Coronado National Forest bans camping at Tanque Verde Falls through 2029

If your Tucson trip depended on a cheap overnight in Redington Pass, Tanque Verde Falls just got crossed off the map. Coronado National Forest closed camping in the area from April 30, 2026, through April 29, 2029, so the familiar waterfall pullout is no longer a legal place to pitch a tent.

The order covers National Forest System lands in the Santa Catalina Ranger District and prohibits camping in the described area. The forest said the move was meant to protect public health and safety and forest resources, which is the clearest sign that this was not a quick weekend cleanup. It was a long-term management decision aimed at a spot that has taken enough pressure to justify a three-year ban. The surrounding land is still under normal forest rules and any other posted restrictions, but overnighting in the Tanque Verde Falls closure area is off the table.

That matters because Tanque Verde Falls has long been more than a hike. It has worked as a casual base camp for waterfall runs, desert exploring, and overnighters tied to the Redington Road corridor. The practical hit is immediate: if you were planning to roll in after work, sleep near the trail, and catch sunrise or sunset in Tanque Verde Canyon, that plan now needs a legal replacement somewhere else in Coronado National Forest or another approved campsite before you leave town.

This was not the first time the forest had shut the door. An earlier closure ran from April 29, 2024, through April 29, 2026, and covered the Redington Road stretch from the forest boundary just west of mile marker 3.4 to mile marker 4.6, extending 650 feet on both sides of the road and including the current parking areas. The new order superseded that earlier restriction, keeping the same basic message in place for another three years.

The timing also fits a broader effort to manage use at the falls. Coronado National Forest announced a recreation enhancement project there in 2024, with three new parking areas, trail improvements, and a beginner-friendly trail to a scenic viewpoint. The site still draws crowds, but the safety record explains why the agency keeps tightening control. Pima County Public Library records say eight people drowned in a flash flood at Tanque Verde Falls on July 26, 1981, and a Tucson man died there after falling 40 feet on July 20, 1990. In March 2026, KGUN 9 reported a hiker being hoisted out by helicopter after a rescue call. For anyone heading into the foothills now, the lesson is blunt: day-use may still be on the table, but Tanque Verde Falls is no longer an overnight bet.