Chiva Falls Loop Rincon Mountains Tucson, Arizona Distance: 11.4 miles Type: jeep trail, loop Time: 1-3 hours Season: not summer Elevation Range: 3720-4200 ft Permit Required: No Quick Rating: fast fun trail with a touch of technical Chiva Area Trail Map (left half) (526 Kb JPG) Chiva Area Trail Map (right half) (359 Kb JPG)

Description

A fast and fun loop that almost everyone will like. It starts with a (mostly) gentle uphill warmup with mountain views. The route leaves the main road and crosses the high desert in rolling ups and downs with only an occasional short technical section. The down side? This area is one of the most popular weekend destinations in the area for cyclists, 4WDs, and ATVs. The trails get wider every season. If you're looking for a scenic desert ride or hike along a quiet trail, seek elsewhere.

Rating

A trail for everyone. Newbies will find it fun and challenging. Veterans can see how fast they can ride it without dabbing.

How to get there

Take Tanque Verde Road east of town where it turns into Redington Road. Entrance 1 parking (the main trail access area) is 4.5 miles after the paved road ends and the dirt road starts. There's a corral on the left and a cleared area on the right. Unless you're early there will already be a bunch of cars parked there.

Trail Log

0.0	Start from the parking area and ride east on Redington Road.
3.5	Parking area for the second entrance. Hang a right and head down the trail.
6.3	Trail 4426 joins from the right. Follow the trail left.
6.7	Trail 4405 joins from the right. Follow Trail 4426 left
6.8	Trail 4405 splits right at an old corral. Follow it across the Tanque Verde Wash and smaller Joaquin Wash.
7.5	Trail 4405 splits right up a steep hill. Stay left down the loose hill in front of you.
7.7	End of the trail. Check out the falls if they're running or practice your bike handling skills on the granite. Ride out the way you came in when you're ready.
7.9	Trail 4405 again on the left. Did you make the climb up the Challenge Hill? I've only seen one rider do it.
8.4	Trail crosses Joaquin Wash and Tanque Verde Canyon Wash.
8.6	Turn left on Trail 4426 at the corral.
8.7	Trail 4405 joins from the left. Continue right on Trail 4426. There's a singletrack shortcut on the north side of the intersection you might like to try.
9.1	Trail 4417 joins from the right. Stay left. Chiva Tank will appear shortly on the right.
11.4	Back where you started.

Notes

Start early to avoid traffic on the trail. The Chiva Falls section of the trail is probably the busiest around. It's also very popular with 4WD and quad enthusiasts. You'll find the vehicles noisy but the riders friendly and helpful. More than once we've been offered food, water, and a ride.

Watch out for hikers and yield the trail, smile, and wave. They're not common but that's all the more reason to watch for them.

Trail maps are not complete. 4WDs are adding trails even as we speak so not all of them are mapped. The important intersections still had trail markers last time I looked.
.