You may never have heard of Desert Trails RV Park before now, but I’m going to fill you in. This is Part II of a two-part post reviewing two separate RV Parks – Desert Trails in the west and Cactus Country in the east. Which side of the Tucson, AZ is better as adventure base and why? Read on!
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Desert Trails RV Park
What’s in a name? Pull desert trails out of the RV Park and you have the reason this location keeps attracting repeat customers. Desert Trails RV park backs onto miles of easy mountain biking, walking and hiking trails. It also connects to more difficult terrain. Options are endless right out the back door!
Yes, there’s a lot to consider when choosing the best place to park your RV, but as I mentioned in Part I of this two-part post, location wins for us every time. Outdoor adventures without having to drive anywhere is a definite boon.
So, does this mean that west of Tucson – and Desert Trails – is the best place to set up your adventure base? Possibly… keep reading.
West Tucson: Desert Trails RV Park
Desert Trails RV Park is a unique RV park community on the border of Tucson Mountain Regional Park on the west side of the city. It started its life as a water park.
Backstory
Justin’s Water World was a Tucson favourite. The water park had slides such as the Cannonball, Blue Twisters as well as swimming and wading pools. It became Wyatt’s Water World when Pericles and Kyoko Wyatt took over the business. In 2007, due to health reasons, they tried to sell it. There were no takers. They turned it into an RV Park. Sadly, Kyoko passed in 2011.
Pericles was a hands-on owner. He kept improving the park – bringing in food trucks and live music and promoting volunteer and humanitarian projects. When we visited the first time in 2019, his wit and ability to create community spirit – especially during the Monday morning meetings for park guests – were legendary. Times change. Pericles sold the park and new owners took over in 2020.
New and Improved?
The new reception staff were pleasant and helpful on our arrival. It helped that we knew our way around having stayed here several years ago. As with most RV Parks these days, we were asked about the age of our trailer (10 years old seems to be a cut-off). Desert Trails seems to hold to this as most units were relatively new in vintage. Prices to stay have increased, but they were on the low end of the RV Park price scale.
Set up was fast – our 30-amp service, water hookup and sewer all working well. The Wifi – oh my! – is a bit of bugbear. It works only at specific locations in the park, such as the Rec Hall. Truth be told, it’s not great anywhere else. Cell phone coverage can also be hit or miss, but we picked up a Verizon plan and it worked well.
The water slides have been removed and there’s little evidence of the park’s watery past – except for occasional water leaks and temporary water service interruption during our stay in early 2022.
No planes, trains or freeways close by – this is true – but don’t expect total peace and quiet. Located close to the Trap and Skeet range, there is almost daily distant sounds of shotguns going off (with weekends being noticeably busier).
The Park Today
Regular events are still scheduled – such as live music and food trucks on a calendar given out on arrival. A recycling bin is still available for select items. The Friends of Desert Trails Facebook page has become the hub keeping community spirit alive and well (thanks to the efforts of administrators Barb and Gail).
Well-established vegetation continues to provide excellent nesting space for a wide variety of bird-life – including the resident great horned owls. Expect to see nesting Gila woodpeckers, sparrows, doves, hummingbirds, occasional small raptors and a host of other birds.
And those Desert trails – ahhhh! – they are still there and ready for adventure. Pick up a map from the office and get lost… er… get out there. One of my faves is the easy 6.7-mile (10.8 km) Ironwood Loop trail (add a little more for the trail to and from the RV park). Whether you are walking or biking, the trails join into the Tucson Mountain Park system to provide endless enjoyment.
Hiking in Tucson Mountains Regional Park
Hiking in Tucson Mountains Regional Park is simply spectacular. You can start slightly easier hike up Brown’s Ridge near Gilbert Ray Campground on the west side of the trail system.
Bump it up a notch and loop around Little Cat Mountain from the Sarasota parking area (turn east off Kinney on the Tucson Estates Road and follow it to the parking area at the end). You might even strike off route and climb over Bobcat Ridge to extend the Little Cat hiking adventure.
Perhaps you’ll stretch your limbs a little more and take in the 360-degree views off Wasson Peak, dipping down along the edge of Saguaro National Park (West) on your way back to the parking lot.
Or, how about a summit of Golden Gates Mountain (although this is more of a scramble than most of the other established trails and requires a little route-finding with the AllTrails app as it’s not on the map).
