A Complete Guide To Tucson Mountain Biking: The Best Trails & More!

Many people know Tucson for Saguaro National Park, great Mexican food, and a quirky southwestern vibe, but it’s also home to some great desert riding. Tucson mountain biking might not be as popular (or truthfully, as good…) as Phoenix and Sedona to the north, but the singletrack is definitely worth checking out if you find yourself on an Arizona road trip.

I’ve ridden in Tucson a handful of times now and I’ll happily return for many more trips. The trails cater to a variety of riders from flowy desert singletrack to gnarly downhill descents, epic backcountry rides, and lots of technical climbs to hone your trials skills.

The mountain biking is spread out around the city and each trail network has its own personality and uniqueness. To help you plan your trip and navigate the trails, I’ve put together this guide of what to expect and where to ride on your Tucson mountain biking adventure.

Why Plan a Mountain Bike Trip to Tucson?

Mountain biking in Tucson is a pretty unique experience. You can get the best of both worlds of long cross-country pedals as well as big, technical downhill descents and everything in between. There is a ton of variety and trails to explore. Here are a few of my top reasons to plan a mountain bike getaway to Tucson:

Where To Ride & Route Recommendations

One of the hardest parts of planning a mountain bike trip is knowing where and what to ride. To help take the guesswork out of planning your trip, here are the best trail networks to explore in Tucson as well as some route recommendations.

Note: I use TrailForks for my recommended routes. It’s free on desktop or $30-something per year for the app. If you are a mountain biker and ride places outside your home trails, you should have TrailForks on your phone.

Tucson Mountain Biking Map

1. Sweetwater Preserve

Sweetwater Preserve is a beautiful park on the western edge of Tucson. It’s home to lots of different cacti species including saguaro, barrel cactus, ocotillo, chollas, and more. Many were blooming when I rode in May, making the landscape even more spectacular!

Most of the mountain bike trails at Sweetwater Preserve have great flow (the descent down Desperado is a must!) and the pedaling is, for the most part, pretty casual. But that being said, there is some chunk and rock gardens to keep you on your toes. The two hardest trails are Wildflower Ridge and Lost Arrow, both of which have rocky sections that may need to be walked.

There is minimal sustained elevation gain/loss throughout the park, so it’s a great place to get a lot of miles in. The trails are also very well marked with maps at each intersection, so it’s easy to navigate (but I still recommend having TrailForks downloaded to your phone).

Lastly, Sweetwater is a popular area, so expect hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and even equestrians.

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

2. Tucson Mountain Park

Tucson Mountain Park (and the adjoining Enchanted Hills) is probably the most popular place to mountain bike in Tucson. Like Sweetwater, there’s a good variety of trails, but Tucson Mountain Park covers a larger swath of terrain and has even more variety and awesome views.

The thing to know about Tucson Mountain Park, though, is that some trails are definitely best-ridden in one direction. Use my route recommendations above to avoid hike-a-biking up Explorer or missing out on the fun descent down Mockingbird.

It’s also worth noting that the far northwest trails (the network of ‘green’ trails on TrailForks) aren’t really worth riding. They’re sandy and best left for the equestrians.

3. Catalina State Park & the 50-Year Trail

Catalina State Park and the 50-Year Trail make up a stunning network at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Unlike Tucson’s other trail networks, this area is characterized by lots of boulders and slickrock. It’s one of the more popular areas in Tucson for mountain bikers and it’s also one of the most challenging. You can seriously hurt yourself here, so always scope your lines and walk if you’re not feeling it. That being said, Catalina is one of my favorite places to ride in Tucson if I’m looking for a challenge.

The trails at Catalina are not well marked at all with signs, so you need some sort of GPS app like TrailForks or MTB Project. You can also expect some hike-a-biking, but the descents are worth it and there are tons of alt-lines to session if you want to work on your trials and slow-speed skills.

4. Marana Trails

The Marana Trails are located north of Tucson and offer amazing views out over the city and surrounding mountain ranges. This area is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, except the trailhead is situated within the gates of the Ritz-Carlton (there’s a public trail access parking area).

There aren’t many mountain bike trails here, but if you have the stamina and patience to do the Tour de Tortolitas route that I’ve recommended. I think it’s one of the most beautiful areas for riding around Tucson. HOWEVER, there is a nasty hike-a-bike at the start of this lollipop loop, so be aware of that.

