Itinerary

Day 1: Saguaru National Park

We meet and greet at the designated meeting hotel in Tucson, shuttle 15 minutes towards Saguaro National Park, and ride 10-miles over Gates Pass for an aid station at the Sonora Desert Museum. Next cyclists engage a ride through the Saguaro on the 8-mile McCann Loop back to the Desert Museum. Once back at the museum guests take in the museum’s botanical garden and fascinating displays of the Sonora Desert’s flora and fauna. If interested post museum, guests can engage in an energizing 3-mile hike through the picturesque desert jewel of Saguaro National Park. Post hike guests ride or shuttle back to this evening’s lodging.
Distance: 20 to 30 mile warm up ride with optional 3 to 10 mile hike through Giant Saguaros

Day 2: Ascent of Mt. Lemmon

Today we have a short shuttle to the base of the mighty Santa Catalina Mountains for an ascent of Mt. Lemmon. The climb of Mt. Lemmon is a bucket list ride for many North American cyclists as the ride is the biological equivalent of riding from Mexico to Canada. Riders can climb all the way to the summit or climb partway and then head back down the mountain. Have no doubt about it, this will be a challenging climb, but the descending is incredible and the views are amazing!
Distance: 59 miles with up to 6,920 feet of climbing

Day 3: Ascent to Kitt Peak National Observatory

Today we’ll climb a southwestern classic to the summit of Kitt Peak. Kitt Peak offers an almost car-free riding experience to a Sky Island above the Sonoran Desert. The climb itself is 11 miles with nearly 3,600 feet of ascending at a 5 to 7% grade. Cyclists enjoy lunch and a tour of the telescopes at the summit.
After the descending Kitt Peak, we’ll shuttle briefly to the western unit of Saguaro National Park. From here, cyclists have the option of riding or shuttling back over Starr Pass back to tonight’s lodging.
Distance: 24 miles with up to 3,580 feet of climbing

Day 4: Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge

On this day we make a run for the border heading south through the Altar Valley on a quiet and beautiful desert road alongside the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. This ride is a desert classic offering beautiful views of the Los Guijas Mountains and birds of all types! At the half-way point of the ride there is an espresso aid station at the Gadsden Coffee Co. in Arivaca, Arizona.
The riding ends in Amado, Arizona followed by a shuttle to our lodging at the Stage Stop Inn in Patagonia, Arizona.
Distance: 38 miles or 52 miles with up to 1,850 feet of climbing

Day 5: Patagonoia Lake State Park Roundtrip

Today we will cover a route from our lodging in Patagonia up to Patagonia Lake State Park.. The park was established in 1975 and is the winter home for birds such as the canyon towhee, Inca dove, vermilion flycatcher, black vulture, and several species of hummingbirds. We will enjoy lunch at the lake and a wild swimming opportunity!
After lunch we will descend back to Patagonia, Arizona and our lodging at the Stage Stop Inn.
Optional Mixed Terrain Ride: From Patagonia, if conditions permit, there is an optional easier 30-mile mixed terrain ride, The Patagonia 30, that our cyclists can engage if they are interested in this less technical gravel ride.
Fun Fact: The night sky from southern Arizona is one of the darkest in the lower 48 states.
Road Route: 23 miles with up to 2,200 feet of climbing
Mixed Terrain Route: 30 miles with up to 1,850 feet of climbing (50% paved/50% gravel)

Day 6: Paragonia to Parker Canyon Lake to Sonoita

On our final day we ride from Patagonia to the sky island of Parker Canyon and Parker Canyon Lake. To start the day cyclists ride a route through the Canelo Hills and upward through Parker Canyon to a lunch stop at the Parker Canyon Lake. After a well deserved break, we reverse course and head downhill towards Elgin traversing Arizona’s wide open wine growing region where we will have to option to end at one of the area’s wineries. We then shuttle back to Tucson to end the tour.
Distance: 40 miles or 70 miles with up to 5,210 feet of climbing

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Lodging

Trail of the Apaches

Nights 1,2&3: Starr Pass Suites Tucson, AZ (2,400′ elevation)

Nights 4 & 5: Stage Stop Inn, Patagonia, AZ (4,100′ elevation)

Included:

• 5 nights lodging
• All meals included, (except for 1 breakfast, and 1 dinner)
• Shuttle to and from the Gila Mountains
• Guide service.
• Entrance fees .
• In tour shuttles and mechanical support.(during the tour)

Not included:

• Night before and after the tour not included.
• Bike rental. Be sure to bring your own helmet. We have a very limited supply and will only pack them if special arrangements are made ahead of time.
• Flights to and from the trip.
• Gratuity guides.
• Alcoholic beverages

Pricing / Tour dates

Tour price 2025: $ 3490.-pp. Single fee $ 545.-
Meeting Hotel and Ending Hotel reservations and costs are NOT included unless specified otherwise.
Guests are on-their-own to make reservations at the Meeting Hotel or Ending Hotel, or other nearby hotels.
Bike rental:
Scott Addict 10 $ 250.- per week
Scott E-bike road bikes with straight bars $ 395.- per week
Tour dates 2025:
27 Oct – 01 Nov
03 Nov – 07 Nov
10 Nov – 14 Nov

Conditions

Deposit $ 950.- pp
The deposit payment for a tour must be paid within two weeks after the booking is confirmed.
The remaining payment is due 90 days before the start of the tour.
For tours that are booked within 90 days before the start of the tour you will pay 100% of the tour price

Information

Riding on the Trail of the Apaches Bike Tour
The details: Our Trail of the Apaches Bike Tour traces a route across the remote borderlands of southern Arizona.
This region features broad out-wash valleys flanked by towering mountain ranges, which dominate this basin-and-range topography. The rocky, forested peaks loom like giant monuments above the desert floors.
All in all, this Arizona bike tour makes for an exceptionally remote and wild cycling route, far from our modern, hectic civilization.
Each fall and spring, you’ll enjoy warm temperatures and few cars in this remote region. Lower and higher mileage options are available each day.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a “birder,” you’ll appreciate the variety of the bird life on this tour. You’ll notice an abundance of cactus wren, large birds of prey, various species of quail and hummingbird, and course roadrunners (not like the ones Wile E. Coyote chased).

The weather: Southern Arizona offers near-perfect fall and early spring weather for bike touring. In October and early November, the cottonwoods shine yellow along the river corridors, and the days are short and crisp. During spring, while the rest of North America is still cold and wet, the desert blooms and provides ideal cycling temperatures to start the season.

Meals:
We provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted) including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.
Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and occasionally guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being “off the grid”, most of our off-road tours feature guide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called “Guide TV”.

Lunches: Our guides prepares healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours,We sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert… yum! Also, while on tour if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days sleep is the most important post-ride element