Tortolita 50

When:
February 21, 2026 at 8:00 start.

Where: Catalina, AZ. Just north of Tucson. Meet and park under the large powerlines on Edwin Rd, where the GPX file starts and ends. It is State Trust Land so you will need your permit displayed.

Updated route for 2026! Less road, no highway riding, more singletrack. 47 miles including the “vision quest” of Carpenter Ranch Road.

Description: The route starts with some classic Honeybee singletrack, hitting the smooth stuff before finding a little rocky goodness on the west side of the trail system. Then it’s time to climb into the heart of the Torts and the beginning of the Ridgeline trail with its endless views. Prepare for ‘the gnar’ as Wild Mustang and Upper Javelina are next, and chunk is the name of the game. Everyone will walk here.

A brief respite on pavement through the green laws and water features of Dove Mountain subdivisions leads to a small park with a drinking fountain by the bathrooms. Fill up here, though it’s almost halfway by mileage, there’s lots of climbing to come. Or bail out and decide to play pickleball at the courts with the local retirees instead!

A jumble of embankments, 2-tracks, powerlines and sandy wash takes riders west and to more remote environs. Pay attention to the GPX here, navigation is part of the challenge! Once on the main juggernaut of a route that is Carpenter Ranch Rd, settle in, you’ll be on this road a while. It’s wide gravel at first, then deteriorates into 4×4 rubble as it gets steep. Many false summits later you’ll see an abandoned double-axle trailer with a view to die for. No one knows how it got here, but most of the climbing is finally done. Roll around and back into the east side of the Tortolitas, taking an optional side quest to see a very cool petroglyph panel. From here’s it’s pretty much a downhill cruise on singletrack back to the finish.

Note: Carpenter Ranch Rd is a remote and committing area. If things are not going well by the halfway point, bail around there as it will become increasingly difficult to get off route and passersby become scarce.