Best Picnic Ground Tucson Near Me

4worldlovers: Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.


The park video that is shown at the Rincon Mountain Visitor Center theater. The video is co-produced by the National Park Service and Western National Parks Association.


Visitor Center hours and information regarding what to expect in the desert according to the time of year.


Helpful information to help plan your visit before visiting the park.

4worldlovers:
Cactus Ramada 1 is a reservable group picnic site within the extremely popular Sabino Canyon Recreation Area at the edge of Tucson, Arizona. The facility is accessible and can accommodate up to 45 people. Groups can picnic, hike and ride horseback in this desert oasis of Coronado National Forest.

This site is for day use only; no overnight camping; day use hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Reservations for this group picnic site can be made at Recreation.gov.

Accessible,Fee charged for some activities,Picnic tables,Toilets,Drinking water

Pets are not allowed in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. Charcoal is notprovided; please bring your own.

The recreation area is located along Sabino Creek at an elevation of 2,800 feet in the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains. For many who come to visit the Southwest, this area provides their first close encounter with the Sonoran Desert and the fascinating variety of plants and animals that make it their home.

Winter temperatures are pleasant, and springtime brings the desert to life with numerous flowering cacti and desert wildflowers.

Hikers are drawn to Sabino Canyon for its beauty, scenery and challenge. Three popular trails begin at the recreation area and offer access to the dramatic landscape of the Santa Catalina Front Range, famous for its deep canyons and soaring ridges. A sunset hike reveals the lights of Tucson framed by the black silhouette of surrounding mountains.

The self-guided Desert Nature Trail at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center provides an excellent way to get to know the plants that have adapted to living in this demanding environment.

Several area trails can also be used for mountain biking and horseback riding.

The group site can accommodate up to 45 people. Amenities include a vault restroom, picnic shelter, four accessible picnic tables, one serving table, two bear-proof trash cans, two grills and a campfire circle.

Access to Cactus Ramada 1 is through the use of the shuttle buses or by foot travel 1/3-mile to the Cactus Picnic Area from the parking area.

There are also many individual first-come, first-served picnic sites scattered throughout area. A visitor center and bookstore are nearby.

Parking is in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and Visitor Center parking lot; visitors using Cactus Ramada 1 may use a shuttle bus (additional fee) or walk a short distance to the site.

4worldlovers: Cactus Ramada 2 is a reservable group picnic site within the extremely popular Sabino Canyon Recreation Area at the edge of Tucson, Arizona. The facility is accessible and can accommodate up to 25 people. Groups can picnic, hike and ride horseback in this desert oasis of Coronado National Forest.

The group site can accommodate up to 25 people. Amenities include a vault restroom, picnic shelter, three accessible picnic tables, one serving table, one bear-proof trash can and one large grill. Access to Cactus Ramada 1 is through the use of the Sabino Canyon shuttle service or by foot travel 1/3-mile to the Cactus Picnic Area from the parking area. There are also many individual first-come, first-served picnic sites scattered throughout area. A visitor center and bookstore are nearby.

Parking is in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and Visitor Center parking lot; visitors using Cactus Ramada 2 must use a shuttle bus (additional fee) or walk a short distance to the site.

This site is for day use only; no overnight camping; day use hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

All funds will be forfeited if contact is not made with the Santa Catalina Ranger District prior to 12 hours before the reservation period; call 520-749-8700

Only one vehicle is allowed inside the group site to carry supplies in and out

This is mountain lion and bear habitat; be aware of your surroundings, secure all food and make sure all trash is properly disposed in provided trash cans

Pets are not allowed in portion of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

Bicycles are not permitted in Sabino Canyon on Saturdays and Wednesdays; all other days, they are permitted before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.

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.

The recreation area is located along Sabino Creek at an elevation of 2,800 feet at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains. For many who come to visit the Southwest, this area provides their first close encounter with the Sonoran Desert and the fascinating variety of plants and animals that make it their home.

Winter temperatures are pleasant, and springtime brings the desert to life with numerous flowering cacti and desert wildflowers.

The recreation area or visitor center can be used as a home base for exploring scenic and natural areas of Sabino Canyon. The city of Tucson is just a short drive away and has many attractions and amenities. Other notable places nearby include Saguaro National Park and Colossal Cave.

