Destination Guide
Cycling in Tucson & Sedona
Cycling in Tucson & Sedona: desert climbing on Mount Lemmon, red rock gravel, and the most reliable winter training base in North America.
Last updated: 16 Mar 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Climbing, Gravel, Touring
- Difficulty
- Easy — Expert
- Road Quality
- Good
- Cycling Culture
- World Class
- Traffic
- Low
Pro Cycling Connection
Tucson is the established winter training base for a significant portion of the American professional cycling community and numerous European squads. Astana Pro Team, Rally Cycling, and multiple US na...
Best Time to Cycle in Tucson & Sedona
Tucson's cycling calendar is essentially inverted compared to northern US destinations. The peak season runs November through March — precisely when the northern states are locked in winter. December and January are the prime months: daily temperatur...
Temperature: 2°C (winter) to 43°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in Tucson & Sedona
Gates Pass Road
8.5km · 390m · 4.6% · CAT3
The accessible introduction to Tucson climbing and one of the most visually dramatic short road climbs in the American Southwest. Gates Pass Road rises from the western Tucson suburbs through Saguaro National Park West to the Gates Pass summit at 1,070m — a saddle in the Tucson Mountains with a 360-degree panorama over the Avra Valley, the saguaro forest, and the downtown Tucson basin. The gradient is moderate throughout (averaging 4.6% with a single 10% pitch just below the summit), making this a climb suitable for all ability levels while delivering a genuine desert mountain experience. The saguaro cacti that line the upper section are the giant columnar species seen in every Arizona landscape photograph — some exceeding 10m in height and 150 years in age. The road is closed to large vehicles but open to cyclists and passenger cars throughout the year. A popular sunset viewing spot, it carries more car traffic from 16:00 onwards in summer — early morning is significantly quieter and the light on the saguaro forest is exceptional from 07:00-09:00.
Mount Bigelow (South Rim, Santa Catalinas)
24.5km · 1490m · 6.1% · HC
The intermediate option on the Santa Catalina Mountains and the training climb preferred by pro teams wanting something shorter than the full Mount Lemmon summit but substantially more demanding than Gates Pass. The Catalina Highway to the Mount Bigelow junction and radio tower area at 2,437m covers 24.5km from the base with 1,490m of climbing at 6.1% average. The character of the lower two-thirds is identical to the full Mount Lemmon climb — desert to oak-pine transition, consistent 5-6% gradient — but the final 4km beyond the main highway to the Bigelow communication towers are on a rougher service road that requires 25mm+ tyres. The turnaround at the tower complex delivers views superior to any point on the main Catalina Highway below the summit: the Tucson basin to the south and the southern Arizona desert extending 70 miles to the Mexican border. This is a 2.5-3 hour effort from the base that suits training camps seeking a long climbing workout without the commitment of the full summit.
Mount Lemmon Highway (Catalina Highway)
42km · 2100m · 5% · HC
The defining climb of American desert cycling and one of the genuinely great road ascents in the United States. The Catalina Highway climbs from the Tucson basin at 730m to the summit of Mount Lemmon at 2,791m — a vertical gain of 2,100m that surpasses many famous Alpine ascents and spans five distinct ecological zones in 42km. The road begins amid saguaro cactus and palo verde desert scrub, transitions through oak-manzanita woodland at 1,500m, enters pine forest at 2,100m, and arrives at spruce and fir forest approaching the summit. Temperature drops 15-20°C between base and summit — an effect so pronounced that Tucson locals say ascending Mount Lemmon is equivalent to driving from Mexico to Canada in a single day. The gradient is consistently moderate (averaging 5%) without the brutal ramps that characterise the Vermont or Colorado climbs, making this a physiological war of attrition at altitude rather than a series of puncheur tests. Every professional team training in Tucson will ride this climb multiple times per camp. The record ascent time (under 2 hours) is a benchmark in the Tucson cycling community.
Mount Lemmon to Oracle Ridge (gravel)
18km · 520m · 2.9% · CAT3
A high-altitude gravel traverse on the summit plateau of the Santa Catalina Mountains, connecting the top of the Catalina Highway (2,791m) with the Oracle Ridge trail system and Peppersauce Campground to the north. This route rewards riders who have already summited Mount Lemmon on the paved highway and seek additional high-altitude terrain without descending to the valley floor. The Oracle Ridge Road runs along the Santa Catalina Wilderness boundary at 2,400-2,600m through dense ponderosa pine and Gambel oak forest — a completely different character from the rocky desert 2,100m below. The surface transitions from compacted gravel to loose rock on the descending section toward Oracle, requiring 40-45mm tyres. Strong riders can combine the Catalina Highway ascent with the Oracle Ridge extension and descend the Oracle side for a point-to-point adventure of 60km from Tucson to Oracle — with a car shuttle required for the return.
Schnebly Hill Road (Sedona, gravel)
10.8km · 640m · 5.9% · CAT2
The most spectacular gravel climb in Arizona and a legitimate case for best desert gravel ascent in the United States. Schnebly Hill Road climbs from the heart of Sedona (1,315m) up the face of the Mogollon Rim — the dramatic 600m escarpment that defines the Colorado Plateau edge above Sedona — on a red dirt and rock surface that demands 40mm+ tyres and meticulous tyre pressure selection. The gradient averages 5.9% over 10.8km but is wildly irregular: sections of 2-3% loose wash alternate with 12-14% rocky pitches on consolidated sandstone that rewards tyre placement and technical handling. The visual reward is extraordinary and grows with every 100m of altitude gain. Sedona's red rock formations — Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, the Airport Mesa — are viewed from above as the climb progresses, with the Verde Valley and Jerome mining town visible across the valley to the west. The final 3km on the Coconino Plateau rim enter ponderosa pine forest that feels entirely divorced from the red rock desert below. The road transitions to sealed asphalt at the rim, connecting to the Interstate 17 corridor.
Insider Tips
The optimal Tucson training camp itinerary is 10-14 days in January or February: three Mount Lemmon ascents spaced across the trip (days 2, 6, and 11), with loop road rides in the...
The El Tour de Tucson — the annual 100-mile gran fondo held every November since 1983 — is the largest cycling event in Arizona and the oldest major bike tour in the United States....
Tucson's morning café culture is built around Epic Café on North 4th Avenue (open from 06:30, full breakfast menu, large bike parking area) and Raging Sage on East Grant Road (open...
Sedona red rock gravel is best ridden in the 48-72 hours after a dry spell following rain — the surface firms to excellent hardpack before loosening again in heat. The Sedona Red R...
The saguaro cactus that line the Gates Pass and Mount Lemmon base roads are federally protected species. Touching, damaging, or removing any part of a saguaro carries substantial f...
How to Get to Tucson & Sedona for Cycling
Getting around: Car Recommended
A car is strongly recommended for accessing the full range of cycling terrain across the Tucson-Sedona corridor. Tucson itself is very bikeable — the city has invested heavily in cycling infrastructur...