Red Hills Visitor Center — Attraction in Tucson

WARNING! DO NOT GO HERE IN LARGE CLASS A RVs OR REALLY LARGE CLASS C RVs AND DON'T BE TOWING ANYTHING!

There is limited automobile parking, and there is parking for RVs and large vehicles. But the visitor center's policy is "first come, first served." Automobiles and pickup trucks will grab the RV spaces if they can't find a conventional parking space.

We went there expecting to be able to park our 35' class A and tow car. We knew we would have to detach the "towed" so we could drive though the park. There was one RV spot left and it was a challenge to get the RV in the space due to autos being in the adjacent spaces. We had good cooperation from a number of visitors parked along side of us and except for one ding dong who was in a hurry and tried to interfere with our parking the RV, we got it parked and the "towed" detached.

If you have a small class C or pickup truck camper you won't have any trouble. If you have a big motohome , 5th wheel, or tow behind, find a place to park it and drive your tow vehicle. The portion of the road that is maintained by PIMA county and leads to the visitor's center is narrow, bumpy, and full of washes. It's not much fun even in a passenger car.

The visitor center is great, the personnel are very friendly and helpful, and of course the saguaros are just beyond belief. They almost look human to me and I keep thinking I should be able to walk up and talk to them.

Take your time and enjoy them and everything else that is in the desert.

It's...

Kind of odd for a national park. I’ve never been to one like this before that you stop at the visitor center and show them your pass or buy tickets. Usually there’s a gate or two to monitor people coming in and out, but maybe since there are other roads in the area and people living there they don’t do that for some reason. After they check your pass or you buy a ticket you don’t even have to display anything in your vehicle which again is odd to me. We used the app AllTrails and hiked for eight miles round-trip to the summit of Wasson Peak via Kings Canyon and Hugh Norris - we did the loop counterclockwise and the first half has a lot of loose rock and the second half to begin with is mostly sand and gentle trails mostly at a low-grade - Then you end on more rough terrain, and a wash before you get back to the parking lot/trailhead - We took our time stopping a number of times for the views and chilling at the summit- it took us four hours, including all the stopping. The trailhead is not at the...

I am glad we found this beautiful area to spread my mom's ashes in Tucson, where she wanted her final resting place to be. If you are considering this to be a resting place for a loved one, this is a gorgeous place. A permit, which is required, is obtained by sending out an email to the park ranger. It can be a little confusing at first. There is no fee, and you won't need to fill out the application. To save time, send the area coordinates, or description of the trail you'll be spreading the ashes at, (there are maps available at the visitor's center) with a date and time at least 3 to 4 weeks out. Keep in mind there may be fees to some trails. They are not quick to respond, so be patient. It took a couple of times of me reaching out; they got back to me a couple of weeks later to ask me details. The email address can be obtained from their website or at the visitor's center. Once you get your permit, you can show it to the visitor's center the day of; you don't need to provide a copy. They just...