Santa Rita Keyhole

SANTA RITA KEYHOLE

Level: Intermediate to Advanced (3-C)

Description: This is a wonderful, 24-mile ride in the Santa Rita Mountains, South of Tucson. A picturesque combination of SingleTrack and Forest Service jeep road with plenty of climbing, it offers sweeping views of the grasslands and mountains to the east, including the Whetstones, Mustangs and Huachucas. It is not an easy ride (3+ hours for the average rider) but one that is well worth the effort. Steep climbs and technical descents put this ride in the too-much-pain category for anybody below the advanced intermediate skill level.

This is basically the exact same ride as the 2000 IMBA "Epic" without the southern section. In the high-resolution Map below, ignore the branch splitting off at Waypoint 13 (WP 13) and continue the loop around to WP 33.

Specific Directions: From the trailhead, continue in a westerly direction on Road 4072. It winds its way among the oaks on a gradual climb. The climb becomes steeper and you reach your first intersection (WP1), with a steel tank on your right. Turn left and continue the steep climb. At the crest of the hill (WP2), bear right and down, going through the fence and on to the Arizona Trail.

At (WP3) turn right onto narrow singletrack at the base of the hill. You will contour the hill and come out on the wider trail at (WP4) and a gate. Go through the fence and follow the trail along the ridge top. You will go through a fence again and come to an intersection at (WP5). Turn right, down a hill, then up and across a cattleguard as you begin a steep climb.

About midway up this climb, at (WP6) you will see narrow singletrack going to your right. Take it and contour the hillside. You will again come out on a wider trail and descend to the right on the Arizona Trail, which is also a road.

This road descends and then levels off. At (WP7), turn right onto singletrack, which contours, drops and climbs before turning right and taking you through a gate. Continue on this trail to an intersection on a ridge. Turn left (Do NOT take the motorcycle trail that drops straight down to your right) and continue along the ridgetop.

You will go through a wire gate, then descend gradually to an intersection at (WP8). Take the Arizona Trail to the right, drop down the hill and go through the gate at (WP9). At this point you will turn off the Arizona Trail and turn left on the road.

Follow this road to a cattleguard and intersection at (WP10), where you will take a sharp right and head up (the sign will say to Melendrez Pass). You will go past a scenic ranch on your right, the Box Canyon Ranch, at (WP11).

The road will continue a gradual climb, which gets steeper as you approach to the head of a canyon. It will crest, then drop sharply down with a right turn. Signs will indicate that it is going through private property.

Please note that due to the Private Property here, directions have changed a bit, and might be a bit sketchy. Please use your judgement and do not tresspass.

This is where you need to change the route because of the road closure. At the crest of the hill, turn left onto a dirt road that climbs along the side of the hill. Follow this road, keeping right just after the cattle guard. (There's a road going to the left.) You will do some climbing and descending, then come into a valley, where you merge with another road. Continue to the right. Stay on the main road all the way, and turn left where it intersects another road at the bottom of the descent. You will follow the valley floor in an easterly direction until you come to Forest Road 163. Turn right. You will cross a cattleguard and re-enter USFS lands. Continue on this road as it goes back up the valley and climbs out to a ridge top. You will come to one intersection where the road forks to the left, but keep right and continue climbing. This will take you to a gate that is the entrance to Kentucky Camp. If you are doing only the "keyhole" half of the ride, follow the directions for getting back.

At the bottom of the hill, at (WP13) turn stay on the road to (WP33) where you will see an interpretive sign and a singletrack climbing up. Follow it for a hard climb that eventually eases up.

Take a right at the switchback at (WP34) and continue climbing. The descent is rocky and tricky but can be done easily with feet in the pedals and the rubber remaining down.

At (WP35) bear right, following the Arizona Trail. At (WP36) you will cross a wash. There's a singletrack forking to the left and a road to the right. Both come to a fence that you will follow to your left, so there is no wrong turn here. The trail comes out on a road at (WP9), which closes the "keyhole" and begins retracing your tracks to the car. Cross the road and go through the gate, climbing the hill to the junction at the top where you turn left (WP8).

Follow the ridge, go through the gate and continue along the ridge, bearing right and up rather than down and left on the motorcycle trail. You will climb more steeply, drop through a gate and then descend to an intersection with a road at Mile (WP7). Bear left, then climb up the road. About 200 yards after the turn, watch for the singletrack going to your right. Take it and contour the hill, rejoining the wider track at (WP6). Go left and down, across the cattleguard and up the hill. Turn left at the T intersection at (WP5) and follow the ridgetop.

Turn up and go through a fence at (WP4) and then bear left on the singletrack. that contours the hill. Turn left onto the wider track at (WP3), and ride until you have made your last climb, through a gate and to the crest of the hill at (WP2). Descend the hill, bearing right at the tank and then cruise down through the oaks to the trailhead.

Directions: From Tucson, take I-10 East to Exit 281. This is Highway 83, the Sonoita Exit. Follow Hwy 83 a little over 15 miles, almost to Milepost 43. About 1/10 mile before MP 43 you will see a "Watch for Animals" sign and a dirt road on the right. Take that road, Road 4072, a very short distance, just down a hill, across a wash and into an open area with plentiful oak trees. Park here.

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Gorgeous scenery!

A couple riders enjoying the singletrack.

Use a GPS device?

Download the GPS track here. Please note this is the SAME track as the IMBA Epic ride. Please ignore the section splitting off at WP13 and continue to WP33

A 2.2 Meg high-resolution map.

