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Saguaro National Park Wilderness Permits

Vail, Arizona · National Park Service

Saguaro National Park Wilderness Permits — official Recreation.gov photo

Photo: Recreation.gov

About

Wilderness campgrounds are the ONLY campgrounds in Saguaro National Park. For fit hikers interested in backpacking a minimum of 4.4 miles (7 km) into the rugged Rincon Mountains, six wilderness campgrounds are available. The Rincon Mountains in Saguaro National Park rise out of the Sonoran Desert to over 8000 feet (2438 m) in elevation and host vegetative communities ranging from desert cacti, desert grasslands, and oak woodlands, to mixed conifer forests. In 1976, congress designated 57,930 acres (23,443 ha) within these Mountains as the Saguaro Wilderness managed as "an area where the each and its community of life are untrammeled by humans, where people themselves are visitors who do not remain." None of these wilderness campgrounds is accessible by vehicle (including RVs) . For car or RV camping, the only options in the immediate area are private or commercial campgrounds. Further away, there are campgrounds in the Coronado National Forest, some of which may be available to book on Recreation.gov. This is not car or RV camping! It is not possible to drive to the campgrounds.The 6 campgrounds are primitive and offer few, if any, amenities. Campgrounds require a minimum hike of 4.4 miles (7 km) to the closest (lowest elevation) campground, while Manning Camp is a minimum hike of 10 miles (22.5 km) depending on your starting trailhead. Water: While all campgrounds are near intermittent streams or springs, during dry seasons, water may not always be available. Start your trip with at least one gallon (4 L) of water per person per day. Treat all water for human consumption. Campfires . While some campgrounds have fire rings and grills, fires are prohibited at others. Gas stoves are encouraged at all campgrounds. Toilets. Toilets at campgrounds are rarely visited by park staff. Campers are strongly encouraged to carry and use personal hand sanitizer. Primitive Campground Amenities: Douglas Spring (4,800 feet/1463 m): 3 campsites, No Campfires! There are plenty of mesquites and junipers in the area that provide some shade in the hotter months. Water is seasonal. The campground has a vault toilet. Grass Shack (5,200 feet/1585m): 2 campsites under the shade of large oaks and other trees. No Campfires! Chimenea Creek provides water most of the year. The campground has a vault toilet. Juniper Basin (6,000 feet/1829 m): 3 campsites. Water is seasonal (often dry during the spring and fall). The campground has a vault toilet. Fires are allowed here using only dead a

Directions

This is not car or RV camping! There are no campgrounds accessible by vehicle (including RVs) within Saguaro National Park. For fit hikers interested in backpacking a minimum of 4.4 miles into the rugged Rincon Mountains, 6 wilderness campgrounds are available. The six campgrounds within the Saguaro Wilderness are accessed only by hiking a minimum of 4.4 miles (7 km). Trailhead Driving Directions Five trailheads lead into the Saguaro Wilderness. To help you plan your trip, we have separated these trailheads by the level of difficulty it takes to reach a particular trailhead. Access to the Saguaro Wilderness is available from the south boundary of the park, at Camino Loma Alta Trailhead. There is NO public access to Madrona, which is permanently closed and is not staffed at any time. Access to the Saguaro Wilderness via the Miller Creek, Turkey Creek and Italian Spring Trailheads is through US Forest Service (USFS) lands (driving directions below). For more details, visit the Coronado National Forest Hiking web page. Trailhead Elevation Douglas Spring 2,750 feet (838 m) Tanque Verde Ridge 3,100 feet (945 m) Miller Creek 4,200 feet (1280 m) Turkey Creek 4,250 feet (2343 m) Italian Spring 4,800 feet (1463 m) Easy Access The Tanque Verde Ridge Trailhead is located of the park’s scenic loop drive, within the Javelina Picnic Area. Vehicle access to the Tanque Verde Ridge Trailhead is available from 7:00 a.m. to sunset daily. The scenic loop drive is closed and locked nightly from 8

Location

Map tiles © OpenStreetMap.

Details

State
Arizona
City / area
Vail
Agency
National Park Service
Parent area
Saguaro National Park
Campsites
21
Reservable
Yes
Typical price
$8 / night
Rating
4.65 / 5 (235 reviews on Recreation.gov)
Equipment
See Recreation.gov

Reserve on Recreation.gov

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