Arizona Adventures: Mountain biking the Arizona Trail

Looking for a unique Arizona adventure near Tucson? Try mountain biking the Arizona Trail… or a least a short section of it! This Blogmas – gifting 12 days of travel adventures – post looks at an adventure day cycling to a winery and back along the AZT!

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Mountain biking the Arizona Trail

It runs 800 miles (1287 km) from the northern border of Mexico to the southern border of Utah. The Arizona National Scenic Trail is a non-motorized route. It cuts through Sonoran desert, climbs over mountains, and dips deep into canyons. The AZT is broken down into sections called “passages.”

Many passages of the AZT make for excellent day hikes. Serious bikers have cycled the entire route. That being said, a few passages of the Arizona Trail are perfect for less extreme mountain biking.

Day-trip cycling adventure on the AZT!

Camping in southeastern Tucson in a location like Cactus Country RV Park? You might want to check out part of Passage 7.

This chunk of the AZT follows a singletrack path. It rolls up and down grassy hillsides through fields of ocotillo, prickly pear cactus and creosote bush. Off to the west, the Santa Rita Mountains provide a ragged backdrop. The Empire Mountains – where the Empire Ranch once reigned – rise off to the east.

The ride we suggest takes you from parking at Sahuarita Road towards Charron Vineyards and back. The return distance is 18.6-mile (30 km).

It does take a bit of route-finding – use Trailforks or AllTrails and the GPS map function on your smartphone to see the trail and roads – to reach the vineyard. You’ll need to come down off the AZT and cross to the opposite side of Hwy 83 at the upper end of the ride – but it makes for an interesting mountain biking adventure!

The trail climbs from Sahuarita Road up to a pass – which is a bit rocky – before accessing dirt roads down to the highway and the vineyard. At the vineyard, get some food – and a Sangria slushy or wine sampler if you so desire – before the zippy ride back down the trail in the glow of late afternoon sun.