San Manuel

San Manuel is a former copper-mining town in Pinal County, and riders around Tucson use it as a base for open desert riding. The Trail Riders of Southern Arizona (TRS), the local club, lists it as one of its prime riding areas. The country is saguaro desert with primitive roads, sandy washes, and trails, with mountain views in every direction. TRS says the area also has some very technical trails that its race does not use, so it suits riders who like rocky, challenging terrain as well as easy exploring on two-track.

This is a general riding area, not a single fenced park. No source we found names one official trailhead, a trail system, or a signed loop, so expect to navigate with a GPS app. TRS recommends Avenza or Gaia for mapping. The club hosts its Copper Classic sprint enduro here each spring, run from the old Gardner Middle School campus in town. The event draws more than 220 big bike and minibike racers, and it is the clearest sign that the area is an established destination.

Getting there

San Manuel sits roughly 45 miles northeast of Tucson, near Oracle and Mammoth. Redington Pass, a separate Coronado National Forest riding area, is about 24 miles to the south. Local tourism material also points riders from San Manuel to Mount Lemmon Road (Forest Road 38) toward Summerhaven, where the top five miles are more primitive and rocky. Fuel and supplies are in town.

Fees, permits, and rules

Much of the riding in Arizona crosses Arizona State Trust Land, and TRS says a recreational permit from the State Land Department is required there. Display one copy on your vehicle when you park on trust land and carry the other with you. Confirm land status before you ride, because trust land, private land, and mine property sit side by side around town. Arizona also requires an OHV decal on off-highway vehicles, a US Forest Service approved spark arrestor, and a muffler under 96 dB. TRS asks riders to stay within about 10 feet of established trails and yield to hikers, horses, and mountain bikers.

When to ride

No source gives a season for San Manuel. It is low desert, so summers are very hot and fall through spring is the practical riding window. The TRS race is held in March. Washes can flood in monsoon storms, so check the forecast before entering one.