Arizona Mountain Biking

Stories From My Rides, A Custom Trail Map, & Lots of Cacti!

Is Arizona mountain biking for you?? Some people just don't see beauty when looking at a desert ... and Arizona is mostly desert.

But Cindy and I enjoy the desert and love Arizona. Give me a rough rock trail lined with Ocotillo, Saguaros, or Palo Verde trees, and I am in Heaven.

The map just below shows you locations for the rides I have written up in the desert state. These are (arguably) the best mountain bike rides in Arizona.

To get driving directions to each trailhead, select the icon of the trail you want. A small window will appear, where you can select Directions, type in your location, and click Get Directions.

Down below the map you will find links to my individual write-ups of my experiences with each trail. The trail pages also have maps specific to each location, with landmark icons noting the various features and sites of the trail.

I rode the following rides during a one week spring break trip to Arizona. I have listed them here in the order I rode them, and you can click on each link to get a detailed article about the ride.

I found Red Mountain a hot, dry, mountain bike playground found on the outskirts of Apache Junction, a suburb of Phoenix. The area was named for an omnipresent landmark just north across the Salt River.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is on the edge of Cottonwood, a town of approximately 15,000 people, located just off Highway 17 roughly 100 miles north of Phoenix. This park was where I found the trailhead for the Thumper Loop and began my quest for the Bones Trail.

Just 45 miles west of Cottonwood we found the twin cities of Prescott and Prescott Valley. Cindy's grandparents used to have a cabin in Prescott years ago ... but had to sell it due to the elevation's affect on her grandmother's bad heart. Cindy had stayed at the cabin as a child whereas this was my first visit. After checking with a local bike shop we located Spruce Mountain just south of Prescott. Similarly, Lynx Lake sits just south of Prescott Valley.

We found Sedona to be a tourist magnet, bustling with "Starbucks" drinking yuppies, jeep tour screamers, and first-time mountain bikers on rentals. The Cathedral Rock and Submarine Rock trails actually emanated from Oak Creek Village, a small berg perched on Highway 179, just 7 miles south of Sedona.

Flagstaff, a city of 62,000 people, lies on the intersection of Highways 40 and 17, and was a main stop on old Route 66. "Flag" (as locals call it) sits on top of Arizona ... from an elevation standpoint. The Sunset Trail zigzags across the west flank of 9,299 foot Mount Elden, which overlooks the city of Flagstaff. This part of Arizona, like Prescott, is mostly forested and does not look much like a desert.

If you have not already done so, why not give Arizona mountain biking a try? You might find it enjoyable.

If you have any questions about it, or you've ridden in Arizona before and have some insights to share, please feel free to do so using the brief form below.

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