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Pull-thru
USFSCoronado National Forest · Arizona
Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin
Overview The Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin is located within the Palisades Administrative Site in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 20 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona.
Sites1all reservable
Elev.7,953ft
Comf.Apr-Nov8 months
Max rig20 ft
Electricnonesites
From Tucson1h16real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 7,953 ft, Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin has a 8-month comfortable window (Apr-Nov). Winter nights average around 26°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 1 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Within about 4 miles: 4 named hiking routes, 16 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on big-rig fit.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Apr
Apr-Nov
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
63%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
Apr 26
Last spring frost; first fall frost Oct 27.
58°F
Average July low. Bring a fleece.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Tucson
36 mi
1h16
02
Phoenix
146 mi
3h12
03
Flagstaff
290 mi
5h41
By drive time
Routed road time (OSRM). Nearest major highway 12.5 mi away.
Picking your site
04 · 1 SITES
0
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
1
Prime
1
Sites
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Named hiking routes
4
Trail segments
113
Peaks
16
Viewpoints
8
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
To nearest major road
12.5 mi
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.