and situated.

Picacho only offers electric hookups, and the campground water supply was experiencing a high level of nitrates during our visit. Check ahead and plan accordingly since it will take them awhile to remedy that. It does not affect the showers, which were clean with lots of hot water. As with all the other AZ state parks, the bathroom buildings are not heated -- brrr!

We were in the A loop, but all the loops have sites that offer nice views over the valley (albeit with Hwy 10 in view far below, but not audible) or the surrounding peaks.

There are several hiking trails in the park, including the very challenging Picacho Peak summit. Many of the trails and paths do not require major hiking skills and can be enjoyed by everyone.

There is fabulous OATV and great phone reception. The park offers Airebeam Internet, which is a paid service.

This was one of several stays at this park. We keep coming back! In love with the sunset views and well maintained park atmosphere. If you need groceries, there’s a small Dollar General store about 5 miles down the road in red rock. Don’t forget to take a hike and check out Rooster Cogburns Ostrich Farm. Pull through and back in sites. No water or sewage connections at the sites. Only electrical and WiFi. Dump station. Well maintained facilities.

Nested at the base of a magnificent peak and within a nice huge saguaro cactus “forest”. Pricey for electric only, but the park is immaculate, with paved roads and large paved sites that offer space for both a trailer and car side by side or in tandem. Site was perfect level and all sites were spread out to give everyone great views. In addition to the picnic table, fire ring and nicely pea-graveled area, every third or fourth site included a shade ramada. Several nice hiking areas within the park provide expansive vista views. Road through park suitable for bike riding. Pay-as-you–go ($3.99/day) “Airebeam” wifi was lightning fast. Rangers and staff were all friendly and accommodating. Rangers patrolled regularly. Camp host kept the modern bathhouses clean – all had flush toilets and nice big showers. Only drawback of this park was the steady drone of I-10 about 2 miles in the distance. Not annoying but noticeable drone in the background. Camp fees ($30/day) included the daily use fee.

I just wanted to say we just got back from Picacho Peak State Park and had to leave this very positive note. We had a WONDERFUL time. They do take big rigs as ours is 40' and we saw others bigger with tow vehicles as well. The staff was excellent, professional and friendly. They were very helpful too. I stopped at the ranger station on the way out of the park for a bike ride to pick up a pass so I could get back into the park without paying the bike entry extra fee. The ranger said "you really don't need one (he remembered me by name) we remember that you are in site A-1." To be recognized and treated in such a way, made me feel valued. The park - guest center, shower house, campsites as well as the park in general are a real jewel for AZ and all who get a chance to visit. I can't remember a state park that had shower facilities that were this nice. We are so lucky to have a state park such as this. We will be visiting again in Dec. and have already made our reservations.

Though it is close to Interstate 10, it is really very quiet. Yes there is a little noise from cars and trains, but it did not disturb us in any way. Many sites are flat though some are not as much. They do have pull thru sites but most are back in. All sites have 20/30/50 electric and there is a dump station on the way out. The C loop is not always open (I think it depends on the season).