3 Best Places for Mountain Biking near Cottonwood

Enjoy your day with some biking in Cottonwood. Find out where some of the best biking spots are with our blog!

When you want to get out on your mountain bike, whether you want an adrenaline-fueled adventure or a gentle ride through natural scenery, you don’t have to travel far from Cottonwood. Here are three of the area’s best biking spots.

1. Casa Grande Mountains

The Casa Grande Mountains provide a network of more than 20 miles of mountain biking trails, ranging from easy to intermediate. The trails cover the whole of the east side of the range. The easier rides are on the lower slopes, while the higher trails get narrower and more challenging.

The mountain terrain features sharp rocks, and in places cholla cactus grows close to the trails, so wearing padding is recommended. The area has no restrooms or drinking water, and very little shade, so make sure you’re prepared. The trails include:

• Casa Grande Mountain Trail is a 3.8-mile loop rated as moderate. The elevation gain is over 426 feet and offers scenic views.
• Spine Trail Loop is a 3.2-mile trail that is good for all skill levels. Enjoy the beautiful wild flowers as you negotiate the 321.5-foot change in elevation.
• Spine Trail to Ridge Trail Loop is rated as moderate and covers just over 7 miles. The rocky track gains over 900 feet in elevation and offers stunning scenery.
• Ridge Trail is one of the more challenging rides. Just short of 5 miles long, it takes you to an elevation of 1,817 feet before a fun and exciting descent to the valley floor.

2. San Tan Mountain Regional Park

Not far from Cottonwood is the 10,000-acre San Tan Mountain Regional Park, which has more than 8 miles of multi-use trails. The park trails give you a unique perspective of the lower Sonoran Desert, and views of the beautiful mountain scenery. You can meander through the plant life and maybe catch a glimpse of the park’s animals.

The nine trails vary in length from 0.7 to 6.4 miles and are rated from easy to strenuous. Some of the trails connect to provide longer rides. The San Tan Trail takes in the Broken Lands of the Central Valley, and on to the peak of the Goldmine Mountains. The park’s elevation ranges from 1,400 feet to over 2,500 feet.

Some areas of the trails can be dangerous because of soft soil, steep, slick, and rocky mountain slopes, and washes, so caution is recommended.

3. South Mountain Park and Preserve

A similar distance to Cottonwood is the South Mountain Park and Preserve that covers 16,000 acres. The park includes three mountain ranges and features over 50 miles of multi-use trails ranging from easy to difficult.

You can navigate 23 interconnecting trails from the 0.3-mile Goat Trail to the 14-mile National Trail. The highest point of the park accessible to the public is Dobbins Lookout at 2,330 feet which gives you a spectacular panoramic view of the valley.

These mountain biking spots offer a wide variety of terrain and scenery for some great rides. Check them out, but take care out there! Don’t forget to stop by Oxendale Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram to check out our new and used cars for sale in Cottonwood.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

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