This is a nice long ride through the mountains next to the US/Mexico border including the scenic Ruby Road and isolated town of Arivaca.
The best dirt roads are on the first half of this ride between Bisbee and Arivaca, starting with a ride through the Coronado National Memorial and Montezuma Pass along the US-Mexico border to the bustling border town of Nogales. From there, the scenic Ruby Road is a highlight that will lead you to Arivaca.
Grab lunch at La Gitana Cantina & Café, the oldest bar in the oldest continuously inhabited townsite in Arizona, and gas up at Arivaca Mercantile before heading out of town on nice pavement to Amado. Another lunch option would be the Longhorn Grill and Saloon in Amado.
After riding a few miles north on Interstate 10, you’ll head east on another fine dirt road through Box Canyon and then some more pleasant dirt roads through Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.
From there, it’s about an hour of pavement riding, passing through Tombstone on the way back to Bisbee. This is a long, fun ride on some of the best backcountry roads in southeast Arizona. Enjoy!
Details
- Location: Starts and ends at The Jonquil Motel in Bisbee, Arizona
- Distance: 250 mile loop
- Gas: Bisbee, Palominas, Nogales, Arivaca, Green Valley, Whetstone, Tombstone
- Difficulty: Easy
- Road Surface: paved, gravel, dirt, potential short sandy sections, potential water crossings
- Time: full-day
- Connects to: Border Coaster, Grasslands, Red Hill
Approximate Mileage
- Start – Circle K Bisbee – 0 miles
- Gas – Speedway Bisbee – 5 miles
- Gas – Chevron Bisbee – 5 miles
- Gas – Palominas – 19 miles
- Coronado Visitor Center – 28 miles
- Start dirt – 29 miles
- Montezuma Pass – 31 miles
- Montezuma Canyon Road – 31 miles
- Start – Border Coaster – 32 miles
- Start – Grasslands – 49 miles
- Lochiel – 57 miles
- Start – Red Hill – 66 miles
- End dirt – 72 miles
- Gas – Nogales – 79 miles
- Start dirt – Ruby Road – 92 miles
- Ruby Ghost Town – 110 miles
- End dirt – 116 miles
- Gas – Arivaca – 122 miles
- La Gitana Cantina & Cafe – 122 miles
- Longhorn Grill – 145 miles
- Gas – Green Valley – 155 miles
- Start dirt – 163 miles
- Box Canyon – 168 miles
- Las Cienegas National Conservation Area – 179 miles
- End dirt – 190 miles
- Gas – Whetstone – 206 miles
- Gas – Tombstone – 225 miles