Peppersauce

Coronado National Forest — hiking

Location: Oracle, AZ, AZ

Price: From $50 per night

Rating: 3.1 out of 5 (7 reviews)

Season: Year-round

With its picturesque vegetation and dramatic setting at the foot of 9,157’ Mt. Lemmon in southeastern Arizona, Peppersauce Campground is an outstanding area for enjoying an afternoon picnic or a weekend campout. This year-round facility is a popular stop among off-road vehicle enthusiasts and families.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Camp Host

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/peppersauce to be notified when sites open up.

Peppersauce offers year-round camping with picturesque vegetation at the foot of Mt. Lemmon, featuring exceptional hiking in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Google reviewers praise the beautiful, peaceful setting with abundant trees and shade, plus stunning summit views.

Wildlife alert: Mountain Lion, Collared Peccary, White-nosed Coati, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, and Cascabel negra de Arizona present in the area.

Insider tips for Peppersauce: Book early — this is a popular federal campground Request sites near bathrooms and water if you lack 4WD, as some sites require high-clearance vehicles Plan for 6+ mile hiking options with steep, rocky terrain and rewarding summit views

Skip Peppersauce if: You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites. You're sensitive to vehicle traffic — facility traffic passes through the campground regularly. You prefer low-traffic areas — regular facility employees drive quickly through camp.

Best time to visit Peppersauce: Year-round — Official RIDB designation as year-round facility, though known issues note seasonal operations.

Nearby campgrounds: Whitetail Campground (MT. LEMMON, AZ), Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin (Tucson, AZ), Sollers Cabin (Az) (Tucson , AZ), Rose Canyon (Mt. Lemmon, AZ).

Cell Phone Coverage at Peppersauce

Cell signal at Peppersauce (Oracle, AZ): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch›AZ›Peppersauce
Peppersauce — photo 1
Coronado National Forest — hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Peppersauce

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Oracle, AZ, AZ★ 3.1 (7 reviews)From $50/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

With its picturesque vegetation and dramatic setting at the foot of 9,157’ Mt. Lemmon in southeastern Arizona, Peppersauce Campground is an outstanding area for enjoying an afternoon picnic or a weekend campout. This year-round facility is a popular stop among off-road vehicle enthusiasts and families.

Best for:HikersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonYear-round
Stay limit14 days
Max RV22 ft
HookupsNo hookups.
PetsAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites✕ You're sensitive to vehicle traffic — facility traffic passes through the campground regularly✕ You prefer low-traffic areas — regular facility employees drive quickly through camp

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a popular federal campground

Request sites near bathrooms and water if you lack 4WD, as some sites require high-clearance vehicles

Plan for 6+ mile hiking options with steep, rocky terrain and rewarding summit views

Best: Year-round

Official RIDB designation as year-round facility, though known issues note seasonal operations

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Mountain Lion, Collared Peccary, White-nosed Coati, Arizona Black Rattlesnake, and Cascabel negra de Arizona present in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
520-749-8700· Coronado National Forest
Getting there →

From Tucson, drive north on Oracle Road (U.S. Highway 89). Continue for 27 miles to State Highway 77. Turn right (east) and drive 10 miles to the town of Oracle. Take the first Oracle exit and travel 4 miles through the town to Forest Road 38. Follow 38 to Peppersauce Canyon. Please note: the speed limit is 5 mph inside the campground and 35 mph outside the campground on Forest Road 38.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Coronado National Forest fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Coronado National Forest before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Peppersauce cost per night?+
Peppersauce costs $50 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Peppersauce open?+
Peppersauce is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Peppersauce have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Peppersauce?+
Peppersauce can accommodate RVs up to 22 feet.
How do I make reservations at Peppersauce?+
Peppersauce is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Peppersauce?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Peppersauce is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Peppersauce open, and what are check-in times?+
Peppersauce is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$50 /night★ 3.1 (7)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Peppersauce cost per night?+
What season is Peppersauce open?+
Does Peppersauce have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

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