Tucson: Sweetwater Preserve

 On the drive home from Patagonia, I wanted to ride someplace in Tucson I don't frequent. Sweetwater Preserve came to mind as I had only passed through once many years ago while doing a huge TMP Loop. It's located on the northeast side of Tucson Mtn. Park. There aren't a ton of miles there, but enough for a good ride. You could probably get 20 miles if you were to ride everything it had to offer. I was looking for a 2 hour ride.

I had to divert through a neighborhood to reach the trailhead as the main road in was closed due to a bad traffic accident. Pay attention out there!! The trailhead had about a dozen or so vehicles, a mix of bikers and hikers.

Since I didn't know the trail system, I just picked a trail and went.

Gentle climbing led to impressive views of Mt. Lemmon to the east.

Turning back west, things looked like they'd get more rocky.

Large stands of Saguaro dominated the landscape.

I image this is what it would be like to ride in Saguaro Nat'l Park, which is nearby.

Santa Catalina and Ricon Mtns tower above the desert floor.

There's a good deal of chunky XC riding and I was happy to clean a few of the longer efforts.

The trail system is a series of short loops, so you can easily change things up.

Ocotillo in full bloom.

Trailhead beginning to thin out a bit.

Strava link.

I ended up riding most of the system, missed a few connector trails and access trails to the neighboring communities. It's a really fun, scenic area to ride. If you have the time when passing through, check it out, it'll surprise you.