5. McKenzie Ranch

McKenzie Ranch is the ultimate new-school cross-country trail network in Tucson. It’s a mountain bike competition course and there is no tech – literally. It’s all smooth, buff trail with great flow.

Two loops make up McKenzie Ranch: the Lozen Loop and the Daheste Loop and they are both directional, so you need to ride them clockwise. You can combine them to make one big 9.7-mile loop, which is the route I recommend above. If you only want to do one loop, I thought the Lozen Loop is the better of the two.

McKenzie Ranch is very cross-country with some fun, fast downhills, mellow climbs, and great views of the desert and surrounding mountains. It’s built for mountain bikers and is very well-marked with maps at each intersection.

Also, as I mentioned above, this is a racecourse so it might be smart to avoid it on weekends, or else you may drive all the way out there and not be able to ride.

6. Fantasy Island

Fantasy Island is a small network of trails on the southeast side of the city and it’s a great place for entry-level mountain bikers or families. I haven’t (yet) biked at Fantasy Island (there’s so much mountain biking to cover in Tucson!), but I have heard that it is made up of pretty mellow cross-country terrain with well-signed trails and not a lot (or even any) tech. But what it’s missing in features it makes up for with fun whoops and rollercoaster-like terrain.

The trails are well marked – most with fun and funky trail art and trail signs – and there is one main loop with several optional side loops.

The loops at Fantasy Island are one-way, so be sure you follow the signs.

7. Vail Vortex/Colossal Cave

The Colossal Cave/Vail Vortex trail network southeast of Tucson is worth heading out to if you’ve already ridden the more popular trail networks in Tucson (namely Sweetwater, Tucson Mountain Park, and Catalina).

The lower trails are very cross-country with fast-rolling singletrack through ‘groves’ of prickly pear cacti and other desert vegetation.

If you head out to the Colossal Cave section of the AZT, you’re in for a treat! It’s a beautiful stretch of singletrack, some of it through a beautiful narrow canyon. Watch out for wheel-stopping rocks, though – there are a few sections that are tricky (but doable for any intermediate rider).

8. Mt. Lemmon

Mt. Lemmon is the highest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountains at 9,159 feet. It’s also home to the most technical and rowdy mountain biking in Tucson. Most people shuttle Mt. Lemmon, but you can access the trails by riding up General Hitchcock Road, which does have a nice wide shoulder.

Mt. Lemmon is not for the cross-country desert rider. Expect challenging rock gardens, hike-a-bikes, and steep, technical climbs. But you’ll also get rewarded with incredible views out over the city and (short) sections of awesome flow.

One of the most iconic rides to do in Tucson (for very advanced riders) is The Full Lemmon Drop. If you don’t want to commit to that epic of a day, the route above is a good intro to the riding on Mt. Lemmon.

Planning Tips & Resources

Planning a mountain biking trip to Tucson? Here are a few tips and resources to help you make the most of your southern Arizona getaway.

First time riding in the desert? Check out my tips for surviving your first mountain bike trip to the desert.

Best Time Of Year To ride in Tucson

The best time to mountain bike in Tucson is the late fall through winter and early spring. I’ve visited in May, November, and February. November and February were perfect while May was already getting too hot for mid-day rides.

Tucson can actually get snow in the winter, so if you want to ride the trails on Mt. Lemmon, be sure to check the forecast.

Where to stay or camp

Tucson Camping

There are a few campgrounds around Tucson. Catalina State Park Campground is probably the most developed and it’s close to the 50 Year Trail. Book ahead of time, though, because it fills up fast.

You can also purchase a $15 Arizona State Trust Land Permit to camp on any Arizona State Trust Land for five consecutive days. I like to use the AllStays Camp & RV app to find dispersed campsites.

Mountain biker-friendly Hotels

If you prefer to stay in a hotel, The Tuxon is a good choice for mountain bikers. It has secure bike storage for your bikes plus complimentary cruisers if you want to take a spin on the nearby Loop trail (see below).

The Tuxon is also located near Tucson Mountain Park and Highway 10 so you can easily get to other mountain bike networks.

What to pack for your Tucson Mountain Bike Trip

For a complete list of what mountain bike gear to pack for your trip to Tucson, head over to my Complete Mountain Bike Trip Packing List and Mountain Bike Pack Essentials posts.

A few specific things to pack for a mountain bike trip to Tucson are:

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Have you mountain biked in Tucson? What are your favorite trails or routes? Let me know in the comments below!