Starr Pass

Tucson, Arizona

How to get there: Take Speedway toward Tucson Mountain Park. Turn left on Silverbell. Right on Ajo Way. Head up Ajo way until you get to Starr Pass Resort. Turn left and go up the hill to the stop sign. Turn left. Take the first right on a dirt road along the golf course. Go to the end of the road and park.

Length: 15 miles, 2 hours, 1500 foot climb.

Trail Conditions: Pretty good. Sandy and rocky as usual.

The Map: Lots of trails out here. The best way to explore is to get The Map at your local bike shop. SDMB also offers a map. Or click on my Motionbased map below.


The Ride: My favorite loop takes you through Starr Pass, Golden Gate Pass, loops around Gate mountain down Kinney Road, left on Saratoga and back into the trail system up and over Starr Pass. I sometimes take the Golden Gate trail, but I opted out this time. There's a lot of rocky/sandy unpleasantness on the Tucson Mountains but I think this loop gives you some fast singletrack and some decent distance.

Other Options: Whatever you do don't take the David Yetman wash on the backside of John Krein. That said, it can be fun to take the steep singletrack up John Krein mountain, but watch out for saguaros on the downhill. You can also loop around Starr mountain for a real quick ride. The Prospector trail on the other side of Kinney road seemed kind of weak when I rode it, but I've got to try it out again. Also, don't be stupid like me and try "Unrideable" from Golden Gate Pass. It really is unrideable. I ended up carrying my bike to the road and got some serious cholla stuck in my fingers.