Mountain Biking
Coronado National Forest - Chiva Falls
Tucson, Arizona
Jeep roads = tough climbs, rocky descents and nice scenery near Tucson.
by Dana Farnsworth, Outdoor Travels
The Coronado National Forest covers 1,780,000 acres of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Elevations range from 3000 feet to 10,720 feet in twelve widely scattered mountain ranges or "sky islands" that rise dramatically from the desert floor, supporting plant communities as biologically diverse as those encountered on a trip from Mexico to Canada.
Views are spectacular from these mountains, and visitors may experience all four seasons during a single day's journey, spending the morning wandering among giant saguaros and colorful wildflowers, having a picnic lunch under the brilliant golden leaves of a cottonwood tree, and playing in the snow later in the afternoon.
The Coronado National Forest offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities year-round. The higher elevations are most popular during the summer, offering temperatures 20 or more degrees cooler than the desert on any day of the year. These mountaintop sites also provide opportunities to ski and play in the snow during the winter months. Many of the low elevation recreation areas are located in scenic canyons or foothills, and these sites are most popular during the fall, winter and spring. Over 1,100 miles of trails are available. Interpretive trails in and around prehistoric and historic sites allow you to experience the Forest's heritage. Four small lakes provide water-based activities. Eight wilderness areas encompassing 338,536 acres offer visitors solitude and primitive recreation.
Trail Review
December 27, 2002
by Dana Farnsworth, Outdoor Travels
This was to be my first mountain biking experience in Arizona. After some research I learned that the Chiva Falls area is one of the more talked about rides in the Tucson area. Armed with a trail map and a $20 a day Trek 4500 from Broadway Bicycle in Tucson, I was ready! My wife Kelli wouldn't be joining me today as she twisted her knee while backpacking the previous day. She was going to drop me off at the main trailhead and pick me up a couple of hours later.
Chiva Falls' main trailhead is accessible via Tanque Verde Road to where the pavement stops at Redington road. From there you'll travel 4.7 miles, mostly straight up a horrendously rocky road. You'll need a high clearance vehicle for this part. 4.7 miles from where the pavement stops and Redington begins you'll spot a fenced in area to your right. When I arrived the lot was empty and I didn't know if it was the correct trailhead. I had heard that it was generally busy.
At any rate, I jumped out, readied my bike and hydration pack, popped my brain bucket on, kissed the wife, said "see you later" and rode off into the great unknown. I wasn't even exactly sure if I was on the right trail. All I knew was I had a map and I was on some sort of trail. I could work the rest out later. The trail I was on turned out to be pretty typical of the trails in Chiva Falls in that they are wide, rocky Jeep roads. Mountain biking in this area seems to be tagging along on the bumpers of off-road 4x4s. I almost immediately was greeted with a very rocky teeth rattling downhill and a calf busting rocky and long ascent. For the most part, this is the character of Chiva Falls. When I paused to look up, I was surrounded by beautiful high desert and mountain scenery. It was around the beginning when I spotted the only people I would see for almost the entire ride. A couple in a big tire 4x4 plundered up the trail I was descending. They smiled and waved as I gave them plenty of room.
Many tough climbs and descents later, around what felt like 40 minutes into my adventure I came to a well-marked junction! Finally I could get a bearing on my map. I was at a junction of trails 4426, which I was on and 4117. It was on my map! Even better news; I was also where I thought I was! If I had planned a little better, I would have known that riding A short distance from where I was would have taken me to the water fall that the area is named for. I continued back towards Redington Road on 4417. I could have continued riding to the Chiva Falls area by staying on 4426 to where 4405 joins on the left. It would have added maybe 45 minutes total to my ride and I kind of wish I would have known this, although, I was happy to know where I was. I headed back towards Redington Road. The trail remained about the same as it was previously, which is to say by now was tiring me a little. I managed to make a few climbs that I didn't think I could have as well as bailing out on a more than a couple of climbs that looked just plain impossible for all but Ned Overend to make. At one point, after a technical descent that required all of my attention, I stopped at the bottom, took a deep breath and looked up for the first time in about a minute or two; I was surrounded by skittish but oddly curious cows! I found watching them watching me with big blank stares on their bovine faces to be pretty funny. During another break, I noted automatic gunfire in the distance. Coronado has a couple of gun ranges in their boundary, so I wasn't surprised to hear gun shots, only surprised to hear a machine gun on full automatic. Apparently Arizonians take their weapons seriously!
