The 50 Year Trail in Tucson is a nice piece of singletrack along the western slope of the Catalina Mountains. Supposedly it got its name from the 50 year lease the county has with the state Land Department. Currently they are somewhere around 41 years of the lease. I wonder what will happen then?
We started our ride just outside Catalina State Park and rode rough singletrack to get back into the horse parking where the trail picks up. This is an out and back with some loop options at the far end if you want. The initial climb is the most technical part of the out and back with some challenging rock sections if you are a beginner. Eventually it flattens out and rolls and twists in places. It’s desert riding with some great views. In fact, some of the best unobstructed close up views of Pusch Ridge are along the first 2 miles of this trail. If you fancy a great hike, we hiked to Romero Pools a few years ago and loved it. You can see that post here.
Our ride was 18 miles but you could make it shorter or even a little longer if you desired. I’d suggest following the Trailforks App. Oh, and check out the HUGE barrel cactus we came across on the trail! I’ve never seen one that tall.
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