As you drive into Tucson, you’ll notice this desert city is surrounded on all sides by mountains, including Mount Lemmon, the tallest peak in the Santa Catalina range. There are over 150 local hiking trails on the menu, with Tucsonans tending to rhapsodize over the more popular areas. A paved path beckons leisurely walkers to well-known Sabino Canyon, while more advanced hikers flock to challenging routes like Finger Rock, and waterfall seekers head to beloved Seven Falls and Tanque Verde. But surprisingly, Sweetwater Preserve’s 880 acres of remarkable terrain continue to fly under the radar.
As early as 1927, the land that is now the preserve belonged to railway machinist Joseph Conrad Fraps, who built a tiny wooden shack and lived there until his passing in 1963. Today, the preserve is perfectly located for out-of-towners and locals alike, offering a smorgasbord of trails that are highly accessible from the I-10, 20 minutes from downtown Tucson, or 26 minutes from Tucson International Airport for those flying in. The preserve is located on the city’s northwest side near Saguaro National Park and the University of Arizona’s preserve dedicated to biological research.
Chances are you’ll want to get settled in a nearby hotel first, and luckily, Tucson’s famous Miracle Mile neighborhood is just 15 minutes away. This street is on the National Register of Historic Places and has preserved several iconic motels and their retro neon signs. If you prefer something more rural, Gilbert Ray Campground is one of the closest desert camping spots, around a 27-minute drive from the preserve trailhead. And the excellently rated rental property, La Puerta Azul, is even closer and serves up incredible sunset views of the mountains as you dip into the pool after a hard day’s hike.
Scenic cycling in Sweetwater Preserve
As long as the sun is up, the preserve is open for mountain biking (as well as hiking, trail running, and horseback riding), with routes between half a mile and 1.6 miles long. If Tucson Mountain Park is one of Arizona’s wildly underrated areas for bike trails, then Sweetwater, less than a 20-minute drive to the north from Tucson Mountain Park, might be even more of a hidden cycling hotspot, providing 15 miles of rugged desert paths to traverse…