Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson: A Mountain Biker's Guide

Quick Tips for Riding Sweetwater Preserve

You can pretty much cover all the trails in one ride.
This is a popular place for hikers – stay in control and give them the right of way.
If this is your first time riding in the desert, brush up on my desert mountain biking tips.
Sweetwater Preserve is a great place for bird and animal life – keep your eyes out for them!

Sweetwater Preserve is usually the first place I head to when I find myself in Tucson, Arizona for some desert singletrack riding. The trails aren’t super demanding, but they pack in a ton of fun and the ride is always worth it, especially if the desert is in bloom! I always enjoy the perfect mix of chill pedaling, great views, and just enough excitement to keep things interesting.

From dense saguaro ‘forests’ to some surprisingly (albeit quick) technical climbing to fast and flowy ridgeline descents, Sweetwater Preserve is definitely a must for any mountain biker visiting Tucson. To help you make the most of your time there, I’ve put together this guide with everything you need to know for a fun day on the trails!

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Sweetwater Preserve Trail Map

Sweetwater Preserve is located northwest of Tucson at the base of Saguaro National Park West.

What to expect at Sweetwater Preserve

Trying to decide if Sweetwater Preserve is a place you should check out? Here are some of the reasons to ride or not ride here.

Ride it for:

So many beautiful saguaro cacti! (And other species of cacti)
There is a good variety of trails with some surprisingly technical sections and some fast and flowy stretches
If you hit it in the spring, the preserve explodes with wildflowers
You can ride pretty much all the trails in one ride if you want, which is nice if you’re just visiting Tucson for a few days

Skip it because:

It can get pretty busy with hikers, especially on weekends
e-bikes are not allowed

Photo out over front of mountain bike handlebar onto singletrack trail at Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson — Sweetwater Preserve is a great trail network for it’s diversity of trails, desert vegetation, and beautiful views

My TWW Take

Overall fun-ness

I really like the riding at Sweetwater Preserve. It’s usually the first trail network I hit when I’m in Tucson. It has a good mix of flow and tech to get me warmed up for desert riding and the cacti-studded landscape can’t be beat.

I also like that it’s a ‘one ride and done’ kind of place. You can ride most of the trails in a single ride, so it feels like a good accomplishment, especially for your first day in Tucson.

As far as ‘fun-ness factor’, Sweetwater Preserve delivers! The descent down Desperado is a blast and there are little pockets of tech to keep things interesting.

Average difficulty

Even though the trails at Sweetwater Preserve are pretty much all rated Green (easy) and Blue (intermediate) on TrailForks, there are actually some short and sweet technical sections. They don’t warrant at Black (expert) trail ratings, but they could be a good challenge for some riders to session or keep more advanced riders on their toes. See “Best Trails to Ride” below for more info on what to expect on each trail.

Singletrack trail at Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson — It doesn’t look like much in the photo, but the descent down Wildflower Ridge has some fun rocky tech.

Trail variety

There’s not a ton of trail variety at Sweetwater Preserve. I’d say it’s desert cross-country with a sprinkle or two of ‘enduro’. But don’t let that hold you back from riding these trails. I really enjoy them and I think you will, too!

Best trails to ride

There aren’t too many trails at Sweetwater Preserve and as I mentioned above, you can fit most of them into one ride if you want to. Here are what I consider the ‘best’ trails:

Desperado: If you’re a beginner or are riding with kids, this is a great loop to do on its own. The ridgeline descent is beautiful and the climb is built well so you don’t have to work hard for your reward. Ride it counterclockwise for the most fun descending.
Black Rock Loop: This isn’t my favorite trail, but it’s worth adding on if you want the miles. It’s a bit loose and chunky in places. I usually ride it counterclockwise, but it would be fine clockwise, too.
Redtail Ridge: A beautiful trail with some surprisingly techy stretches.
Red Canyon: I like this trail better than staying on Homestead. It’s more scenic and interesting.
Wildflower Ridge: The east side is a nice mellow climb and the west side is the best ‘techy’ descent at Sweetwater Preserve

Tall saguaro cacti lining a singletrack trail at Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson, Arizona — Don’t forget to stop and take in the majestic saguaro cacti – they are SO impressive!

Route recommendation

Easy Out and Back: Desperado is one of the best trails at Sweetwater. It’s fast and flowy and super fun! This route climbs up to the top of Ocotillo Hill and then reverses for an awesome descent.
Tour de Sweetwater: This route is the classic way to link up the trails at Sweetwater Preserve if you’re looking to do them all. It’s my go-to loop whenever I’m at Sweetwater.
Make it shorter: Here are two ways to make this route shorter:
Skip the Black Rock Loop. Honestly, it’s not my favorite anyway
Skip the double-back on Red Canyon and just continue onto Redtail Ridge after climbing Ocatillo Hill

Planning Your Sweetwater Preserve Ride

🚗 Getting there: Sweetwater Preserve is located just a short drive northwest of Tucson. There’s no public transportation, so you’ll need to drive.

🅿️ Parking: There is a large parking area with port-a-potties, but no water. This is pretty much the only public parking for Sweetwater and it can get very busy on weekends.

🗺️ Navigating the trails: The trails are well-signed with maps at every major intersection, but I still recommend having a mountain bike trail app downloaded to your phone.

🚻 Bathrooms: There are port-a-potties at the main parking area.

💧 Water: The is no water at the trailhead or on the trails. Bring all that you need with you.

📅 How many days: You can cover all of the trails in one ride, so you just need a day at Sweetwater if you’re visiting.

☀️ When to go: Winter is ideal for mountain biking in Tucson.

🚲 What type of bike to bring: A short or mid-travel full-suspension bike would be best. You could also get away with a hardtail.

⚡️ E-bikes: No

Trail sign at Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson — The trails are well-signed, but I still recommend having TrailForks or another app downloaded to your phone

Just looking for the best of the best? Check out my top picks for the best mountain bike trails in Tucson.

Mountain bike leaning against trail sign at Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson

I hope this post gives you all the info and motivation to head out to Sweetwater Preserve for a mountain bike ride (or two!). It’s one of my favorite places to ride in Tucson for a quick spin with beautiful desert scenery, and great views.

Enjoy!

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Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson: A Mountain Biker’s Guide

February 27, 2024