Originally published in Lonely Planet’s Epic Rides of The Americas in 2019
A journey through the vast borderlands of the southwest, featuring idyllic camping and sunsets, world-class stargazing and ever-changing landscapes characteristic of the Sky Islands Bioregion within the Sonoran Desert.
When winter rolls in with its cloudy grey cool days I look toward Southern Arizona for a good dose of the outdoors and vitamin D. A short one-hour drive South of Tucson delivers me to the small eclectic town of Patagonia where my journey along the Sky Island Odyssey begins.
The Sky Islands is an ecoregion within the Sonoran Desert, named for a series of isolated forested mountain ranges surrounded by radically different lowland desert and grassland environments. The Sky Islands Odyssey circumnavigates one of the Sky Islands, the Santa Rita Mountains, and offers views of many others over a 230-mile (370 km) distance. Each island in the sky displays its unique topographic characteristics. These habitat “islands” host some of the highest levels of biodiversity of plants and animals in the world ensuring ever-changing scenery, terrain, and unique critter sightings. It is not uncommon to see hundreds of bird species, reptiles, pronghorn antelope, javelinas, and jackrabbits on this route.
The land management agencies along the Sky Islands Odyssey are almost as diverse as the ecosystems they protect and include a range of state, federal, and private lands (permits required – see toolbox). The wild spaces that these land management agencies preserve are what make the Sky Islands Odyssey so special. They offer educational information about the region, quiet gated roads open to bicyclists, preserved wild spaces, and ideal places to camp and spot wildlife.
I begin my journey along the Sky Islands Odyssey in the clockwise direction, heading south from Patagonia to the wide-open spaces of the San Rafael Valley. Here I climb from grasslands into the rocky pine-oak forests of the rugged Patagonia Mountains, to the routes highest point of Mt. Washington where I enjoy the view. I can see the Santa Cruz River Valley in front of me, all the way to Tucson, and to my left I can see Mexico.
From Mt. Washington I enjoy the zig-zag sandy descent along granite cliffs covered in lichen down to the valley I had gazed at from above. I experience my first reality check on the ride during a brief stretch through suburbia and a tempting pass at fast food. I have my mind set on a cool dip at Peña Blanca Lake 10-miles up the road. Before I get there the road turns to dirt again and I have seemingly entered a whole new place with otherworldly landscapes littered with succulents.
After camping near the lake, I make my way to the small town of Arivaca intentionally before 11 a.m. I had heard that on Saturday’s I could catch the farmers market and some fresh hot tamales for the road ahead. Once I adequately filled my belly, my water, and my food supplies, I ventured back into the borderland hill country to make my way to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge.
Through the hills another change begins to occur as Boboquivari Peak gradually comes in to view. This land is originally home to the Tohono O’odham tribe who regard Boboquivari as the ‘navel of the world,’ the most sacred place at the center of their cosmology. Its noteworthy rectangular peak serves as an iconic landmark visible throughout the west side of the loop.
At the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, I pick up some ‘light’ reading materials about the area and top off my water. I grab a checklist of the myriad bird species common in the area and set off to see what I can see within the refuges conserved wetlands and grasslands. As if I was on a safari tour, wildlife was everywhere. While I rolled through tunnels of tall grass savannas and yucca trees I saw birds of prey perched on old growth oak trees, camouflaged pronghorn antelope napping in the grass, and jack rabbits rapidly hopping in all directions.
Eventually the grasslands give way to lowland desert, which feels harsh and prickly. I make my way to another highway store to resupply and to cool my insides with some ice cream before heading back into the wilds of the Santa Cruz River Valley. I skirt another stretch of populated land along the Juan Bautista De Anza Trail, a trail commemorating the expedition route taken by Spanish colonizers from Sonora, Mexico to establish the future city of San Francisco, California between 1774 and 1776. The trail weaves me through cacti, sandy arroyos, and olive groves.
I climb the pass of Box Canyon and another transition occurs. I am relieved to leave the desert behind and to be welcomed by the shady forests of the Canelo Hills. I have reached the east side of the Santa Rita Mountains and can see a whole new view. Most notably, I see another island in the sky, the Whetstone Mountains.
I spend the night without the need for a tent due to the regions dry climate and lack of insects. I have a clear view of the deep night sky from where I lay; I stargaze and watch Orion’s procession through the heavens throughout the night.
In the morning I make my way to the old gold mining town of Kentucky Camp, for a historic look at mining life and to fill my water. I ride through Elgin Wine Country and stop at the Elgin Village Winery for a celebratory self-toast. I’m almost there! I conclude my ride along the route though the private ranches that offer permitted passage to bicyclists through their conserved grasslands- another opportunity to see an abundance of wildlife and a land untouched.
As I roll into Patagonia at the end of the ride, I feel refreshed, stimulated, and energized to take winter on again.
Note
This region is an illegal border-crossing corridor at the center of the U.S. Immigration Crisis. Because of this there is a strong presence of Border Patrol in certain areas of the route. Encounters with migrants are extremely unlikely, since they stay off established roads and on more discrete trails. While this aspect of the route may deter some, for others it offers a unique humanizing perspective of a very current issue in the U.S.
Details
Start / Patagonia, Arizona
End / Patagonia, Arizona
Distance /230-miles (379 km)
Getting There / Tucson International Airport, a one-hour (56-mile, 90 km) drive to Patagonia.
Where to stay / Kentucky Camp, Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch and camping on public lands.
Best time of year to ride / November through April
Route GPX https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26902258
Call ahead for permits that are required to pass through the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch (+1-520-455-5522) and Babacomari Ranch (+1-520-455-5507)
For more information on this route visit, www.bikepacking.com.
What To Bring / GPS device, plenty of water storage and filter, camping equipment, cookware, clothes for the drastic change in temperatures, repair kit, spare tubes, a battery charger, and some binoculars!
What type of bike / A bicycle with at least 40mm tubeless tires is best used for this route.
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