Campground

Facilities

All five group areas have picnic shelters that can accommodate between 40 to 90 people each and come equipped with drinking water, electricity (small appliances only), trash collection and vault toilets.

Natural Features

Whitetail Campground sits high on the slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains at an elevation of 8,000 feet. Because of its elevation, it can be much cooler than the lower-elevation campgrounds in the area. The campsites are spacious and spread out among stands of big ponderosa pines

The Coronado National Forest covers 1.78 million acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 3,000 to 10,720 feet in 12 widely scattered mountain ranges, or "sky islands," that rise dramatically from the desert floor, supporting biologically diverse plant communities.

Recreation

Hiking and sightseeing are popular activities. The surrounding national forest boasts a variety of trails, including some on the 9,157-foot Mt. Lemmon, for those who wish to venture away from the campground for the day.

The University of Arizona runs an observatory just up the road, and visitors can also drive a few minutes to the small town of Summerhaven, which offers amenities and attractions on Mt. Lemmon's summit.

Anglers can try for stocked trout at nearby Rose Canyon Lake.

Activities

  • Hiking
  • Camping

Amenities

  • Picnic Table
  • Grills/Fire Ring
  • Electricity Hookup
  • Accessibility

Nearby Attractions

Catalina Highway, also known as General Hitchcock Highway and Sky Island Scenic Byway, is the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Range, offering a scenic day trip.

Other notable attractions include Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon and Colossal Cave.

Getting Here

Latitude
32° 24' 42.9998" N
Longitude
110° 43' 54.9998" W
From Tucson, Arizona, go north on Catalina Highway approximately 30 miles from Tucson until you reach Milepost 20. Turn Left on Whitetail Road.

Need to Know

  • RV hookups are not available
  • A Catalina Mountain Fee Demo Pass is required for many other points of interest in the forest in this area
  • Fires must be in provided campfire circles only
  • This is a high elevation facility; use caution when traveling from lower elevations
  • Bears and other animals live in the area; all food must be secured and trash disposed in the trash cans provided
  • Credit cards are not accepted. Only cash and Arizona checks are accepted

  • Fire Restrictions: Fire restrictions may be imposed at any time due to hot, dry weather conditions, at which time campfires and charcoal fires may not be allowed. 

  • Reserved Sites will be held until check out time (NOON) the day following your arrival date. Sites must be occupied by the checkout time of that following day to hold a reservation or the site will be forfeited and released to other guests. Once your reservation start date has begun, neither the Recreation.gov Contact Center nor the campground manager will be able to modify your reservation.

  • Refunds: Refund requests made through www.recreation.gov will be charged a $10 processing fee. This fee is retained by the reservation service contractor along with the non-refundable reservation fee. All requests for the return of the non-refundable reservation fee and the cancellation fee will be declined by the campground concessionaire as they did not receive these fees (these are the fees retained by the reservation contractor, a different entity).

  • Don't Move Firewood: Prevent the spread of tree-killing pests by obtaining firewood near your destination and burning it on-site. For more information visit dontmovefirewood.org.

  • Click here to learn more about Coronado National Forest

  • Maximum trailer length is 26 feet.

    • Contact Information

    11200 N. WHITETAIL ROAD
    MT. LEMMON, AZ 85619

    For campground inquiries, please call: 520-576-9198

    Additional Information