Picacho Peak State Park

I wasn't sure what to expect from this park. The surrounding area is pretty desolate so I wasn't expecting much. And I feared that its proximity to the I-10 might make it noisy. But, I was pleasantly surprised by how quiet the park was. The only real downside was a water shortage at the time, so electric was the only hookup available. Of course, they still charge the same price as if they had water which was mildly disappointing. The sites were in good shape, paved but the pavement was pretty old. Picnic tables and firepits were close to every site. Some sites had a covered area for the picnic table. The dump station was close by and convenient to use.

There are two travel plazas close by for gas and basic supplies. DQ for fast food/ice cream.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at Picacho Peak State Park. I had a great spot with lots of beautiful scenery around. Lot of Saguaro Cactus around. Several trails to hike. I hiked a couple of them and they offered amazing views for sure. You can hear noise from the interstate pretty much all the time and you have to pay to use the internet and the speeds are not the best. Other than that it was spectacular. Would certainly camp here again.

We have a 40 ft fifth wheel with a Ford F-350. Requested a pull through site, the site was a little tricky to get the truck situated so we could easily hook back up, but it was definately with the extra couple of minutes! Views in daytime are beautiful and the stars are the most we have seen in a long time. Although we were only there 1 night, we managed to get in 3 hikes!

Back in sites are double the width of a typical site and would have been super easy to get into!

There was a water shortage while we were there, so no filling up the fresh water tank, but we had enough to get us through night....rest room facilities were very clean.

Although camp sites were near I-10, we didn’t notice any traffic noise....maybe because we were behind the black rock.

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.