Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson: A Mountain Biker’s Guide
Heading to Tucson for mountain biking? Check out Sweetwater Preserve to enjoy some of the best – and most beautiful – singletrack in the city.
While Tucson may not be as popular with mountain bikers as Phoenix and Sedona to the north, it still has a lot of great singletrack options. One of my personal favorite networks to ride is Sweetwater Preserve.
This small trail system packs a lot into 14 miles. From dense saguaro ‘forests’ to some surprisingly technical climbing to fast and flowy ridgeline descents, Sweetwater Preserve is definitely a must for any mountain biker visiting Tucson.
Use this guide to learn what to expect and how to plan a fun day out on the trails!
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Where is Sweetwater Preserve?
Sweetwater Preserve is located northwest of Tucson at the base of Saguaro National Park West.
Where to park
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.
Why Mountain Bike at Sweetwater Preserve?
Sweetwater Preserve is a great place to spend a day or two on your Tucson mountain biking trip. Here are a few reasons why I love it:
New to desert riding? Check out my post on How to Survive Your First Mountain Bike Trip to the Desert for tips on what to expect and how to prepare.
Important things to know
As with any mountain bike trail network, there are certain things you should know before starting your ride. For Sweetwater Preserve these include:
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:
Beginner
- 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.
Intermediate
- 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
Just looking for the best of the best? Check out my top picks for the best mountain bike trails in Tucson.
Route recommendation
Time to ride! Below is the route that I typically do when I find myself at Sweetwater.
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. If you want a shorter/easier ride, see my suggestions below.
Trail Basics
Ride it for:
- The saguaro cacti
- A great ‘one-and-done’ ride
- Good variety of terrain
Need to know:
- Sweetwater is very popular with hikers. Be kind and courteous and share the trail
- e-bikes are not allowed
Route directions: Sweetwater Preserve Parking > Saguaro Vista > Black Rock Loop (either direction) > Sun Circle Loop > Lost Arrow (has some techy climbing) > The Spine > Ocatillo Hill > right on Homestead > Red Canyon > The Spine > Ocatillo Hill > left on Homestead > Redtail Ridge > Nighthawk > Desperado > Wildflower Ridge
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
What to wear & pack
There’s nothing too special about mountain biking at Sweetwater Preserve, so you’ll just want to make sure you have your mountain bike pack essentials and enough water for a 2-3 hour ride.
If you’re newer to mountain biking and want some gear recommendations, check out these posts:
Looking for a new hydration pack?
Carry all your tools, water, and snacks for your ride. I know there are three camps when it comes to mountain bikers: the hydration backpackers, the hip packers, and the water bottlers.
I fall firmly in the hydration backpack club for a few reasons. I drink a lot of water, I eat a lot of snacks, and I like to be prepared with all the tools and spares I might need (especially when mountain biking alone).
The Osprey Raven (Raptor for the guys) is my favorite pack that I’ve tried. It has a ton of organization including its own tool roll, it’s comfortable, and it can carry a 3L water reservoir.
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!
Read next
Looking for some great riding around Tucson and Phoenix? Check out these other trails and mountain bike networks to explore:
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Have you checked out the trails at Sweetwater Preserve in Tucson? What did you think? Are they worth spending a day at? Leave a comment below!
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