Chiva - Italian Trap Loop Rincon Mountains Tucson, Arizona Distance: 11.5 miles Type: jeep trail, loop Time: 1-3 hours Season: not summer Elevation Range: 3720-4320 ft Quick Rating: fast 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

Another variation of the Chiva Falls route. This loop is a longer one over a less used section of trail. It includes an uphill warmup, desert views, and a half-mile ride along the shaded Tanque Verde Wash. With an early start you'll ride quiet trails until the climb out from Chiva Falls.

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 on right. Continue on Redington Road.
4.7	The third entrance where FR 37 joins on the right. Ride right. Watch out for dead end trail spurs.
6.7	Corral at junction of FR 95 (left) and FR 60 (right). FR 60 is signed as Trail 4424. The Arizona Trail sign shows signs of target practice. Follow Trail 4424 right along the Tanque Verde Wash.
8.3	Trail 4426 to the upper loop joins from the left. Continue right on Trail 4424.
8.7	Trail 4405 joins from the left near an old corral. This log follows the trail right and away from the falls. Ride left if you want a side trip to the falls.
8.8	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.
9.2	Trail 4417 joins from the right. Stay left. Chiva Tank will appear shortly on the right.
11.5	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.

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