Just Finished Riding Most of The Tucson Loop — The Oro Valley Section Really Is That Scenic
Just wrapped up a 5-day cycling trip on The Tucson Loop and figured I would share some thoughts because I honestly came away pretty blown away by the whole experience.
Before coming out I spent a lot of time reading TucsonLoop.org and one thing they kept emphasizing was starting on the Oro Valley side because it was supposedly the most scenic part of The Loop.
After riding basically the entire system… I think they were right.
The Oro Valley section was probably the biggest surprise of the whole trip for me. The Catalina Mountains are just constantly sitting there in the background and the riding feels wide open, peaceful, and extremely scenic without feeling isolated. It has this very relaxed desert-resort atmosphere that is hard to explain unless you have actually ridden it.
One thing I really liked is that The Loop actually runs directly into Catalina State Park. I did not fully realize that before arriving. There were tons of cyclists riding through there every morning — road riders, e-bike riders, mountain bikers — and the whole area just felt very active and outdoors-oriented.
If you like huge desert views and open scenery, Oro Valley and Marana are really special.
That whole northwest side of Tucson was honestly my favorite part of the trip. Marana especially had these long open stretches where you can just pedal for miles with mountain ranges in every direction. At certain times of day the desert colors out there almost start glowing.
One evening riding back toward Oro Valley around sunset I actually slowed down a few times just to look at the mountains because the scenery looked almost fake with the changing light on the Catalinas.
I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Oro Valley which ended up being a great choice because it is directly on The Loop itself. That made things incredibly easy. Wake up, grab coffee, hop on the bike trail immediately.
There were also a surprising number of restaurants and coffee places nearby. I probably went to Savaya Coffee more than I should admit. Also ended up at Baggins a few times after rides and thought it was perfect post-bike food.
I rented bikes right on The Loop and had really good experiences with the Tucson Loop Bike Rentals people. Super easy pickup and return process and they gave excellent local advice about what sections to ride depending on wind and time of day.
Speaking of wind… one afternoon the wind picked up pretty hard and I was expecting the ride to become miserable, but one thing that impressed me about The Loop is how much of the path is somewhat “sunken” below the surrounding streets with neighborhoods, walls, landscaping, and trees often sitting above portions of the trail. It actually blocked a surprising amount of the wind in many sections and made the ride way more comfortable than I expected.
Catalina State Park also ended up being kind of a nice respite from the wind because parts of the riding there felt more sheltered compared to the really open desert stretches.
Another thing that stood out to me was just how popular e-biking has become on The Loop. I knew e-bikes were growing, but I was honestly surprised how many people were using them out there. Couples, retirees, families, serious riders mixing them into longer days… it actually makes a lot of sense for a system this large.
The Omni Resort area was gorgeous too. Some really beautiful riding around there and the mountain views from the patios and outdoor seating areas were incredible. One afternoon I ended up sitting outside there after a ride having a beer watching cyclists continue rolling by on The Loop below. Pretty great atmosphere.
I also really liked the area around The Views Golf Club in Oro Valley. Great scenery, very Arizona feeling, and surprisingly good food and beer selection. It felt less touristy and more local which I appreciated.
One funny thing — I stopped into a local Specialized bike shop while I was in town and started asking about mountain biking because I kept hearing people talk about Honey Bee Canyon. The guys there absolutely raved about it and told me it was one of the top trail systems in the Southwest for the type of scenic desert riding people come to Arizona for.
So now I’m already thinking that next trip I may come back specifically to rent a mountain bike and spend a couple days riding Honey Bee Canyon and some of the other Oro Valley trail systems.
Another thing Tucson does really well is basic trail infrastructure. Water stops, parks, bathrooms, shaded areas — all way better than I expected for such a massive trail system.
Overall I honestly think The Tucson Loop is underrated nationally. It is not just “a bike path.” It feels more like this huge connected outdoor system tying together parks, golf areas, mountain views, coffee shops, restaurants, neighborhoods, and desert scenery.
Already thinking about coming back next season.