Getting started exploring public lands is a real adventure! However, it’s hard to know which roads to choose, especially if you don’t want to risk damaging or scratching your vehicle. My friends and I have been well over 100,000 miles in the mountains around Green Valley and Sahuarita and these are a few I think are great starters for anybody new to driving single track roads. Feel free to reach out to me with questions!
I’ve linked coordinates for landmarks on the roads. If you open this on your phone you should be able to click those links then possibly get directions with Google Maps. Otherwise, transcribe the coordinates into your navigation system. At the end of this article I’ve also placed my inventory for emergency gear.
Box Canyon Road AZ HWY 62
This road is great! It crosses the Santa Rita Mountains from Sahuarita area to Sonoita. Once you’ve crossed you have access the east slope of the Santa Rita Mountains with miles of single track ranch roads. Most well kept and easy to drive on.
The video above we ran out to do the north loop (more on north loop below). I used my truck for the trip so we could checkout the biggest snowfall southern Arizona had seen in decades.
Time: Evening for north loop, all day for south loop w/ sightseeing
Difficulty: can be driven in a car
Type: single track dirt road, state maintained
Fear Factor: no rails, steep drops off road
Coordinates at waterfall: 31.799724N 110.780925W
I often make the trip and visit Empire Ranch north of Sonoita. There’s also lots of excellent wineries around Sonoita if you have a group can make for a really fun weekend outing.
Otherwise it’s always enjoyable to eat out in Patagonia at White Horse followed by homemade ice cream and pie at the Gathering Grounds Cafe next door. I’ve been known to drive all the way from Sahuarita for their ice cream and pie! I’ve even driven the pass for a quick getaway to eat dinner at Steak Out in Sonoita then returned home.
You can make a big loop from Green Valley across to Sonoita, down to Patagonia, on into Nogales and back I-19 to Sahuarita. Otherwise, you can head straight north on AZ Scenic Highway 83 and return on Sahuarita Road. The sights are beautiful both ways, with the later being an afternoon trek.
Ruby Road
Ruby Road, county Highway 39, runs on the west slope of the Tumacacori, Highlands. You can pick it up in Rio Rico, or Arivaca just west of Amado. This road is remote but well kept and traveled. Most of the year it can be driven in a car. However, when it rains the road get’s ruts in it that could prove difficult for a car.
Time: One day for entire loop
Difficulty: can be driven in car outside of rainy seasons
Type: single track dirt road, county maintained
Coordinates to gate for Ruby Ghost town: 31.464825N 111.238584W
The road is named after the town of Ruby, Arizona. It was an old mining town that died out in mid 1900’s when mines in Green Valley area were opened up. The town is now privately owned and can be toured with permission of the owners. It’s worth looking into as a fun piece of history to explore.
I typically pack a bag lunch and or plan a picnic as this road takes better part of a day to travel. There’s countless offshoots and more involved single track routes off this. You can access the road by going west from Amado to Arivaca. Then head south out of Amado on Ruby Road. The road will loop around eventually leading you to Pena Blanca Lake where it turns to pavement and heads into Rio Rico. Should you travel the road in reverse, then there’s a good restaurant and cantina in Arivaca.
NOTE: this road is heavily policed. However, there’s a chance you may encounter cartel trafficking activities. It’s not uncommon to be solicited for a ride.
Atascosa Lookout off Ruby Road
This could quite possibly be the most beautiful vista in all of Arizona. It’s accessed via Ruby Road just west of Pena Blanca Lake. The lookout is easily earned, via a short 2.5 mile hike (one way).
Coordinates to Atascosa Lookout Trailhead: 31.404843N 111.147035W
Mount Hopkins Road
HWY 184 / Mount Hopkins Road will take your breath away. It’s a well maintained road for access to observatory and research facilities on Whipple Peak. I often drive up this after work, picnic at “Whipple Picnic Area”. This in combination with driving to the top gate at the observatory facility or walking around.
