Campground · Saguaro National Park
The lowest wilderness camp still means a 6.5-mile uphill hike.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Saguaro Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Saguaro National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Saguaro audio tourMore stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Douglas Spring Campground is a primitive, three-site backcountry camp in Saguaro National Park's Rincon Mountain District, at 4,800 feet. It suits an overnight in the Rincon Mountains; reaching it from Douglas Spring Trailhead is a real commitment: about 6.5 miles one way with roughly 1,800 feet of climbing. The campground is open year-round, but reserve a site and secure the backcountry permit before setting out. Parking is at the trailhead, where busy-season overflow can line the road; no vehicle reaches camp.
The sites are simple, with an outhouse or vault toilet. There is no potable tap; a drainage about 50 feet east can hold seasonal water, but its flow changes. Treat any collected surface water and check current conditions before relying on it. Plan on at least a gallon per person per day. Campfires and pets are prohibited. Bring your food and gear in; there is no food service at the camp.
At 4,800 feet, Douglas Spring is the lowest of the park's six wilderness campgrounds, a useful choice when winter storms cover higher camps with snow. It sits in the 57,930-acre Saguaro Wilderness, designated in 1976. The climb offers views toward Tanque Verde Falls and Tina Larga Tank; camp itself is a backcountry destination, not a roadside viewpoint.
Wildlife
19 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
56 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
266 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
113 sightingsCollared PeccaryMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
53 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
127 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Saguaro. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingCowhead Saddle Trail4 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayFour miles of steep climbing into Saguaro's cool pine backcountry.
ModerateSpud Rock Loop from Manning Camp2.5 mi · 2 hr · 3.3 mi awayA compact high-country loop to a signed rock overlook.
ChallengingFire Loop Trail4.9 mi · 4 hr · 3.4 mi awayA pine forest circuit with a windy view back to Tucson
ModerateDevil's Bathtub Trail3.4 mi · 3 hr · 3.4 mi awayA remote 3.4-mile camp-based out-and-back to a small waterfall.
ModerateNorth Slope Trail2.2 mi · 1.5 hr · 4.2 mi awayA remote high-country link between Italian Spring and Cowhead Saddle.
ChallengingItalian Spring Trail13.5 mi · 9.5 hr · 4.4 mi awayA long climb from desert scrub to a remote mountain spring.
ChallengingDouglas Spring Trail to Douglas Spring Campground13 mi · 7.5 hr · 4.7 mi awayA long desert climb to a shaded backcountry camp.
ChallengingMica Mountain via Douglas Spring26 mi · 14 hr · 4.7 mi awayA long climb from cactus desert to Mica Mountain’s forested summit.
Sight · 2.6 mi awayBridal Wreath FallsA desert hike to a waterfall that may be dry.
Sight · 2.7 mi awayTanque Verde PeakA rugged summit above Tucson rewards a very long ridge hike.
Campground · 3.2 mi awayGrass Shack CampgroundAn oak-shaded creek camp after a long climb into the Rincons.
Sight · 3.4 mi awayManning CabinThe cabin’s 1905 piano arrived by an 11-mile wagon road.
Campground · 3.4 mi awayManning CampA wilderness camp reached after a serious climb into the pines.Sight · 3.8 mi awayMica MountainA high, wooded summit reached by a serious backcountry hike.
Campground · 4.1 mi awayJuniper Basin CampgroundA three-site wilderness camp after a 6.9-mile climb.
Sight · 4.6 mi awayLittle Wildhorse TankA desert pool with a decades-long recovery story.Parkwolf’s Saguaro ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
