Explorer Trail
- 0.1 mi
- round trip
- 125 ft
- climb
- Singletrack
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Nov–Apr
- best months
Explorer Trail is a short out-and-back mountain biking route in Tucson Mountain Park, Arizona, on county land. The trail is only about 0.24 miles long, with a total elevation gain of 125 feet, and it makes an easy way to get on a bike and experience the desert terrain of the park. The route starts at about 2,832 feet and reaches a high point of 2,921 feet before returning. The steepest section comes early, with a 12% grade at about 0.06 miles in. The compact distance makes it a good choice for beginners or for riders looking to warm up before longer rides. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Tucson show March highs around 75°F and October highs around 86°F, while June and July average near 100°F. Several other trails sit close by. Sarasota Trail and Starr Pass Trail are both within half a mile, and Starr Pass Cutoff is about 0.5 miles away. Climbers can find the Tucson Mountains climbing area roughly 2.8 miles off.
Local outfitters
- Caballo Loco Ranch & RV Park24 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
- Sarasota TrailHiking0.3 mi
- Starr Pass TrailHiking0.4 mi
- Starr Pass CutoffMountain biking0.5 mi
- Little Cat TralMountain biking0.5 mi
- Rock Wren TrailMountain biking0.5 mi
The "Gimme Some" DomeRock climbingPhoto: «Gaurav», CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)2.8 mi- Tucson MountainsRock climbing2.8 mi
Gate's PassRock climbingPhoto: Daniel Ramirez from Honolulu, USA, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)3 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Explorer TrailMountain biking · Next door
- Little Cat TralMountain biking · Next door
- Rock Wren TrailMountain biking · Next door
- Starr Pass TrailMountain biking · Next door
- Golden Gate TrailMountain biking · ~5 min drive
- Rift TrailMountain biking · ~4 min drive
- Starr Pass CutoffMountain biking · Next door
- Golden Gate TrailMountain biking · ~6 min drive
- El Grupo LoopMountain biking · ~4 min drive
- Starr Pass TrailMountain biking · ~1 min drive
Best time to visit Explorer Trail
Best months: November–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
66° / 41°
6 wet
Feb
68° / 42°
5 wet
Mar
75° / 47°
4 wet
Apr
82° / 52°
3 wet
May
91° / 60°
1 wet
Jun
100° / 70°
2 wet
Jul
99° / 75°
10 wet
Aug
98° / 73°
10 wet
Sep
94° / 69°
6 wet
Oct
86° / 58°
4 wet
Nov
74° / 48°
3 wet
Dec
65° / 40°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tucson 11 W, AZ, 6.8 mi away at 2,733 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors

