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The Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin is located within the Palisades Administrative Site in the Santa Catalina Mountains, 20 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona. The cabin is reached via the East Catalina Highway, which becomes the General Hitchcock, a historic and scenic drive that takes visitors through multiple biozones from the Sonoran Desert to the dense forests at 8,000 feet elevation. The cabin has indoor plumbing, electricity, a full kitchen, furniture, beds and an enclosed front yard.
The Palisades Ranger Residence Cabin is approximately one hour from Tucson, Arizona, and provides excellent access to a myriad of recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, birding, horseback riding, picnicking, sightseeing, mountain biking, rock climbing, and visiting historic areas. Fishing is also available at nearby Rose Canyon Lake. Winter sports are available at higher elevations, depending on snowfall; Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley in the Santa Catalina Mountains is the southernmost ski area in the United States.
The Palisades Ranger Residence is a five room cabin, suitable for up to four people. The cabin consists of a bedroom, dining room, living room, bathroom, and fully-equipped kitchen. The bedroom has a twin-over-double bunkbed, while the living room contains a queen-size futon. The dining room has a table and four chairs. The kitchen is equipped with a propane stove/oven, microwave, refrigerator, pots, pans, utensils, dishes, and a coffee pot. The house has electricity, a propane heater, and running water.
While the cabin has amenities for comfortable lodging, guests do need to provide some of their own supplies, including food, sleeping bags, linens, pillows, towels, dish soap, matches, a first aid kit, toilet paper and garbage bags. Although electricity is available, it is recommended that guests bring an additional light source in case of emergencies.
The Santa Catalina Mountains comprise one of the "sky islands" in the Coronado National Forest. From the desert floor to the upper slopes of Mt. Lemmon, biozones vary from Sonoran desert to subalpine forest, with wildlife communities that are equally diverse. An extensive trail network offers opportunities for day and extended trips, with easy access to the nearby Pusch Ridge Wilderness.
Numerous attractions are also available nearby, including: the Sky Island Scenic Byway (General Hitchcock Highway), Rose Canyon Lake, Mt Lemmon Ski Valley, The University of Arizona Mt. Lemmon Sky Center, the hamlet of Summerhaven, Arizona, as well as numerous hiking trails, and opportunities for photography and picnicing. Attractions within one hour's drive include Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and Saguaro National Park East.
Driving Directions: From northeast Tucson, take East Tanque Verde Road to East Catalina Highway. Turn left (north) on East Catalina Highway, which becomes the General Hitchcock Highway, for approximately 23 miles to Organization Ridge Road and turn left (just before Palisades Visitor Center). The cabin is located approximately 100 yards in on the right.
We have been there 2 times this Summer. The 2nd time as soon as we pulled up the my dog went crazy. He acted like we finally got back home! It was so funny. My son joined me and his dog did the same. It's very clean and roomy. The beds were comfortable and the kitchen had every thing we needed. The fenced in yard it such a blessing. Those crazy dogs got me up at 4:AM wanted to go play outside. We really enjoyed our visit. I have plans to go back 2 more times later this year. I love it so much I like to donate a few things that I have from living in a woods a few years ago.
Electric went out, and the fire place was broken during snow and wind storm. Please maintain this cabin and make repairs before you rent it out. My friend nearly froze to death last week during the storm in this cabin. I got called by the sheriff’s office requesting me to go up the mountain to pick her up because she was stranded and couldn’t drive down and had no heat. (Sheriff’s office on Mt. Lemmon get 5 stars! They were amazingly helpful).
Thanks to the sheriff’s office my friend and her dog survived!
I brought my dad up for an early birthday present. The cabin was as pictured. There was a note about mice, but we didn't see any. We did secure our food, just in case. The nights were cold, but the heater worked quite well. I would stay here again.
Well worth it! Private cabin at 8000 feet. We experienced the first winter storm of the season with a dusting of snow. Perfect for a small group. Kitchen has pots, pans and other utensils.
Microwave and toaster oven and refrigerator. A dining room with table for four. This is not the Hilton nor Airbnb. Need to bring your own linens and cleaning tools. They do have a vacuum and mop. Sheriff’s station next door. Fireplace didn’t work but did have space heaters. We initially reserved for one night but reserved and paid for another night since it was available. This place exceeded our expectations.
It's exactly what you'd expect a ranger cabin to be, but perhaps cleaner and more comfortable. For the price, what you get is very good. There were two things that might be bothersome: 1.) Only sheer curtains in the living room and none in the kitchen, 2.) It's not very secluded-- RV park across the street and Boy Scouts of America camp across the other way. The great part is access to trails, the smell of pine forest, the sound of the wind in the trees, the price, and the close proximity of Summerhaven and other Mt Lemmon attractions. I found it a great value for the money.
