I hail from sunny Phoenix, Arizona and I’ve been crawling, climbing, and paddling across the Grand Canyon State over a decade. I have a passion for the wild and a thirst for thrill and adrenaline. With Experience Arizona I aim to bring the adventure to the page and bring you information on the places you gotta see and things you gotta know. 
| Name: The Boulders (part of the 50-year trail) | Author's Rating:  (mainly due to all the hike-a-bike I have to do) |
| Author: Matt Marine | Avg. User Rating: Not rated yet |
| Type: Bike | Difficulty:  (Difficult). This trail has a LOT of hike-a-bike as you go up the mountain. I think some very experienced riders can ride some (maybe even most) of this, but it is very difficult |
| Time: 1 hour | Region: SE Arizona |
| Length: 2.2 miles (through trail) | Elevation gain/loss/change: +267 / -332 ft / -65 ft (one way) |
| Type: through trail | Avg Elevation: 3300 ft |
| Best time to go: fall, winter, spring | Fees:Requires State Trust Land permit. |
| Fitness rating: High | Educational Merit: Low |
| Danger/fear rating: Medium | Scenic Beauty: High |
| Hours of Operation: NA | Last updated: February, 2009 |
| Short Description: A short, difficult trail with lots of technical challenge and beauty | |
| Geocaches: A few geocaches in the area. Golder Map. Cottonwoods Sentinels. | |
| References / Contact Information: SDMB | |
| Points of interest: Big rocks for your mountain bike to play on. Beautiful geography | |
| Special Considerations: Very technical, but as long as you don’t mind some hike-a-bike, doable.Requires State Trust Land permit. | |
| How to get there: Take Oracle Rd. north out of Tucson until you reach Golder Ranch Rd. (just before you get into Catalina). Take a right on Golder. Keep driving on Golder for about 2miles (through a four way stop sign, the bridge and up the hill) until the road turns to dirt. Directly on your right is a large dirt parking area. Park here (waypoint 001 from the Chutes Trail log). | |
Trail Description
The Boulders is a spur trail off the Chutes (50-year trail) which might satisfy even the most advanced rider. It’s a short, but technically challenging trail with a tough uphill and a really fun downhill section. And, it’s got lots of boulders to play on, but I guess you probably figured that out from the name. Finally, you get awesome views when you reach the top of the trail. It’s just a great ride all around.
I ride this trail starting from near the Chutes and ending up in Sutherland wash. You can also do this trail the opposite direction if you want a very technical downhill challenge.
General Information and History
The Boulders and Upper Boulders trails are short, difficult spur trails off the Chutes trail. These can be done as side trips for experienced riders. There will be lots of hike-a-bike for those who aren't advanced riders.
The Trail
Take the Chutes trail to waypoint 005. Here, you can take the single track to the top of the Chutes (waypoint CH), or take the old road to waypoint BOULDERS. If you go to the top of the Chutes, you need to go back down the road for about 75 feet to the trailhead of the Boulders. Take a left and go through the gate.
You will start up a long climb, through a bunch of large boulders and steps, most of which I will hike my bike. But don’t worry, it gets better soon.
Around B01, you will enter a sandy wash. You can either follow the wash for a few hundred feet, or ride up the rock directly in front of you to a trail that parallels the wash.
I hike my bike up the rock to the trail, while my friends ride it (see video). At waypoint INT2, keep going straight. A left here will take you on the Upper Boulders Trail (Coming soon). The trail to the upper boulders is easy to miss.
At about Waypoint B02, you will start climbing out of the wash. There are more boulders and difficult spots on this climb. When you reach the top, the view is wonderful. Ride out on one of the slick rocks and take a break. You deserve it.
There are a few smaller trails leading off to the left. I have taken a few of these and they are nothing more than sandy cattle trails and aren’t worth the effort. Ride along the ridge for a while until you reach the downhill section. This is A LOT of fun and makes all that hike-a-bike worth it.
Race down the hill until you get to Sutherland Wash. Ride across the wash then start a uphill climb to the until the trail intersects with the Chutes trail near waypoint 50DWN. From there, take a left and go back down the Chutes trail until you get to your car.
This is about as technical as I get for bike rides. I hope you enjoyed it. Have fun and be safe!
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