Molino

5700 N Sabino Canyon Rd
Tucson, AZ 85750

Overview

Visitors are drawn to Molino Campground for its group camping area, scenic mountain surroundings and hiking and mountain biking opportunities. While most other campgrounds in the Catalina Mountains are closed in winter, Molino Campground and its picnic area are open in late fall, winter and early spring. The pleasant winter weather at this elevation makes it a great time to visit.

Molino Basin is conveniently located 5.5 miles from the base of Mt. Lemmon on the Catalina Highway, and about 10 miles northeast of Tucson.

Recreation

Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding are popular activities. The Arizona Trail, which extends from Mexico to Utah, passes through the campground, and the Molino Trail leads to the Pusch Ridge Wilderness (hiking and horseback riding only). A variety of additional trails, including some on 9,157' Mt. Lemmon, are available in the area for those who wish to venture away from the campground for the day.

Facilities

This facility has a few dozen individual campsites available on a first-come, first-served basis, along with a reservable group camping and picnic area. The group area is accessible with a paved walkway, and is equipped with a large picnic shelter covering several picnic tables, two serving tables, grills and food storage lockers for bear safety. Six cleared tent pads, as well as one accessible tent site, are adjacent to the picnic area. Most of the tent sites are open and sunny. RVs and trailers are permitted.

Visitors must bring their own drinking water; none is provided.

Natural Features

Campsites sit amid a high desert oak scrub ecosystem at an elevation of 4,500 feet on the slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Along the banks of Molino Creek, which flows during and immediately after rain or snowmelt, species such as cottonwood, Arizona live oak and mesquite provide a scenic setting. Views are dominated by rugged, rocky hills. Colorful wildflowers bloom in spring.

Nearby Attractions

Catalina Highway (also known as General Hitchcock Highway and Sky Island Scenic Byway), the only paved road that leads to the upper reaches of Mt. Lemmon and the Santa Catalina Range, is one of the most scenic highways in the Southwest and definitely worth a day trip.

Other notable attractions include Saguaro National Park, Sabino Canyon, Colossal Cave and the city of Tucson.

Camp site features

Across 1 camp site:

Picnic table: all 1 sites
Pets allowed: all 1 sites
ADA accessible: all 1 sites
Group sites: all 1 sites
Longest rig: 22 ft
Largest party: 100 people

Directions

From Tucson, Arizona, take Catalina Highway off Tanque Verde Road in Tucson. Drive 4.2 miles northeast to the Coronado National Forest boundary and continue 5.7 miles to the campground. The campground is between mileposts 5 and 6. All campsites are adjacent to paved roads.

Stay Limit

Check in from 2 PM, check out by 1 PM.

Reviews

12 reviews

5 stars

4 stars

1 stars

K S

Loop:Molino

Site:

Reviewed 4 months ago

I reserved the group site for the day and a few of my friends arrived before I did and were told that the group site had no reservation and were turned away. Very very frustrating. When I got there there was no one to check in with. Later in the day I found out even more turned away when they saw the gate was closed. Also, the site had not been cleaned or was done poorly. Bathrooms were disgusting. I would not use this site again.

Eric M

Loop:Molino

Site:

Reviewed 5 months ago

Campsite clean and beautiful !

Joshua C

Loop:Molino

Site:

Reviewed 5 months ago

Thank you for the use of the group campsite. We commemorated my step-father, who passed away earlier this year. 15 years ago he and my mother got married at this very site. The celebration was similar, a gathering of loved ones in a beautiful setting... just one less person.

Dusty R

Loop:Molino

Site:

Reviewed 8 months ago

What a perfect site for a friendsgiving for camping lovers! There was plenty of space for our crowd of 23 or so people, and I loved all of the space to cook and eat as well as the fantastic fire pit areas. The site was nice and clean, and laid out very well.

Ladd L

Loop:Molino

Site:

Reviewed a year ago

Wally keeps a clean campground!!! Bathrooms sanitary and zwally is as friendly a guy you will ever meet. The site is starting to show its age but they are doing the best they can with what they have to work with.

Jade V

Loop:Molino

Site:

Reviewed 2 years ago

NOT FOR SMALL GROUPS! If you want to camp in a regular tent spot, go in person because it's $20 CASH (there's a self pay station with envelopes) and in a different area. This reservation type is for large groups such as Scouts or a large amount of friends/family (17 vehicle spots are for those in your reservation). It was very nice, but I do wish it was a bit cleaner (e.g. the trashcans were not empty) and some trashcans were locked. The bathrooms do not have sinks and the place doesn't have running water (as a heads up, it's already stated on their website).

Availability

See the Camp Sites section below to find detailed booking availability.

Reserve Watch

Popularity: Very quiet

Busiest in August, when about 0% of guest capacity is reserved. Based on 3 years of reservations.