One thing I did note is that there is NO shade on this trail at all. I can imagine that it's an excruciating ride in the warmer months. Today by comparison was just about perfect with the exception of my burning calves! As I neared Redington Road I passed the only other people I would see on the trail; a group of car campers that was enjoying lunch. I rode by them unnoticed. When I reached Redington Road I hung a left (west) in order to head back to the main trailhead where I started. In contrast to the Jeep roads I had just been on, Redington Road now seemed relatively smooth! I came upon a mile marker that was 11.5. I don't fully understand the system as I had noticed a marker that said 4 or 4.5 pretty early into Redington Road. Doing the math, I knew that I would have a 7.5-mile ride to the entrance at Tanque Verde Road. Before I left the trailhead this morning Kelli mentioned that she didn't want to drive back up the mountain, so I told her that I would meet her at the bottom.
I've now noticed that from the point I entered Redington Road, heading back towards the entrance there are two short Jeep roads that loop back to Redington after a short distance. I didn't ride these, but wish I'd checked them out. Shortly after the trail I was on (4426) enters Redington, heading west, I found some of the prettiest scenery I had seen yet. Grassy fields and trees framed in beautiful views of the mountains that had been looking down on me all day. Redington as I mentioned is predominately uphill as I headed in towards the trailhead in the morning. I now knew that I was going to have a bombing descent to look forward to. I soon caught two other bikers on one of the few climbs on Redington prior to the big descent. My fellow biker company was short lived as we crested the top of the climb. They took off down the mountain with incredible speed. They were a lot more daring and familiar with the road than I. I never saw them again. I think they must have been in the next county by the time I reached the entrance. After a short ride down Tanque Verde and a short wait at a gas station just outside the entrance, I spotted my wife coming to pick me up.
Chiva Falls offers a lot of choices for mountain bike riding trails. The trails here seem to be wide, rough, tough and technical in a boulder dodging way. I would recommend them for the experienced rider who has a fair level of physical fitness. I believe beginners would find pushing their bikes up and down hills quite frustrating. Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen, as there was no shade on the trails I rode. This loop took me approximately 1.5 hours with a couple of breaks and some photo snapping.
Trail Snapshot
Trail(s): Many miles of wide and rocky double track. This ride was a loop. Trail 4426 to 4417 to Redington road and back to parking area.
Difficulty: Strenuous Intermediate/Advanced with technical descents.
Outdoor Travels Rating:
2.5 out of 5 bikes for scenery and the great workout you'll get.
Leasons Learned
- Don't miss the waterfall - Chiva Falls.
- The trails in this area are a lot harder than some advertise. Although the trail is wide double track, there are a lot of rocky technical descents and lung busting long climbs.
- The scenery is incredible.
- Don't miss a ride down Redington Road from the second trailhead heading back to the first trailhead. The scenery is great and the long descent after the first trailhead is fun
Nuts & Bolts
Location: Tucson, Arizona
Directions to Park: Take Tangue Verde road east to Redington Road (where the pavement stops). The main trailhead is approximately 4.7 miles pretty much straight up a rocky incline from where the pavement stops. The parking area is on the right accross from a corral.
Activities: Mountain biking, hiking, camping, ORV, 4x4
Admission: currently none
Contact: Coronado National Forest, 300 W. Congress St., Tucson, AZ 85701
Phone: (520) 670-4552 TTY: (520)670-4584
Maps and Stuff
Trail and topo map
Trail Photos
Lots of great photos to give you a good idea of what riding here is like!
