A thirty minute drive from downtown Tucson gets you to the Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association's TIMPA site. Located in the wide Avra Valley the land is very flat and offers warm low altitude observing, with facilities and a fairly dark sky.

TIMPA stands for Tucson International Modelplex Park Association. It is a parcel of land (approx. 160 acres) located about seven miles west of the Saguaro National Park West. The property is leased from the City of Tucson by the TIMPA organization and is to be used as a specialty park. The TIMPA organization flies radio-controlled model airplanes at the site. The Southern Arizona Rocketry Association (SARA) also uses the site to launch model rockets. But the fliers go home at dusk and leave the area to the astronomers so the various clubs use the site on a very complementary basis.

More current information on the site can be found at the TAAA homepage.

The site offers many amenities, good access for any type of vehicle, mostly via paved road until the last mile. There are full bathrooms complete with running water. Several concrete observing pads are available.

It is important to note that permission must be obtained to use the site on nights when a regular star party is not scheduled. You will need to obtian a key card for the gate to allow access to the site.