Best Tucson Gravel Bike Routes

Tucson gravel covers very different terrain in a relatively small area. We can ride steep desert roads near town, link pavement with flowing singletrack, head south into Patagonia's grasslands or climb remote dirt roads into the Sky Islands.

This guide focuses on a short list of representative rides. Our Tucson Gravel Routes page holds the broader collection and will link to more detailed area and individual-route pages as they are completed.

Use the collection to compare routes, then open the individual map before riding to review the current route, elevation profile and navigation options.

View Gravel Route Maps

We use the collection as a quick overview of the terrain and locations covered in this guide. The featured routes below show how different a Tucson gravel ride can feel depending on whether the day centers on desert roads, singletrack, open grasslands or a remote mountain climb.

East Tucson gives us two very different versions of desert riding. Redington turns away from the city on rough backcountry roads, while Fantasy Island keeps the mileage and climbing lower but introduces riders to flowing, cactus-lined singletrack.

South of Tucson, Patagonia replaces the Sonoran Desert with canyon roads, higher grasslands and the open country of the San Rafael Valley. Our shorter Patagonia route gives us a substantial destination ride without requiring the longer commitment of the 50- and 80-mile options that will live on the dedicated Patagonia gravel page.

North of Tucson, the terrain ranges from fast desert cross-country riding to a major dirt-road climb into the Catalina Mountains. The 24HOP course is a compact singletrack loop, while the backside of Mount Lemmon is a long mountain route with substantially greater climbing, exposure and commitment.

Mount Hopkins takes the guide into the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson. The narrow observatory road, sustained climbing, elevation and limited services make it the most remote route included here and a ride where conservative planning matters more than finishing the entire file.

A capable gravel bike is the right starting point for most of these routes, but setup should follow the terrain. Tire volume, tread, casing strength, gearing and repair capacity become increasingly important on Redington, Patagonia, Mount Hopkins and the backside of Mount Lemmon.

Bunny Loop, 24HOP and rougher sections of the Control Road can move into mountain-bike terrain. Current conditions and the rider's handling ability should determine the bike choice rather than the route label alone. Our Tucson gravel bike rentals are picked up and returned through the 6th Street Location.

Before You Ride

We never treat a saved route as a guarantee of current conditions. Monsoon storms can cut channels across roads, winter weather can affect higher elevations and sustained rain can turn Southern Arizona clay into wheel-stopping mud.

We check the weather, daylight, access and recent conditions before leaving. We download the route for offline navigation and carry sufficient water, food, sun protection, layers, tire-repair equipment and a charged phone.