Day 10-15: Alamogordo, New Mexico to Catalina State Park, Arizona - 6 nights
- Miles: ~365 miles
- Left: 7:30 AM, Arrived: 2PM
- 4 Pit stops
- Weather: Sunny, upper 80s, very low humidity
Day 10: Got up at 5:30AM on travel day to shower before leaving. This KOA had great showers, warm bathrooms, hot water & plenty of space for your things so they don’t get wet. We were loaded & on road by 7:30AM. We drove through a Border Control checkpoint on I-10 West in New Mexico. Although everyone had to got through it they waved us through with no questions asked. We didn't see anyone get stopped. The checkpoint was about an hour from Juarez.
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| I-10 West Border Control |
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| I-10 West Border Control |
We had site A24 which was a pull through with amazing views of the mountains. There was lots of open sky for Steve to do his astrophotography. The sites all have electric & water but no sewer so we had to be mindful of the water usage since we were staying 6 days. This is definitely the most beautiful campground we have stayed in so far this trip. The only bummer was the shower house in our loop was under construction. They did have clean porto potties & a hand washing station. There were two other shower houses in the other loops so not too big of a deal.
The state park has lots of trails starting from the campground. After we got setup, we took the dogs for a short walk then headed to Trader Joes for a resupply. I didn’t want to drive anywhere the next day so wanted to get the TJ run out of the way.
Steve saw lots of new birds almost immediately right at the campsite. The evenings were going to be clear so he set up his telescope. He immediately found an issue with his telescope computer that would not connect to his laptop. Without a monitor & keyboard to connect to the computer he couldn’t troubleshoot it. So no astrophotography on the first night but I was happy he found the issue on the first night so he had time to get it sorted out & still have a few nights for imaging. Since there was a full moon, there would be no cool milky way shots but he can still get the deep space stuff using his filters.
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| Catalina State Park - Site A24 |
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| The Previous Occupants Left Flowers! |
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| Trails & Saguaro's! |
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| Sunset & Night Sky Imaging Setup |
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| Full Moon! |
Day 11: We were up early again. The days are hot but the nights are cool and the humidity is ~ 10-15%. The highs were in the upper 80’s & lows in the 50s. We used our portable electric heater to stay warm at night. It keeps the camper very comfortable and bonus, its quiet compared to the other heaters in the camper. Once the sun rises, it gets hot fast! We took the dogs for a long walk at sunrise on the campground connector trail to the main trailhead. There are several trails that start at the main trailhead.
Sunrise 
Bighorn Fire in 2020 
Main Trail Head Art
We got back to camp around 9AM & made breakfast. Afterwards, I busted out my bike finally. I road around the campground, stopped at the visitor center, then found the connector trail to Huckleberry Loop trail. This trail goes all around Tucson area & is over 100 miles of trails. While riding the trail, I had the thought that I could definitely move here, or at a minimum, spend my winters here. I road to the shopping center across from the State Park entrance. The area looks to be developing up fast. Catalina SP was probably at one time in a rural part of town but now surrounded by development. 
Several Trails in Catalina State Park
I was back at camp for lunch then spent the early afternoon chilling & napping. I needed a rest day after so many on the road. I also did some food prepping & dog walking while Steve spent the day getting his astro computer to work, which included multiple trips to Best Buy & Walmart. By the end of the day he had it working though & was able to setup for overnight imaging. Our site was perfect for Steve to do night sky imaging.
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| Moon Rise |
Day 12: We were up at 5AM & caught end of lunar eclipse. After coffee we hiked the Alamo Canyon trail at sunrise. It is a beautiful loop off the campground. We saw the sunrise multiple times due to the various mountain peaks. Lots of new birds for Steve. Total hike was about 5.5 miles but lost my Garmin data since I forgot to synch before plugging it in to charge. Doh! I will never learn.
In the Sun Another Sunrise We Found Water! In the Shade Again Back in the Sun
After omelettes at camp, we both biked the loop. While on the trail we both agreed that we really should spend the winters here. We took a break at the Christina Taylor Green memorial park. Reading the story of Christina was heartbreaking. She was born on 9/11/2001. In 2011, she was one of the victims in the mass shooting where Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was holding a Congress on Your Corner meeting.
