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Buenos Aires

5 Star Route / ~ Tucson, Arizona / Published: Dec 2019 / Directions
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Leading out through the rolling grasslands
One of the many wash crossings for the day
Baboquivari Peak
Fast riding between the yuccas??
Not quite as fast here
Not quite as fast here
Dropping into the hillier and ...
... more technical terrain.
Crossing Fresnal Wash, ~ mile 15
Looking back, the only steep climb of the day
Riding in the wash for ~ 1.7 mile at mile 24
Riding high
Riding low
Coming back into the grasslands
Babo beckoning for you to do more!
The parking area
The Visitor Center
Gravel Girl's ride metrics
*
Route:
Loop | 36 mi
*
Gain:
2,500 ft
*
Surface:
100% gravel
*
Technical Difficulty:
Demanding
*
Navigation:
Attention Required
*
Locale:
Remote
*
Tire Suggestion:
45 mm+
*
Options:
---

Meander across the grasslands of Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, roll through washes and past old sycamore trees, pass within a klick the Mexican border, grunt up one steep hill that provides just enough elevation for a grand view of the whole area and swing back to the start with Baboquivari Peak off in the distance, just calling you to go further.

Read More
Map
Brown = gravel / dirt road
Blue = single track
Red = paved road
Purple = paved bike path
GPX Download   Version 1.0

Credits & Acknowledgements

A big shout out to Timothy Scott of Riding AZ Gravel for turning us onto this route!

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

Fall to spring when the skies are clear and the temps are moderate. We would avoid this route in summer as it is very exposed to the sun and could be quite sandy. Wind could also make this route brutal. And … if it has recently rained, give it several days to let the washes run shallower or dry.

Terrain & Riding

The route starts at the Visitor’s Center, which we highly recommend stopping in for a visit before you start. You can pick up a detailed map of the area for $5 and find out about recent animal sightings: the park is home to antelope, badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, javelina, skunks, jackrabbits, and 152 species of birds. On occasion, the rare Gila monster wanders through.  (You can visit them on Facebook and see the latest stars in their wildlife cameras!)  And really, the staff there couldn’t have been friendlier.

The route gently rolls out on Pronghorn Tour Loop road through impressive open grasslands, winding its way out to the Garcia family cemetery. As the mountains become more impressive and the hills steeper and the route more rocky, the terrain changes to Sonoran desert thorn-scrub. At mile 14, you skirt the Mexican border. As you begin to head north again, You cross through a series of washes, several that are lined with large sycamore trees that showcase themselves in the fall with golden colors.

At mile 18, not visible from the road, there is an old homesite. What you will see is a metal water tank and some scaffolding that looks like it’s for a windmill. Go up in the woods to the right, maybe 30 yards, and you’ll see an old stone house. Super cool!

At mile 19 is the only major climb in the route (350 feet of gain, in 1+ miles,) which pops you up to a fantastic butte with views of the whole area. The climb is a grunt as it is loose and steep, sections in excess of  10% grade.

At mile 24 begins the San Luis wash section. Instead of riding through and across the wash, you ride in the wash for 1.7 miles. The wash was hard-packed and rideable, easy to navigate, and fun!  At mile 30ish, views of the Baboquivari Peak come in and out of focus. (Just how many times will you stop to take the picture!) As the grasslands make their re-appearance, you will see the Visitor Center off in the distance. And soon enough you are back to your car.

For more information on the wildlife reserve, we recommend Friends of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge website and the Forest Service Buenos Aires website. We recommend you visit both of them. If you didn’t see a bobcat, antelope, or a bobwhite quail on your ride, they have plenty of great photos to leave you feeling inspired. And if you feel even more inspired, might we suggest you toss them a few bucks to help keep this place so beautiful.

The Start

Lat / Long: 31.57183800, -111.505296

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Flush toilets, water and picnic grounds.

Food & Water

  • None
Notes & Options

Route Notes

  1. 45 mm tires will work for the route, but if you are looking for a bit more comfort and control, go with 50 mm+. Even with wide rubber, this is not a fast-riding route.

  2. This route comes very close to the border with Mexico and parts of the route are actively patrolled by Border Patrol. When we come across them for the first time in the day, we stop and ask if “there’s anything we should be aware of” and we also give them our route for the day. We saw no Border Patrol on our ride.

Route Options

If you’re looking for a longer route ( 46 miles, 2500 feet of gain) check out the Buenos Aires – Arivaca mixed gravel route. It follows the Buenos Aires route until mile 22, where it turns right towards Tres Bellotas Ranch / Arivaca on FS 216.

Comments

Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!

Love Where You Ride! Learn More

Remote, rugged natural beauty. Emptiness. Big views. That’s the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge which has 200+ miles of dirt roads, which just screams, “awesome gravel route.” We have to admit, we have long debates on favorite routes. But when we rode this one, there was one major conclusion: this is our favorite ride in the Tucson area.

Videos

The Ride! Buenos Aires

A quick 2-minute video of what to expect on your ride!

The Story of the Masked Bobwhite

The Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge was created in part to protect the Masked Bobwhite Quail. Learn the story of the quail in this short 7-minute video. An exceptional watch!

Podcasts

Bueno Aires Wildlife Refuge

Hosting gorgeous grassland framed by the Baboquivari Mountains to the west, this wildlife refuge in Southern Arizona is home to pronghorn, mule and white-tailed deer javelina, coyotes, coatimundis, mountain lions and over 320 species of birds, including an assortment of raptors and the [...]

Ridden and Reviewed by:

LindaE (aka Gravel Girl)

LindaE (aka Gravel Girl) / Team Dirty Freehub

She loves a good day of gravel, like most people like a good book. She’s always amused by the outdoors and the wild adventures. Gravel Girl is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

KevinE

KevinE / Team Dirty Freehub

He should have “Never Stop Exploring” tattooed on his chest! He loves adventures on bikes and is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.

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