Molino Basin Campground — Coronado National Forest

Molino Basin is the low-country option on the Catalina Highway, sitting at roughly 4,500 feet in oak and desert scrub — a completely different world from the ponderosa camps higher up. It’s a winter and spring camp; summer heat at this elevation is brutal and the campground typically closes May through September. Sites are open and spaced out, with fire rings and vault toilets. A good overnight if you’re staged to run early morning on the Sawmill Canyon or lower Catalina back-road routes before the heat sets in.

Access is paved all the way from Tucson — it’s one of the first developed camps you hit heading up the highway. Rig size is not a limiting factor. The site is exposed to afternoon wind and has limited shade compared to the upper-mountain camps. Winter nights can drop hard even at this elevation. Check Coronado NF for seasonal closure dates before planning a summer stop.

Low-desert staging camp below the Catalina climb.