Looking for a new adventure for camping in Arizona? Ever heard of Hipcamp? We hadn’t before now, but this option for RV stays has us thinking the camping version of an Air BnB is a great thing. Read on!
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What is a Hipcamp?
You may be familiar with Air BnB? Well, think of Hipcamp as the tent camping, RV parking, glamping version of the same. Basically, landowners rent out their properties for nature lovers and outdoor adventure seekers to set up camp and chill.
Hipcamp started just over 10 years ago. It has grown into a worthy resource for booking unique stays – for tenters, RVers, and those looking for unique glamping – aka glamorous camping – stays.
We heard about it through friends and decided to do a little more research before booking.
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How do you find a Hipcamp in Arizona – or anywhere?
First off, go the Hipcamp website and put in the state or city you want to camp in. You can add the dates for your stay, but this is optional. Click search.
Now you have the option of scrolling down through the listed properties available – or you can use the map to fine-tune your search. Once you find something you’d like to check out further, click on the property description or green pin on the map and all the details will come up.
How much does it cost to stay at a Hipcamp?
Like Air BnBs – Hipcamp stays vary widely depending on location, demand, number of nights stayed, and services provided. Some Hipcamps offer full hookups with 50 Amp power while others don’t have anything more than a plot of land to park your RV. I’ve spotted – in a quick glance – prices varying as much as $50 in central Arizona.
Choosing our first Hipcamp adventure
We wanted to explore areas near Catalina State Park, north of Tucson, Arizona. The park is notoriously popular and finding a campsite there for multiple days is difficult to say the least. So we decided to search for something on Hipcamp.
Gear guru got online and found Catalina Vista (aka Mountain Vista) for $35 per night. It was located just north of the park, had great reviews, and offered full hookups – water, electricity, sewer, and WIFI.
When we booked for 3 nights (everything needs to be booked online in advance of arrival), the overnight price dropped slightly but there were service charges and an accommodation tax. Still, we were satisfied with the final price and set out to discover what a Hipcamp adventure was all about.
Catalina Vista Hipcamp
Our host sent detailed directions to the property which were easy to follow. We knew that smaller rigs could turn around in the 44×50 foot (13.4×15.2 m) site above two ravines, but that longer units should back in. Driving up to the site, Gear Guru assessed the flat RV pad and felt confident that he could turn our travel trailer around with a bit of maneuvering – and he did.
Setting up, we plugged in, hooked up the water, noted the large plastic garbage can anchored nearby and set up before surveying the domain.
It seemed a little strange to be a trailer in a residential area at first – even though the properties were well-spaced out. The views over the Oro Valley and Tortolita Mountains were superb, but the Catalina Mountain backdrop overshadowed everything.
Spectacular.
We set out for a short walk to investigate the neighbourhood and ended up on the biking, hiking, horseback riding trails less than a mile (1.6 km) away. Three miles (4.8 km) later, as the sun was setting, we wandered back into camp, smiling at our good fortune.
This location was perfect.
Bonus? The promised WIFI was the best we have found in any campsite to date. Fast and reliable – a boon for someone who writes a blog about active adventures, historical finds, and travel on the road 😉
What outdoor adventures can be found near this Hipcamp site?
We were attracted to this Hipcamp because of its proximity to Catalina State Park, but also – and perhaps more importantly – access to the 50-Mile trail and surrounding mountain biking system.
Biking from camp
Hopping on our mountain bikes, we set out on a ride along 50-Mile trail. We ended up piecing together an 8.7-mile (14 km) loop that began along the mountain biking trails. Our route swooped down into the Canada del Oro Wash, rolled over to Catalina Regional Park – never even knew this park existed before this ride – and climbed back up Swan Road to our sweet little home away home.
A quadding neighbour stopped by to chat a few minutes later as we settled into camp chairs, cold drink in hand. Forty-five minutes later, we said goodbye to Dennis and his canine cohort, Bo. We learned a lot about the area and what it looked like 40 years ago when he moved into these foothills, what life as a copper mine worker is like, and so much more!
Friendly people, stellar views, excellent services – I think I might be a Hipcamp convert.
Hiking adventure along Baby Jesus Trail to petroglyphs
While we could – and probably should have – walked from camp, we drove a short distance the following day along the Golder Ranch Road before parking near the old corrals. Packs on, hiking poles in hand, we set out along the high clearance road to the Baby Jesus Trailhead.
Side note: This hike is partially on Arizona State Trust Land. A permit is required. You can get an AZ State Trust Recreation Permit for $15 for individual or $20 for family online. It’s good for one year.
Popular around Christmas, the Baby Jesus Trail name comes from a rock formation that looks like a mother cradling her child. We used AllTrails to follow the Baby Jesus Trail for a short way before taking off on a somewhat sandy quad road leading over to Sutherland Wash and the rock art.
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Sutherland Wash petroglyphs
Sutherland Wash is one of the largest rock imagery sites in the Tucson basin – and it’s right near our Hipcamp site. How lucky are we?
Located on the lower western shoulder of the Catalina Mountains near the state park, this archaeological district contains thousands of Hohokam petroglyphs in hundreds of different panels. The rock art images include flowers, bighorn sheep, solar markers, unique figures, and dozens of abstract shapes.
It is believed this site is part of the Flower World cosmology. It’s not strictly a religion, but rather a living experience “activated, invoked, and materialized through ritual practices, expressed in verbal and visual metaphors, and embedded in the production and use of material objects.” (Source: The Flower World: Religion, Aesthetics, and Ideology in Mesoamerica and the American Southwest)
While we need to do more research to begin to understand the full meaning of this site, we stood in awe as panel after superlative panel presented themselves to us. We also discovered bedrock mortars, metates, and a series of small, precisely ground holes in a pattern – like you might find on a Chinese checkers gameboard.
We headed back to our truck via the same trail, having hiked 7.5 miles (12 km) in actual distance but having travelled back to another time and place in our minds.
More activities within an hour’s drive of Catalina Vista Hipcamp
- If you love history, check out Steam Pump Ranch on Oracle Road.
- There is great mountain biking (or hiking and more petroglyphs) at Honeybee Canyon – find it on AllTrails.
- Tortolita Preserve offers a sweet 10-mile (16 km) mountain bike or hike loop a short drive west off Tangerine Road.
- Head north to Aravaipa Canyon for a wet and wild hiking adventure (advanced permit required).
When You Go
Note that all sites need to be booked ahead online before arrival.
Catalina Vista Hipcamp is in a quiet residential neighbourhood with excellent mountain views. The camping area is large and flat with all the services self-contained units require. Water pressure is good. We did need to use our adapter for 50 to 30 Amps.
The site was quite good for wildlife and birdwatching as well! We had Gambel’s quail strolling through our site, curve-billed thrashers calling from the paloverde tree tops, mourning doves, hummingbirds, house finches, black-tailed gnatcatchers, cactus wrens, and more! A pair of coyotes sauntered up the neighbour’s drive one evening and apparently javelina sightings are commonplace.
Basha’s grocery store is just over 2 miles (3.5 km) away at the Oracle Road junction. Walmart Superstore is 7.5 miles (12 km) south across from the entrance to Catalina State Park.
The only minor downside we found in this location is the Pima County Pistol Range. It is in earshot. On weekends, shooting practice starts at 8 a.m. and wraps up around dusk. If you’re out and about most of the day, not a big issue, just note that the sound carries all the way to the campsite.
Camping in Arizona – try the National Parks, State Parks, Regional Parks or try something new – like a Hipcamp adventure!
Check it out – and be sure to let us know about your experiences by leaving a comment below.
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