Heading to Tucson for mountain biking? Check out Tucson Mountain Park to enjoy some of the best – and most beautiful – singletrack around the city.
Tucson has a lot of great small trail networks for mountain biking, 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.
Where is Tucson Mountain Park?
Tucson Mountain Park is located on the west side of the city. It’s the largest network of trails in Tucson with over 100 miles of singletrack (not all of that is fun singletrack) and lots of options to link up trails for a great day.
What most mountain bikers ride when they visit Tucson Mountain Park is what is labeled Enchanted Hills on the map below (not the green stuff to the left). But Enchanted Hills is only a small part of Tucson Mountain Park. Together – along with the Robles trails – they’re really just one trail network, so I’m going to simply refer to everything as ‘Tucson Mountain Park’ to keep things simple.
Where to park
There are several parking areas for accessing the trails at Tucson Mountain Park. The two that I recommend (and use in my route recommendations below) are:
There are several other trailheads around the preserve, but I was warned that some of them are a bit dicey and there have been break-ins.
Why Mountain Bike at Tucson Mountain Park?
Every trail network has its pros and cons. Here are a few reasons I loved mountain biking at this particular Tucson destination:
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 Tucson Mountain Park these include:
Best trails to ride
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.
Here are what I consider the ‘best’ trails to ride:
Beginner
- El Grupo Lower: This is really the only beginner-friendly trail at Tucson Mountain Park. It’s a good warm-up or a nice loop to take newbies or kids. If you want to test your skills, make a larger loop by starting with El Grupo Upper, which features more technical rock riding.
Intermediate
- Little cat: A must! This trail cuts through a unique section of the preserve that has some slickrock riding and a different feel than the other trails here.
- Shemwell Trail: Shemwell is one of my favorite trails at TMP. It has some fun techy climbing, canyon traversing, and great views. I recommend Shemwell as a climb and not a descent, though, because your other option is climbing up Explorer, which isn’t fun at all.
- Sarasota: A beautiful trail through a stunning canyon lined with saguaro cacti and desert vegetation.
- Rock Wren: Another beautiful trail with some minor rock tech.
- Ledge Surfer: A great descent that I can’t quite remember other than that it was really fun.
What about Explorer? 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 included below, which have sections of Explorer in them, but not the full trail.
Route recommendations
Time to ride! Below are two routes that I really enjoyed during my visit to Tucson Mountain Park.
1. Tucson Mountain Park – northside
This route is great for intermediate riders or for your first time riding in Tucson. It’s got a little bit of everything without being too techy or lung-busting.
Route Basics
Ride it for:
- Beautiful desert scenery
- A great 10-mile ride
- Good mix of tech and flow
Need to know:
- Watch out for hikers
- e-bikes are not allowed
Route directions: Sarasota Trailhead > Sarasota > David Yetman > Rock Wren > Mockingbird > Star Pass > David Yetman > Little Cat > Explorer > Sarasota
Make it shorter: Skip the Rock Wren/Starr Pass loop
Make it longer: Pedal up Shemwell Trail from Starr Pass, turn right onto Explorer (there’s some tech), and then descend down Starr Pass to rejoin the route just before Little Cat.
2. Tucson Mountain Park – southside
I really enjoyed exploring these southside trails (thanks, Glenn, for the tour!). This route has a bit more tech and advanced riding than the route above, so I recommend doing it as a second ride at Tucson Mountain Park.
Route Basics
Ride it for:
- Beautiful desert terrain
- Good variety of trails
- To see a less popular side of Tucson Mountain Park
Need to know:
- There are two tunnels that you need to pass through. Duck your head!
- Watch out for hikers
Route directions: 36th Street Parking > El Grupo Upper > El Grupo Lower > 36th Street > Explorer > Ledge Surfer > Camaro Loop > Bittersweet > Sunset Pass > Explorer > 36th Street.
Make it shorter: Skip the El Grupo warm-up loop (~3 miles)
Make it longer: Combine it with the Northside route for a 20+ mile day.
Just looking for the best of the best? Check out my top picks for the best mountain bike trails in Tucson.
What to wear & pack
Tucson Mountain Park can be a bit rough and rugged. Be sure to 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:
I also recommend wearing some knee pads because there are a lot of sharp rocks and janky sections in TMP.
Need some knee pads?
I pretty much always ride with knee pads. I’ve had too many close calls (and stitches) not to.
When I’m riding relatively mellow trails where I don’t need full-on knee guards, the Fox Enduro Sleeves are my go-to’s.
They’re pleasant to pedal in, pretty breathable, and most importantly, they don’t ride up or slip down with every pedal stroke.
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!
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 ridden at Tucson Mountain Preserve? What are your favorite trails or routes? What questions do you still have? Leave a comment below!
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