Time: Evening drive
Difficulty: can be driven in car
Type: single track dirt road, state maintained
Fear Factor: no rails, steep drops off road
Coordinates at observatory gate: 31.674510N, 110.879967W
This road can make some people wheezy, even quite scared. When driving you have panoramic mountain views. Passengers may get sense of being suspended in air when lookout out windows. The road leads up to a little over 7,000ft at which point you’ll encounter a gate for the observatory and can go no further.
I often take visitors up this road, around sunset. I have a picnic set and camp kitchen, I used to cook dinner. We watch the sunset then head back down.
The rockpile on Hopkins Road
I frequently take quick trips to the first switchback on Mt Hopkins Road. This we affectionately call “The Rockpile”. There you get a beautiful sunset view over Montosa Basin and the Seven Sister Peaks. This is a quick trip, can be done in a hour or less from Green Valley.
Hunter’s Access
West of Tubac, Arizona is Sardina Canyon (Older maps call it Puerto Canyon). This is a large basin in the northern Tumacacori mountains which funnels into a Canyon and eventually climbs over the range to the west slope. Puerto spring is about half way to the pass. There you may encounter some vegetation leaning over the road. Otherwise, this is a well maintained forest service road.
Time: Evening drive to pass, half day for south fork to Lobo Tank
Difficulty: need a truck, light seasonal growth over road
Type: single track dirt road maintained by forest service
Fear Factor: none
Coordinates to Pass: 31.607930N 111.137881W
Coordinates to Lobo Tank: 31.553117N 111.141650W
I’m in this canyon several times a month. We meet at the picnic tables twice a month for cowboy coffee. Then I’ve explored much of the ridgeline along the canyon. You can see numerous videos on my YouTube Channel of those adventures as well as a few of the west slope where this road leads.
There’s a fork in the road over the pass. I’ve never taken the NE fork, only the south one which dead ends at Lobo tank. The final grade down to the tank is fairly steep. It made me question my life decisions up till that point but is perfectly safe. I’ve taken it multiple times in various vehicles but you’ll need 4wd to make the climb back up away from the lifestock tank.
If concerned about your paint, you’ll want to bring some tree trimming lobbers (not pruning sheers). I also have a 6″ electric chainsaw I sometimes carry. The vegetation is mostly seasonal. This road is well trafficked to Puerto Spring so there should be minimal if no vegetation hanging over the road till there and very little from there on.
Camino Ramanote to Wise Mesa
This is one of my favorite canyons. I’ve done far too little exploring in it. The drive to Wise Mesa is quite trivial. I’ve done it in my Buick Sedan a couple times. From there you need a rock crawler to go any further. The road is really bad.
Time: Evening drive to wise mesa
Difficulty: trivial, have done it in a car
Type: single track ranch road
Fear Factor: none
Coordinates to hill above Turuno Tank: 31.444272N 111.092950W
You will get to a series of switchbacks below a hill which rises above the canyon to north. I’ve explored the mountain which lies on north side of the canyon, Lion Mountain, a couple times on my channel. I also did a pretty intense bushwhack years ago to the opposite end of the canyon.
Just below to the south, is Toruno Tank. You can park by the tank or by the hill. Last I was there the road leading up the hill was blocked off. Whatever you choose make sure to climb to the top of that little hill. It provides a stunning view of the canyon.
Afterwards you can return to Rio Rico at the shopping center with IGA off Yavapai Drive HERE. There is a great local coffee shop called Mocha. Otherwise, there’s several restaurant options in the area. This can make for a great little evening drive to watch the sunset then grab a bite to eat and head home.
Emergency Supplies
These roads are trivial, and most get traffic. That is, they may get a few cars a day. However, they can prove expensive if you have a mechanical problem so a few tools will go a long ways! The article linked below goes over my medical kit with the video above running through my vehicle tool bag.
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