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After showers, we were driving through the B loop & saw an Oliver camper. Steve stopped to talk the guy that was out front & they invited us in to tour their camper. The Casita is great but it is small without a dinette & not a 4 season, so it gets cold overnight. Their camper was very nice & has everything except a dry bath that we are in search of. They bought their Oliver during Covid & have been spending November - March in Arizona since avoiding the Northern Ohio winters.
The couple was full of other useful information as well. They told us that Catalina & all Arizona state parks book 12 months in advance. I was planning to book for next year when we go home but once back at camp, I logged into the Arizona State Park website & started looking for a site. Sure enough, most sites were booked already for 1 year out but there were still about 6 sites left. After some discussion with Steve regarding the optimum site, we booked A22 for 14 days next March. The reservations can be cancelled anytime but the full amount is due at time of booking. Now we need to plan for the rest of the trip. They also told us about Maricopa County Parks around Phoenix & gave a few suggestions. They book out 6 months in advance so I will probably book some of these when we get home. We definitely plan to spend at least 3 months on the road next winter.
We spent the rest of the day at camp. I made pasta for dinner. Both dogs are doing good. Belle stays in her bed when we are in the camper but Sammie likes to walk around & is almost always under your feet. Sammie had no problem hanging out in the dog pen & enjoys the dog stroller too. Belle just prefers to stay in the camper unless we are going on a walk. Steve got his astro setup for another night of imaging.
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| The Dog Pen |
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| Moonrise & Stars! |
We stopped at the Tucson REI on our way back to camp. We picked up a Kelty Cabana to have a bit of shade at the site for us & the pups. Once back at camp, I spent the afternoon cleaning up the camper while Steve went birding. Steve saw a rattlesnake on one of the campground trails. Right around sunset, we heard a bunch of coyotes. It sounded so cool. Steve had another good night for imaging.
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| So Many Saguaro |
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| So Many Different Cactus Varieties |
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| Another NP Checked Off |
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| M 51 - The Whirlpool Galaxy - Photo by Steve |
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| Vermilion Flycatcher - Photo by Steve |
Day 14: We both slept so soundly last night. Neither one of us woke up until 6AM. We had an easy morning at camp. I made the last of the gingerbread pancakes & scrambled eggs for breakfast. We went for a late morning bike ride on the trail than stopped at Charred for lunch in the shopping center across the street from the State Park. It was another beautiful day & we sat on the covered patio. We both got the lunch special of personal pizza & house salad. I also got the brussel sprouts. The salad was great with perfect greens, shaved mozzarella & a really yummy basil vinaigrette. The pizza had a sourdough crust & I thought it was good as well as the roasted Brussel sprouts. We had plenty of leftovers for a couple more meals.
After our ride we took showers. The showers are great here & plenty of hot water. We did a Walmart run mid afternoon & stopped for gelato in the same shopping center. We took the dogs for a long walk along the trail before sunset. Belle still only wants to stay in the camper or go for a walk. She won’t sit in the pen like Sammie.
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Day 15: This was the last full day at Catalina SP. It was so nice to have several nights at one place. We are already looking forward to next years 14 day stay!
Steve & I walked the birding loop at sunrise. So far he has seen 23 new birds on this trip & most of them at this park. Steve continued to bird while I took advantage of the hot showers to shampoo my hair.
The rest of the day was spent running errands, TJ’s & laundry, then getting packed up for the
trip to the Grand Canyon tomorrow. We took the dogs for one last walk on the trails before calling it a day.
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| Phainopepla - Female: Photo by Steve |
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| Phainopepla - Male: Photo by Steve |
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| Male Pyrrhuloxia: Photo by Steve |
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| Birding Trail Catalina State Park |
- Catalina State Park
- Oro Valley, Arizona
- State Park
- Rating 5/5
- Site A-24
- Great bath houses, hot water, private
- $50 / night no discount
- Water & electric, sewer on site
- Picnic table
- Paved, pull through
- Campground was full but was very quiet, even though they were building a new bathhouse in our loop
- 7 miles from Carlsbad Caverns
- Road Conditions: Arizona I-10 West is THE WORST
Next Stop: Flagstaff & the Grand Canyon!
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