Maybe you’ll park at the Starr Pass trailhead from the east side of the Tucson Mountain Park system and wander down Rock Wren and along Yetman in search of a painted cave.
Whichever you trail you choose the beautiful Sonoran Desert will warm your heart – and maybe take a piece of your flesh. While it is stunning, it is also full of sharp spiney things that love to stick into your skin. Watch out for the cactus!
Want more park adventures? Check out Catalina State Park!
Mountain Biking on the West Side of Tucson
If you’d like to venture beyond the west side Tucson Mountain Park trails right out of the back door of Desert Trails RV Park, skip across south of the Ajo Hwy to the Sunset Pass trails off of West Irvington Road. There’s a good mix of easy to technical routes in this area. Biking on the Starr Pass trails is also excellent.
A bit longer of a drive – but worth the effort – are the Sweetwater trails. We usually park at the end of North Tortolita Road. Warm up with Desperado and then head out Nighthawk and Redtail Ridge before looping back on Homestead, Lost Arrow and Saguaro Vista. These are… well… sweet!
Other Nearby Adventures
So much to do on this side of the city! It’s only a 9.9-mile (16 km) drive to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; under 11 miles (18 km) to Saguaro National Park – West; less than 13 miles (21 km) to the San Xavier del Bac Mission; and an easy hour drive west up to the Mt. Kitt Obervatory for a little star-gazing magic.
Check out the Mount Wrightson hike is you want a challenging adventure!
RV Parks in Tucson, Arizona: West or East is Best?
Drum roll, please!
It depends…
No, seriously! It truly depends on what you want and need. If you are looking strictly for mountain biking, hiking, an active outdoor community, don’t mind driving a little further for groceries and can do without good Wifi service, then Desert Trails RV Park is the winner.
If you love biking paved paths, don’t want to have to drive too far (or at all) to pick up groceries, and want to explore east of the city when not connecting to friends, family or work with reliable internet, then obviously Cactus Country RV Resort is your top choice.
In all honesty, both RV parks have their pros and cons. Next time we go, we’ll split up our stay at both adventure bases.
Double the fun under the Tucson sun!
Finding the Best Location for Your Tucson RV Adventure
Where to you want to go and what do you want to see? Use the checklist of things to consider when choosing an RV park to help you make up your mind!
Checklist of Things to Consider When Choosing an RV Park
- Location, location, location! (think about what you want to see and do and roughly map out how much time you’ll need to spend driving to get there and back and you might also want to look at distance from airports, freeways, shooting ranges, train tracks…)
- Price (check daily vs. weekly vs. monthly – it might pay to stay a little longer)
- Check user reviews (see what people staying there have to say)
- Does it have the services and amenities you need?
These might include:
- 50-amp and full hookups vs. 30-amp dry camp
- Pull-through vs. back-in sites
- Wifi (ask how well it really works before booking if you need it for work)
- cable TV
- pet-friendly park
- if travelling with kiddos – or big kids at heart – playground
- laundry facilities
- ability to receive mail and Amazon deliveries – important for long-term stays
- recycling program
- community building
- heated pool
- live music/entertainment events
- food truck vendors
What do you look for when choosing an RV park? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Is there cabins on site for those who don’t have an RV.
Pet friendly? Are dogs allowed
What about handicap facilities? For those with walkers, canes or wheelchairs.
On site or nearby restaurant? Or grills for cooking out
What onsite amenities?
Hi Christina! You can find most of the answers on the Desert Trails website. Yes, it is pet-friendly (complete with fenced dog runs). There are visitors we’ve seen with walkers, canes and wheelchairs but not all roads are paved and not all buildings are accessible. No onsite restaurant but food trucks come in on a regular basis. As for onsite amenities, they range from heated pool to gym to pool hall. Complete list here.
FYI. Prices are being raised again at Desert Trails, $100/month starting in January, even for those of us that had a signed contract. Be aware of new owners. Their word is not good. No improvements as promised. WiFi still does not work most of the time. The observation hill is still a pile of dirt with wires and broken glass and deep gullies from monsoon rains. Pool may be fixed now but has been a green cesspool this summer. This would have been our 12th season there but we are moving on as are many of the long term people. We miss the old days of Pericles!
Gail
Sorry to hear this Gail. The location is still utter perfection; hopefully the rest comes around.