Hikers are drawn to Sabino Canyon for its beauty, scenery and challenge. Three popular trails begin at the recreation area and offer access to the dramatic landscape of the Santa Catalina Front Range, famous for its deep canyons and soaring ridges. A sunset hike reveals the lights of Tucson framed by the black silhouette of surrounding mountains.

The self-guided Desert Nature Trail at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center provides an excellent way to get to know the plants that have adapted to living in this demanding environment.

Several area trails can also be used for mountain biking and horseback riding.

From I-10, take exit 250 for Orange Grove Road. Go east on Orange Grove Road and proceed about 6.5 miles. Turn right on Skyline Drive. After about 1 mile, continue right onto Sunrise Drive. Follow for 6.3 miles and turn onto Sabino Canyon Road. Continue to the entrance just north of Sunrise Drive.

4worldlovers: There are seven picnic areas in Saguaro National Park. Six of these are accessible by vehicle. Each of the vehicle accessible picnic area has at least one table with an overhang and a wheelchair accessible waterless toilet. The one picnic area that you have to hike into has a waterless toilet.

There are two picnic areas in Saguaro East. Both are accessible by vehicle.

The Mica View picnic area has a great view of the Santa Catalina mountains to the north and the Rincon Mountains to the east.

The Javelina picnic area is nestled in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains. It is also the trailhead for the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail. A great trail for a day hike due to the great views of Tucson and the surrounding mountains. However it is narrow, rocky and steep. See Trail Favorites for a description of this trail. The Javelina Picnic Area is one of my favorites. It has a large parking area and about eight covered stone picnic tables.

There are five picnic areas in Saguaro West. Four picnic area in Saguaro West are accessible by vehicle. One picnic area is accessible by hiking only. The Sus, Signal Hill and Ez-Kim-In-Zim Picnic Areas are accessible off of the Bajada Loop Drive. This is a graded dirt road that is suitable for low clearance vehicles. Check at Saguaro West Visitors center for more detailed conditions.

The Sus picnic area is accessible by vehicles off the Hohokam Road (graded dirt road). CCC workers in the 1930's built much of this picnic area.

The Signal Hill picnic area in Saguaro West is my favorite picnic area. It has a great view of the mountain to the West and more importantly lots of Rock Art. The picnic area was built by the CCC in the 1930s and has many fun picnic tables. Take the 1/4 mile Signal Hill trail to the North to see many 900+ year old petroglyphs.

The Ez-Kim-In-Zin picnic area is the most remote in the park. It has a great view of the mountains to the South including Wasson and Amole peak. It is near the Esperanza Trail and is a good place to use the rest rooms before a hike into the mountains.

The Cam-Boh picnic area is the only picnic area in Saguaro National Park West that is on a paved road. It is located on Picture Rocks road with views of Panther Peak and Safford Peak to the North.

4worldlovers: RPC, owner of the Sabino Canyon Crawler shuttle service, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit entity managed through Pima Association of Governments (PAG), the region’s metropolitan planning organization for transportation, air quality and water quality planning. The RPC advances policies, practices and solutions to regional planning, environmental and energy challenges in Pima County through research and educational outreach with the goal of developing programs for their solution or management. The RPC is the managing partner of the Sabino Canyon shuttle system and has employees to manage and oversee shuttle system operations. PAG also manages the Regional Transportation Authority, which implements the 20-year RTA plan approved by voters in 2006. The RTA funds roadway, transit, safety, environmental and economic vitality projects. More than 850 RTA projects have been completed, through October 2019.


TEP is an electric utility for the Tucson metropolitan area that delivers safe, reliable power to more than 426,000 customers, including the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. TEP provided capital investment for the electric shuttles and electric utility work related to the infrastructure improvements to operate and maintain the electric vehicle system.

TEP’s financial commitment to the Sabino Canyon Crawler is predicated on the community’s desire to provide clean, sustainable shuttle service to benefit the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area’s more than 1 million visitors and its environment. TEP’s investment also will assist RPC in demonstrating the sustainability and adoption of electric vehicles for future regional and transportation planning efforts.

National Transit Express, a worldwide leader in fixed-route and paratransit solutions, operates the Sabino Canyon shuttle services under contract with the RPC and has the experience and expertise to lead safe, reliable and efficient transportation programs. National Transit Express is part of the Shuttle (WeDriveU) and Transit division of National Express LLC, a subsidiary of Mobico Group, one of the world’s leading mobility firms serving nearly a billion bus, coach and rail passengers on four continents. Safety is always Job 1.

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