Tough as nails

The Hawes Loop trails offer scenic and fun singletrack in North Mesa. There are multiple interconnecting loop trails that can be combined together for a longer or customized ride. The views along the trail are excellent and include the city of Phoenix, the McDowell Mountains, Salt River and more. The trail is a loose and rocky with steep exposure and can be very tricky on the downhill.

The Schultz Creek Trail is considered to be some of the best singletrack in all of the Flagstaff area. The trail offers a fast fun ride through a scenic mountain setting and is popular with mountain bikers of all skill levels. There are many connecting trails along the Schultz Creek Trail that provide visitors with the option of adding more mileage or combining trails for a loop ride or one-way trip by shuttling vehicles.

The Castle Rock Trail is located in the Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area of Kingman and is just one of many connecting trails that can be used to explore the scenic and rugged area. The trail climbs over 900 feet using the Camp Beale Trail and Castle Rock Trail to a high ridge overlooking the area of Kingman. The ride down is a fun descent along narrow singletrack trail. The trail also connects with the Badger trail providing an alternative option for a loop ride down.

This ride starts from the northern trailhead for Bug Springs trail in the scenic forested Santa Catalina Mountains. There are some sections that require hiking up your bike short distances as well as some sections of steep decent along exposed ridges that require advanced riding skill. The trail is a multi-use trail so be cautious and pay attention to others on the trail.

Badger Trail is located in the Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area of Kingman and is just one of many connecting trails that can be used to explore the scenic and rugged area. The Badger Trail climbs steadily 1100 feet up to a high ridge where it comes to a junction with the Castle Rock Trail. The ride back is all downhill from the top providing excellent views of Kingman along the way. The trail is exposed at times with lots of turns and switchbacks so avoid going too fast and losing control.

Cook Canyon Loop Trail/Monolith Gardens is located in the Cerbat Foothills Recreation Area of Kingman and is just one of many connecting trails that can be used to explore the scenic and rugged area. The scenery along the trail includes lots of interesting rock formations and diverse desert vegetation. The trail has a few ups and downs but no serious climbing or fast downhill. The trails can be ridden in any direction or in smaller loops and sections for shorter rides. The trails can also be combined with other trails in the Cerbat Foothills area across the highway.

McDowell Mountain Regional Park has created a competitive track that consists of three separate loops that combine for over 12 miles of scenic and technical trails designated for high-speed, challenging mountain biking. The technical loop trail is just under three miles long but provides riders with the most challenging and technical sections of the three competitive loops. This trail is for experienced riders looking to test their skills. The technical loop trail can also be combined with the other two competitive loops as well as many other connecting trails within the regional park for a longer or more customized ride. There is a small fee collected to enter the park.

Located in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, this long loop trail travels along multiple trails in the park for one of the most challenging rides in the park. The trail does some major climbing as it heads up the steep Gateway and Windgate trails to Windgate Pass. Riders can then continue on along the Windmill Trail before turning back and heading up Bell Pass. The ride from here is down very steep technical downhill that should only be attempted by very experienced riders ready for the challenge. The trail is rocky, narrow, and very steep in places so be cautious and watch for others while on the trail.

The trail down La Milagrosa ridge is an extremely technical ride that can challenge even the most experienced riders. The ride starts with a short steep climb but soon turns into a intense downhill adventure full of switchbacks, blind curves, dropoffs, rock gardens, narrow chutes, cacti, exposed cliffs, and more. The downhill ride requires shuttling vehicles between the Molino Basin trailhead at the top and Snyder Road at the bottom. The trail is also popular with hikers so be very cautious and aware of others on the steep descent down. There is little shade along the trail so come prepared when riding in hot temperatures.