Explore the best rated trails in Tucson, AZ. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Cañada del Oro River Park Trail and Santa Cruz River Park Trail. With more than 12 trails covering 126 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Picked up the trail from the Julian Wash Greenway. It is an asphalt trail with beautiful landscaping along the way. There could have been better signage because there are several bike paths that intersect and it is easy to get turned around. No homeless people, no unsafe areas. We went on a Monday, late morning. There were some runners and cyclists. Very enjoyable.
Path is easy with beautiful landscaping along the way. Started at the trailhead (I think). The only problem was when we got to the busy intersection where the China Express was. Didn't know where to go from there. Better signage would have helped. So we turned around and went back. Picked up the Santa Cruz River Park trail.
This trail is really nice. It is well maintained, with the surface being smooth just about the whole way. I especially loved that it does not run along side a road for the most part. Even though there were a lot of cyclists using the trail, it did not feel crowded. Everyone was courteous about passing or being passed.
Sure, it’s not the most scenic, but it’s in good shape and separate from auto traffic for the most part. A few homeless encampments along the western half of the trail, but they left us alone. Plenty of friendly cyclists on the trail, but it never felt crowded. There’s an odd part at Ajo/6th where the trail runs along the major streets for a couple blocks. I took off one star for that segment.
We parked at the western trailhead on River Road. When we returned to our vehicle it had been broken into. Sad that we have to be victimized like this.
The Julian Wash Greenway is one of five sections of the 56-mile continuous multi-use path around Tucson. I have been walking the Loop in sections for almost two years. I should be done by year's end.
While the path itself is in good shape, the big flaw to this section is its many homeless people, especially on its western part nearing downtown. People live in the culverts, the overpasses, under thick shade trees in the washes. They don't bother me because I always walk with at least one dog by my side, but the trash they leave behind can get overwhelming.
This is also the industrialized part of Tucson. The eastern part goes south of the Davis-Monthan Air Force base, where new homes are being built along the interstate.
There is very little shade along this stretch. Water is available in the parks along the way, with flush toilets.
There are two blocks where the path is the actual street, east of the Los Ninos Park.
This is the least-used section of the Loop.
The Rattlesnake Bridge is really cool and neat for kids. This area is easy access to 4th Avenue which is a mauve, cool bar and grungy student section. BikeArizona.org of The Arizona Bicycle Association ranks the Tucson Loop as the number one biking trail in the state of Arizona. Great place to take kids.
The trail was very nice, but go with caution. Lots of homeless living along the trail.
Started from Tucson Mall (off of Oracle Road) and rode west on the southside of the river bed to the end of trail as shown in this trail description. However, the trail continues on many more miles as part of the Huckleberry loop. The trail is wide and smooth. With lots of trail users out and about. Good signage. We did the other end of the trail last time in Tucson and enjoyed that section also. Highly recommend this trail.
We started at National Park parking lot and rode down hill to just about the end of the trail. Trail surface is old and very rough with plenty of linear cracking. After mile 1.6 the surface improved for a distance. Several major street crossings are encounter with signals for when to cross. We turned around when the trail narrowed down to an elevated concrete path just a couple feet wide. The trail is adjacent to Old Spanish Trail road which is wide with bike lanes on both sides of it. The surface is smooth. We saw a number of road bike folks in the bike lanes, none on the trail. Think I would vote to remove this one from Trail Link’s list of trails. Plenty more in Tucson of much better quality.
Worth the drive from Phoenix to do this. Got off at Ina and left from the first parking lot. Went all the way to Craycroft where we thought the trail ended (it looks like it) don’t be fooled go up, cross over and it keeps going and going. We went 20+ and turned around. Delightful! Enough bathrooms. Options for lunch if you go off path and go to a main road. Seating areas in the shade for a break. Lots of cyclists on a weekday hot morning.
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