High Chiva Loop Rincon Mountains Tucson, Arizona Distance: 14.3 miles Type: jeep trail, loop Time: 2.5-5 hours Season: not summer Elevation Range: 3720-4500 ft Quick Rating: misery loves company Chiva Area Trail Map (left half) (526 Kb JPG) Chiva Area Trail Map (right half) (359 Kb JPG)

Description

The high loop, or upper loop as it's also called, takes you into the high country above Chiva Falls for impressive views. It has more than its fair share of steep loose climbs and suicidal downhills. You won't have to worry about running into 4WDs or ATVs up here. Even they won't ride it. It's also a good warmup for the La Mesa del Oso loop. If you like the upper loop and crave more, try La Mesa. If you don't, avoid it like the plague.

Rating

Depending on the season and your degree of fitness and preparedness, this ride can either be a challenge or the ride from hell. The long climbs late in the ride take their toll, especially on warm days. If an extended period of climbing misery is not your idea of fun, stay away. Pack plenty of water, snacks, and spare tubes.

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. Turn left on Trail 4426.
7.2	Trail 4424 joins from the left. Follow Trail 4426 right and up a long hill.
9.7	Trail meets Trail 4405. Ride right up and along the ridge. Prepare for a fast, loose, and very steep downhill.
10.8	Trail to Chiva Falls on right. Follow Trail 4405 left.
11.3	Trail crosses Joaquin Wash and Tanque Verde Canyon Wash.
11.5	Turn left on Trail 4426 at the corral.
11.6	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.
12.0	Trail 4417 joins from the right. Stay left. Chiva Tank will appear shortly on the right.
14.3	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.