Dust from the trailhead parking area at the campground's end creates a busy atmosphere, though the sites sit back from the main highway for reduced road noise. Gordon Hirabayashi Campground operates year-round in Coronado National Forest, accommodating RVs up to 22 feet with basic amenities including toilets, picnic tables, and trash service. Several sites are designed as doubles for group camping.
The forested campground provides direct access to hiking trails, mountain biking routes, horse trails, and rock climbing areas. Campers report easier trailer maneuvering compared to nearby Molino Basin Campground. Spring, fall, and winter offer the most comfortable conditions for camping near Coronado National Forest.
Description
The name Prison camp came from the Federal Honor Camp begun in 1937 to house federal prisoners supplying labor to build a road providing access into the Santa Catalina Mountains. Prisoners had been convicted of federal crimes ranging from immigration law violations to tax evasion to bank robbery. During World War II, many of the prisoners were conscientious objectors whose religions prohibited them from serving in the military. Some were Japanese Americans protesting the “Japanese American Relocation,” the largest forced removal and incarceration in U.S. History. After the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, over 100,000 Japanese Americans, many American Citizens, were imprisoned in crowded internment camps for fear they would conduct espionage and sabotage along the west coast. Gordon Hirabayashi was a senior at the University of Washington in 1942. He challenged the constitutionality of internment based on race or ancestry. He turned himself in to the FBI rather than report for relocation. He was convicted and sentenced to serve at the honor camp in the Santa Catalina Mountains. In 1987 Hirabayashi’s case was overturned. A federal commission determined that the internment had been motivated by racial prejudice and wartime hysteria. In 1988 the Civil Liberties Act was signed by President Ronald Reagan, which acknowledged the injustice and apologized for the internment. In 1999 the Coronado National Forest renamed the site in honor of Dr. Hirabayashi and the other resisters of conscience who were imprisoned there. Dr. Hirabayashi and others attended the dedication ceremony.
RV Road Trip Guides
Location
Public CampgroundGordon Hirabayashi Campground is located in Arizona
Directions
Take the Catalina Highway off Tanque Verde Road in Tucson. Drive 4.2 miles to the Forest boundary and continue approximately 7 miles to the campground. As you go up the mountain, the campground entrance is on your left.
Coordinates
32.33778027 N
110.71892036 W
Connectivity
T-MobileLTESome CoverageVerified by 1 userLast on 4/3/26
Verizon5GGood Coverage
AT&TNo Coverage
Connectivity
- T-MobileLTESome CoverageVerified by 1 userLast on 4/3/26
- Verizon5GGood Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Access
Site Types
- Tent Sites
Features
For Campers
- Trash
- Picnic Table
- Toilets
- Pets
- Fires
For Vehicles
- Pull-Through Sites
Drive Time
- 43 min from Tucson, AZ
- 1 hr 28 min from Sierra Vista, AZ
- 2 hrs 26 min from Phoenix, AZ
- 3 hrs 31 min from Prescott Valley, AZ
