The Chuck Huckelberry Loop - Tucson Bike Trail

Each year when we visit Tucson, we explore a different part of the nearly 100-mile loop trail. This shared-use system consists of paved bike paths with short sections of bike lanes linking the Rillito, Santa Cruz, Pantano, and Canada del Oro River Parks with the Julian Wash and Harrison Road Greenway. For those of us from out of town, these names might not mean much, but when you're biking or hiking any section of the trail, the signage is excellent and essential for navigating the trail system. An interactive map is available online at pima.gov/theloop or All Trails has a excellent map, also.

This year, we camped at Catalina State Park and were able to access the Canada del Oro River Park Trail directly from our campsite, avoiding the busy road. We departed from camp with the goal of biking 20 miles in one direction, with the intention of pausing along the route to appreciate the scenery and catch our breath. We accomplished both these experiences completing a 40 mile round trip ride that included roadrunners, cacti, and the the mountain scenery, along the way. The interactive map was very useful and showed us rest areas, restrooms, and water fill up stations along the way, making it both easy to navigate, plan and make for a comfortable ride. While this was a great outdoor adventure, we have been to places along the Rail to Trail system that are much more scenic.

On the second day, we cycled an additional 40 miles round trip on the Santa Cruz River Park section. Although it wasn't quite as scenic, it remained an enjoyable ride. Overall, the wide paved trail is definitely worth it if you are in the area.

Cheers!

Jeff and Liz