Tonto National Forest Biking Articles

Tonto National Forest Guide: Biking

The Hawes Loops, located in North Mesa, offer some great cross-country desert riding. A trailhead is on the east side of Power Road, 2.1 Miles north of 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) just after you cross a canal.
Northeast of Phoenix, the Sierra Ancha's backroads offer coolness and an escape from the crowds. Forest Road 487 climbs from south of Young past Workman Creek Falls to the top of Aztec Peak (7,748 feet) in seven miles one way.
The Apache Trail highway (AZ 88), just east of the Phoenix area, twists through incredibly rugged canyon landscapes for about 46 miles between Apache Junction and Roosevelt Dam.
Bloody Basin Road/Forest Road 269 provides 26 miles of very scenic high-desert riding north of Phoenix. It runs between I-17 Exit 259 and Cave Creek Road/Forest Road 24, which you can follow another 34 miles to Carefree.
Trails on the Tonto National Forest tend to be too steep and rocky for mountain biking, so it's worth asking about conditions before your trip. Also, be careful not to steer into the Forest's many wilderness areas.

By Travel Expert: Bill Weir