Tucson, Arizona - Mountain Bike Trail Reviews
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Tucson, Arizona - Mountain Bike Trail Reviews
Tucson is in southern Arizona's beautiful Sonoran Desert. The city's climate varies from the 2,400 foot desert basin to the 9,100 foot forests of the the Santa Catalina Mountains. The 750,000 residents enjoy 360 days of sunshine a year. The average summer yearly high is 99 degrees and the low is 70. The average winter high is in the mid 60's and the low is in the 40's. It can get in the hundreds regularly in the summer, so plan your ride accordingly.
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is a pretty crazy place if you ask me. To be quite honest w/you I'm not really sure of it's exact location, other than the fact that you park right along a highway about 15 minutes outside Tucson. Stop at any local bike shop in or around the Tucson area and they can set you straight on how to get there. This park, as we were told by some bike shop guys, was created and built by a gentleman by the name of Jim. There is roughly 12/15 miles of SWEET, SWEET singletrack to be ridden here. The trail hardly does any climbing at all, but twist and turns are everywhere. Along the way are beautiful cactus and really colorful wild flowers. Legend has it that there is a gentleman from the Tucson area that has spent an enormous amount of time building these trails. Well, Legend is correct! These trails are truly a treat to ride. How it works is that he has created all these trails within a 1 1/2 square mile radius. It's really a site to be seen. The trails twist and turn, taking you through spectacular cacti filled scenery. This is a great place to go and let er rip!!! Don't forget, you are in Dessert......Bring lot's o' H20!!!!!!! If you are in the Tucson area I would absolutely recommend checkng this place out.
Directions:
by Tucson local Patrick
The main start of the trail can be found at the end of Harrison at Irvington. All you have to do is drive south on Harrison until it stops at Irvington, cross the street, and park. The mouth of the trail is about 50ft ahead. Also, the trail is one-directional, so be careful not to get turned around or you might fly into someone.
Rating:
Skill: Intermediate
Effort: Moderate
Type: Singletrack
Season: All
Mileage: 12-15
Rating: 4 of 5
50 Year Trail
The 50 year Trail is a great ride for a beginner or someone who isn't looking to do much climbing. The trail is located at the base of the Catalina Mts off of Oracle Dr., Northeast of the city. There is a small entrance fee, but it's worth a few bucks just to take in the beauty of the region and the Mt. Range. As the trail begins, you ride along the base of the Catalina's, winding your way through some really neat terrain. Lot's of Cactus, so be careful of not steering off the trail even a little, and you might want to consider bringing an extra tube or two. The highlight of the trail is a section known as the Chutes!!! This area is really great. Lot's of whoopdie-doos and cool drop offs, with some stunning scenery to go along. The only problem from there is that the only way (as far as I know) is to double back and retrace. Me and a few buds visited this area in April, and the heat was pretty intense...Bring lot's of water. Overall, this is a good trail, and one that I recomend.
Rating:
Skill: Beginner
Type: Out and Back
Fall, Winter, Spring
Mileage: 8-10
Rating: 3 of 5
Old Pueblo
Directions:
Take highway 79 (Oracle Rd) north from Tucson to Oracle Junction. From Oracle Junction, follow highway 77 NE towards Oracle for 4.9 miles. Look for sign on right side of highway for Willow Springs Road, on left (going north). Follow the good gravel road for 6.6 miles. Immediately after passing through arched gate for Willow Springs Ranch, turn left on a small road and follow it 100 yards to a parking area.
Rating:
Skill: Beginner
Type: Loops
Mileage: 15
Star Pass
Once parked, follow the Jeep trail to the edge of the state park. Once in the park, follow the trail for another 2 miles untill you reach a fork (This is the start of the loop). Stay left. After a few more miles, you will ride out of the park for about another mile or so. Be on the lookout for the trail on your right (this part can be tricky for first timers) you want to jump on the first one after you see pavement again. Here you will climb the hardest hill of the loop and then enter the wash. You will then complete the loop and ride the first part out again. Note: there is a lot of development going on around there, and more importantly there are tons of trails out there that can be woven to create new rides. I suggest any first-timmers to ride with someone who's been out there or buy "The Map".
Directions:
To get to Star Pass, drive West on 6th street untill it turns into St. Mary's. Continue on St. Mary's and drive past Pima Community College and Greesewood Rd. Turn left about 3/4 of a mile past the light on Players Club Dr. (Star Pass Community). Follow this road untill the stop sign and turn left. The road will start a wide curve to the right, at this point you need to look for a dirt road on your right side to turn down. Once on the dirt road, stay on your right untill you see a parking lot.
Rating:
Skill: Intermediate
Effort: Moderate
Type: Jeep In-and-out/Singletrack Loop
Season: Spring, Winter, Fall
Mileage: 8-10
Rating: 3 of 5
