Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin in AZ -- Campground & RV Camping
Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin in AZ
CampgroundUSFS
9.9 mi from Tanque Verde
Official campground & reservations ↗
Road Access
- Road difficulty 2 of 5: a moderate drive in.
- Recorded as maintained for passenger cars, dirt, pitching to 8%.
Rig fit
- Maximum published vehicle length: 20 ft.
- Driveway grade: slight.
Campground details
Setting
Perched at 8,000 feet in the Santa Catalina Mountains, this historic five-room cabin sits along the Sky Island Scenic Byway 20 miles northeast of Tucson. The cabin sleeps four and includes a bedroom, living room, full kitchen, indoor plumbing, propane heat, electricity, and an enclosed yard. Visitors use the site as a high-elevation basecamp for mountain biking, rock climbing, birding, and hiking the extensive local trail network, with easy access to the Pusch Ridge Wilderness and fishing at nearby Rose Canyon Lake.
Getting there: Driving Directions: From northeast Tucson, take East Tanque Verde Road to East Catalina Highway. Turn left (north) on East Catalina Highway, which becomes the General Hitchcock Highway, for approximately 23 miles to Organization Ridge Road and turn left (just before Palisades Visitor Center). The cabin is located approximately 100 yards in on the right.
- Moderately separated here.
- Mount Bigelow stands 620 ft above the map pin, 0.4 miles north.
- Cabins and shelters rather than pads, with most of them shaded.
- Estimated night sky: Bortle 3, a dark rural sky.
Climate averages
October normals 42–64°F, 1.9″ precipitation. Monthly averages, PRISM 1991–2020.
Starlink Radar
Open sky · Terrain & buildings · Tree canopy
Estimated horizon in eight compass directions, using 10 m USGS elevation. Sky clearance 69 of 100.