Tucson Mountain Park: Tucson’s Biggest and Best(?) Mountain Bike Trail Network
A sprawling maze of Sonoran Desert singletrack with varying levels of fun just west of downtown Tucson
Tucson is home to a lot of great small mountain biking trail networks, but the largest – and arguably the best – is Tucson Mountain Park.
Located on the west side of the city, Tucson Mountain Park packs a lot in with over 100 miles of trail and a good variety of terrain. You can find fast and flowy desert tracks as well as rough and rowdy rock gardens and everything in between (although there is nothing too technical there – you gotta go to Mt. Lemmon for that). It’s also beautiful!
I’ve really enjoyed all my rides at this preserve and I’ve covered pretty much all there is to offer. In this post, I share my thoughts on the best trails to ride, route recommendations, and tips for planning your Tucson Mountain Park mountain biking adventures.
TWW Take
Please note that these are my personal opinions – you may argue otherwise! And if so, state your case (politely) in the comments 🙂
Fun-ness Factor
Trail Variety
Average Difficulty
Tucson Mountain Park trail map
Tucson Mountain Park sits on the west side of the city and is home to over 100 miles of trail. However, not all of them are worth riding on a mountain bike.
Based on my experience, I’d skip the green trails in the northwest, which are usually super sandy and heavily used by horses. The best riding is the southeast region park, including the Enchanted Hills area, which is a compact loop of trails within Tucson Mountain Park.
See my route recommendations below to help you plan your rides.
What to Expect
Before heading out to Tucson Mountain Park, here are a few tips and things to keep in mind:
The Highlights 😁
- Beautiful desert vegetation.
- Stunning views out over the Catalina Mountains.
- Largest trail network around Tucson.
- Surprisingly good mix of terrain.
The Reality Check 🤨
- It’s easy to get lost – have a ride plan!
- Expect some jank. Many of the trails are loose, rocky, and old-school.
- Trails can get eroded after heavy rains.
- It’s easy to accidentally become a bit too friendly with a cactus.
Ride by the Rules 🫡
- No e-bikes (but that doesn’t seem like a hard fast rule…)
- Yield to horseback riders and hikers.
- Don’t dig up any souvenir cacti.
- Wear a helmet (obs).
4-Day Tucson Mountain Biking Itinerary
Download my 4-day mountain biking itinerary to Tucson! This is your ultimate guide to epic trails and the best route recommendations. It’s packed with tips, links, and local secrets. Grab it now and start planning your trip to Saguaro country!
How to ride Tucson Mountain Park
While Tucson Mountain Park is the largest trail network in Tucson, that doesn’t mean all of the trails are great trails. Some are best ridden in one direction while others are best left to the hikers and equestrians.
If you want to maximize your fun here, I recommend doing one of my recommended routes below — at least for your first ride.
My route recommendations
⭐️ Trails not to miss
- El Grupo Lower (beginner)
- Little Cat (intermediate)
- Shemwell Trail (intermediate)
- Rock Wren (intermediate)
- Ledge Surfer (intermediate)
Tip: I recommend doing Shemwell as a climb so you don’t have to climb Explorer.
What about the full Explorer trail? You may be tempted to add this black-rated trail to your ride, but the full Explorer is kind of a beat-down. Instead, I recommend following the routes I’ve linked to, which have sections of Explorer in them, but not the full trail.
FAQs for Mountain Biking Tucson Mountain Park
Got questions? I got answers! Here are a few tips to help you plan your ride:
Need gear recs?
Head over to my gear closet! I’m always testing out new pieces of bike gear and if I really like them, they earn a place on this page.
I hope this post gives you all the info and motivation to head out to Tucson Mountain Preserve for a ride (or two!). It’s a great place to enjoy a variety of terrain and awesome views of Tucson’s surrounding mountain ranges. Enjoy!
Have you ridden at Tucson Mountain Preserve? What are your favorite trails or routes? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!
Read next
Want even more planning tips? Download my 4-Day Tucson Mountain Bike Itinerary
Your Tucson mountain park Northside route was spectacular!
Very nice, challenging and scenic route!! Big thumbs up 👍, highly recommended.
Im from South Florida also ( flatlander ) ride was challenging for me…
Great to hear! Glad you had a fun ride. Definitely check out Sweetwater too when you’re in Tucson.