Campers at both of Catalina State Park's campgrounds enjoy views of Pusch Ridge. The new Campground B is designed to accommodate recreational vehicle camping .

Photos by Chris Richards / Arizona Daily Star

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David Herr basked in winter sunshine at his campsite in Catalina State Park and reeled off three things he loves about the park's new campground.

"Beautiful scenery. Beautiful weather. Lots of room."

Herr, a visitor from Pelican Lake, Minn., is one of many tourists and Tucsonans who've found their camping bliss in the 75-site Campground B at the park north of Tucson.

Opened last fall to supplement the often booked-up Campground A with 48 sites, the new campground has proved so popular that both campgrounds — with a total of 123 sites — frequently have been filled to capacity in recent weeks.

"During February, we were filling both campgrounds almost every day," said Neil Donkersley, manager of the park.

"We've had to turn away a few people this season — even with the new campground in operation — but we're not turning away as many as before," Donkersley said. "Over the last six to eight years, in our busy January-through-April period, we were sometimes turning away 30 to 40 rigs a day. We just didn't have a place to put them. That's why we needed the new campground."

Sprawling across mesquite flats in the shadow of rugged Pusch Ridge, the campground is designed to accommodate recreational vehicle camping. Each of its 75 sites has a picnic table, grill and hook-ups for electricity and water.

The older campground has 25 so-called "tent sites" with no electricity or water and 23 sites with hookups.

The new campground includes a spacious building housing restrooms and showers.

Donkersley said construction of the campground was part of a $1.6 million project that also included new restroom facilities in the park's group area, new ramadas and a system to provide water at the park's trailhead.

The new campsites and facilities are welcome additions because the park's scenic setting and convenient location have made it a perennially popular winter and spring destination, Donkersley said.

"A big part of it is the aesthetic backdrop — the beauty and color of the mountain up there," he said, nodding toward the heights of Pusch Ridge. "I've lived in the park for 24 years now, and I'm still struck with the beautiful views.

"When visitors pull into the campground, especially flat-landers, these mountains just blow them away."

The park's network of trails, bird-watching sites and picnic areas offer something for nearly everybody, Donkersley said.

"The other great attraction is convenience," he said. "You can go a mile and a half and get to a supermarket. You can hit the trails and get up into the mountains, but you've also got all the amenities of a metro area nearby. It's the best of both worlds."

Camper Shiela Klapatch, of Kensington, Conn., said she appreciates that bit about the metro-area amenities.

"It's so unusual to be in a state park with a Sprouts and a Trader Joe's very nearby," Klapatch said.

Her husband, Robert, who eyed prospective hiking routes from the campground, said he appreciates the fact that there's plenty of space between campsites.

"It doesn't feel so crowded. The campsites aren't as close together as they are at many commercial campgrounds," he said.

Volunteers play a big role in keeping the new campground clean.

"We celebrated our 50th anniversary here — cleaning toilets!" said Lori Nead, who is staying in the campground while doing a volunteer stint with her husband, Richard. "But really, it's fun. It's great. We enjoy the work."

Added Richard: "The beauty of this is that you stay in a very scenic place, enjoy a great campground and meet people from everywhere."