Catalina State Park in Oro Valley: The 5,500-Acre Sonoran Desert Backyard at the Foot of the Santa Catalinas Where the 43rd Anniversary of the May 25, 1983 Dedication Falls on Memorial Day, the Catalina Nights Summer Program Kicks Off May 30, and the Friends of Catalina State Park Free Outdoor Concert Series Returns June 6

Catalina State Park is the 5,500-acre Sonoran Desert park at the foot of the Santa Catalina Mountains at 11570 North Oracle Road in Pima County, immediately east of Oro Valley — dedicated by Governor Bruce Babbitt on May 25, 1983 after a 1974 enabling statute signed by Governor Jack Williams authorized the acquisition of more than 13,000 acres of the historic Rancho Romero lands. Per Arizona State Parks & Trails, the park holds nearly 5,000 saguaros, more than 150 documented bird species, eleven trails ranging from the 0.8-mile Romero Ruins archaeological loop to the 9.9-mile Sutherland Trail, a 120-site campground in two loops (A and B), and a 16-stall equestrian center. Memorial Day weekend, May 23 to 25, 2026, falls on the park's 43rd anniversary; the Catalina Nights guided night-hike program opens Saturday, May 30; and the Friends of Catalina State Park outdoor concert series returns Saturday, June 6 with David Argentati on classic rock, followed by Jeremy Gilliam on July 4 and the Midnight Classics Band on August 1. Here is the May 23, 2026 sourced walk-through for buyers, sellers, relocation prospects, and locals looking for the cleanest summer-morning escape on the northwest side.