Worth the ride near Tucson, AZ
We list 12 places worth riding to around Tucson, AZ, across views, food, and coffee.
Views
Windy Point Vista
Viewpoint
Large paved pullout on the Catalina Highway with panoramic basin views and wind carved granite spires at the rail.
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Viewpoint
A desert canyon in the Santa Catalina foothills and a well-known Tucson rider destination.
Photo by Finetooth (CC BY-SA 4.0) source
Gates Pass Overlook
Viewpoint
Stone overlook on a Tucson Mountains saddle with paved parking for about fifty and a view west over Avra Valley.
Food
Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin
Food
The reward at the top of the Catalina Highway, with a cooler patio to rest on; open 11am to 5pm.
El Charro Cafe
Food
The oldest Mexican restaurant in the US run continuously by one family, since 1922.
Photo by Jeremy Keith (CC BY 2.0) source
El Güero Canelo
Food
A big lot on the south side makes it easy to park a group, with outdoor seating for the Sonoran hot dog.
Coffee
Exo Roast Co.
Coffee
Early coffee from 7am before the Catalina Highway up Mount Lemmon, reached east along Speedway and Tanque Verde.
Gear Shifters
Coffee
Shade for the bike in a motorcycle only lot, and a bike night every second Friday.
Le Buzz Caffe
Coffee
Riders and cyclists gather here at the foot of the Mount Lemmon climb before a run up the mountain, open from 6am.
More worth the ride
Titan Missile Museum
Destination
A real destination ride south of the city, with open desert parking and a story waiting at the end.
Mission San Xavier del Bac
Destination
Ten minutes off I-19 with a big lot and a plaza to gather in, at a working parish rather than an attraction.
Pima Air & Space Museum
Destination
A half day destination with a huge paved lot, and it closes at 3pm, so point the ride at it early.