SANTA RITA KEYHOLE Level: Intermediate to Advanced (3-C) Description: This is a wonderful, 24-mile ride in the Santa Rita Mountains, South of Tucson. A picturesque combination of SingleTrack and Forest Service jeep road with plenty of climbing, it offers sweeping views of the grasslands and mountains to the east, including the Whetstones, Mustangs and Huachucas. It is not an easy ride (3+ hours for the average rider) but one that is well worth the effort. Steep climbs and technical descents put this ride in the too-much-pain category for anybody below the advanced intermediate skill level. This is basically the exact same ride as the 2000 IMBA "Epic" without the southern section. In the high-resolution Map below, ignore the branch splitting off at Waypoint 13 (WP 13) and continue the loop around to WP 33. Specific Directions: From the trailhead, continue in a westerly direction on Road 4072. It winds its way among the oaks on a gradual climb. The climb becomes steeper and you reach your first intersection (WP1), with a steel tank on your right. Turn left and continue the steep climb. At the crest of the hill (WP2), bear right and down, going through the fence and on to the Arizona Trail. At (WP3) turn right onto narrow singletrack at the base of the hill. You will contour the hill and come out on the wider trail at (WP4) and a gate. Go through the fence and follow the trail along the ridge top. You will go through a fence again and come to an intersection at (WP5). Turn right, down a hill, then up and across a cattleguard as you begin a steep climb. About midway up this climb, at (WP6) you will see narrow singletrack going to your right. Take it and contour the hillside. You will again come out on a wider trail and descend to the right on the Arizona Trail, which is also a road. This road descends and then levels off. At (WP7), turn right onto singletrack, which contours, drops and climbs before turning right and taking you through a gate. Continue on this trail to an intersection on a ridge. Turn left (Do NOT take the motorcycle trail that drops straight down to your right) and continue along the ridgetop. You will go through a wire gate, then descend gradually to an intersection at (WP8). Take the Arizona Trail to the right, drop down the hill and go through the gate at (WP9). At this point you will turn off the Arizona Trail and turn left on the road. Follow this road to a cattleguard and intersection at (WP10), where you will take a sharp right and head up (the sign will say to Melendrez Pass). You will go past a scenic ranch on your right, the Box Canyon Ranch, at (WP11). The road will continue a gradual climb, which gets steeper as you approach to the head of a canyon. It will crest, then drop sharply down with a right turn. Signs will indicate that it is going through private property. Please note that due to the Private Property here, directions have changed a bit, and might be a bit sketchy. Please use your judgement and do not tresspass. This is where you need to change the route because of the road closure. At the crest of the hill, turn left onto a dirt road that climbs along the side of the hill. Follow this road, keeping right just after the cattle guard. (There's a road going to the left.) You will do some climbing and descending, then come into a valley, where you merge with another road. Continue to the right. Stay on the main road all the way, and turn left where it intersects another road at the bottom of the descent. You will follow the valley floor in an easterly direction until you come to Forest Road 163. Turn right. You will cross a cattleguard and re-enter USFS lands. Continue on this road as it goes back up the valley and climbs out to a ridge top. You will come to one intersection where the road forks to the left, but keep right and continue climbing. This will take you to a gate that is the entrance to Kentucky Camp. If you are doing only the "keyhole" half of the ride, follow the directions for getting back. At the bottom of the hill, at (WP13) turn stay on the road to (WP33) where you will see an interpretive sign and a singletrack climbing up. Follow it for a hard climb that eventually eases up. Take a right at the switchback at (WP34) and continue climbing. The descent is rocky and tricky but can be done easily with feet in the pedals and the rubber remaining down. At (WP35) bear right, following the Arizona Trail. At (WP36) you will cross a wash. There's a singletrack forking to the left and a road to the right. Both come to a fence that you will follow to your left, so there is no wrong turn here. The trail comes out on a road at (WP9), which closes the "keyhole" and begins retracing your tracks to the car. Cross the road and go through the gate, climbing the hill to the junction at the top where you turn left (WP8). Follow the ridge, go through the gate and continue along the ridge, bearing right and up rather than down and left on the motorcycle trail. You will climb more steeply, drop through a gate and then descend to an intersection with a road at Mile (WP7). Bear left, then climb up the road. About 200 yards after the turn, watch for the singletrack going to your right. Take it and contour the hill, rejoining the wider track at (WP6). Go left and down, across the cattleguard and up the hill. Turn left at the T intersection at (WP5) and follow the ridgetop. Turn up and go through a fence at (WP4) and then bear left on the singletrack. that contours the hill. Turn left onto the wider track at (WP3), and ride until you have made your last climb, through a gate and to the crest of the hill at (WP2). Descend the hill, bearing right at the tank and then cruise down through the oaks to the trailhead. Directions: From Tucson, take I-10 East to Exit 281. This is Highway 83, the Sonoita Exit. Follow Hwy 83 a little over 15 miles, almost to Milepost 43. About 1/10 mile before MP 43 you will see a "Watch for Animals" sign and a dirt road on the right. Take that road, Road 4072, a very short distance, just down a hill, across a wash and into an open area with plentiful oak trees. Park here. < Back to Trails	Gorgeous scenery!
	A couple riders enjoying the singletrack.

Use a GPS device? Download the GPS track here. Please note this is the SAME track as the IMBA Epic ride. Please ignore the section splitting off at WP13 and continue to WP33	A 2.2 Meg high-resolution map.