[ruzz]

Howdy,

I am looking for a little help. I have heard about Fantasy Island in Tucson and am thinking about rolling out there this weekend. I am meeting my buddy in Queen Creek and driving out from there.

How far is it from the QC?

I understand there are several trails there in a small area, any recommendations on what we should ride?

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Exodus11]

why drive all the way to tucson? fantasy island is great from what ive heard but its on state land so you need a pass. FINS (fantasy island north singletrack) is off of I-10 and estrella pkwy (oops sorry harv...) offers a GRIP! load of trails!

 

[eatdrinkride]

Check out these links for some info of each.

Fantasy Island in Tucson and

FINS in Phoenix
(I think I got the links mixed up)

I've never ridden either but I gotta think traveling all the way down to Tucson for F.I. seems a bit much. I mean, Hawes is great for what it is but I'd never recommend someone make a day trip down from Flagstaff just to ride it, or up from Tucson for that matter.

 

[Casual Observer]

I've never ridden either but I gotta think traveling all the way down to Tucson for F.I. seems a bit much.

Absolutely. Tucson is probably 1.5 hours from Queen Creek, and maybe another half hour to FI. And quite honestly, the trail is hella boring, IMO. Definitely not worth a 2+ hour drive.

 

[eatdrinkride]

Absolutely. Tucson is probably 1.5 hours from Queen Creek, and maybe another half hour to FI. And quite honestly, the trail is hella boring, IMO. Definitely not worth a 2+ hour drive.

Ya, we made the attempt to find that place on a weekend we were down there doing Mt. Lemon. We didn't realize it was a state park so we were surprised when we had to pay to get in. We didn't mind as I had heard is was really great. The lady handed us a map and as soon as we scanned it we asked about the trails. We said we were looking for some technical stuff and she replied something about us being able to ride all over the place and how nice and flat some of it was. We did a uturn right at the guard shack and politely asked for our money back. The nice lady reluctantly agreed.

OP: I realize not everyone enjoys technical trails and many just like to hammer xc style but........to drive all that way seems silly. IME it takes FOREVER to get through Tucson to get to where the trails are.

Some closer suggestions.

MMP (3 loops, one way traffic)
Hawes (nice views, hard to get lost, good climbing if you want it)
Pass Mtn. (can be hooked up with Hawes making for a 25-30 mile loop. Pass Mtn. is both xc-ish and moderately technical at times with one steep descent)
BCT (lots of miles, I've never been. Probably never will)
Stuff out west/north? White Tanks. T100 (never been)

 

[ruzz]

Ya, we made the attempt to find that place on a weekend we were down there doing Mt. Lemon. We didn't realize it was a state park so we were surprised when we had to pay to get in. We didn't mind as I had heard is was really great. The lady handed us a map and as soon as we scanned it we asked about the trails. We said we were looking for some technical stuff and she replied something about us being able to ride all over the place and how nice and flat some of it was. We did a uturn right at the guard shack and politely asked for our money back. The nice lady reluctantly agreed.

OP: I realize not everyone enjoys technical trails and many just like to hammer xc style but........to drive all that way seems silly. IME it takes FOREVER to get through Tucson to get to where the trails are.

Some closer suggestions.

MMP (3 loops, one way traffic)
Hawes (nice views, hard to get lost, good climbing if you want it)
Pass Mtn. (can be hooked up with Hawes making for a 25-30 mile loop. Pass Mtn. is both xc-ish and moderately technical at times with one steep descent)
BCT (lots of miles, I've never been. Probably never will)
Stuff out west/north? White Tanks. T100 (never been)

I had read/heard that FINS Tucson was really kewl. I ride all the ones you listed except for BCT. Perhaps that is why I am in search of some new riding. Maybe I should go to BCT?

Thanks for the reviews/advice

 

[blue109]

if you are going to drive to tucson theres lots better stuff than fantasy island, but i think the place is kinda fun (i usually only go there when im by myself or have 2 hrs to burn) it is on state land, but i dont think anybody in the history of the world has ever been ticketed or asked for a pass there. you just park, and ride. check google maps for the intersection of irvington rd and harrison rd. the parking lot is about 100' down the road from there.

check out sdmb.org or tucsonmtb.com for trail descriptions and directions to tucson trails. also, check the 8 days of xmas thread. theres a 50yr tail group ride sat morning, and a FI group ride fri morning.

 

[bornhere]

Ya, we made the attempt to find that place on a weekend we were down there doing Mt. Lemon. We didn't realize it was a state park so we were surprised when we had to pay to get in. We didn't mind as I had heard is was really great. The lady handed us a map and as soon as we scanned it we asked about the trails. We said we were looking for some technical stuff and she replied something about us being able to ride all over the place and how nice and flat some of it was. We did a uturn right at the guard shack and politely asked for our money back. The nice lady reluctantly agreed.

OP: I realize not everyone enjoys technical trails and many just like to hammer xc style but........to drive all that way seems silly. IME it takes FOREVER to get through Tucson to get to where the trails are.

Some closer suggestions.

MMP (3 loops, one way traffic)
Hawes (nice views, hard to get lost, good climbing if you want it)
Pass Mtn. (can be hooked up with Hawes making for a 25-30 mile loop. Pass Mtn. is both xc-ish and moderately technical at times with one steep descent)
BCT (lots of miles, I've never been. Probably never will)
Stuff out west/north? White Tanks. T100 (never been)

Dude if someone took money from you to let you into FI you got hosed. Sounds like the 55+ community across the street is running a scam. There are no shacks or booths, just bike gates.
It is state trust land. You are supposed to have a permit to be on it. Take a survey of all the people you see out there and probably less than 25% have them. I have one, but I did not buy it to run FI.
I am guessing that it would take you about 2 hours from getting on 10 to parking at the lot. Exit Houghton road, head north, take a left on Valencia and its 1/4 mile on your right. Or, take a left on Irvington and its 1/2 mile on your left.
It is true that there is no tech, and only a few hundred if that elevation change across the whole thing.
There are roughly 20 miles of trails packed in there, so just ride the whole thing. The trails are all one way, marked or easy to figure out. The north end is more challenging than the south. If you start south you will cruise through a few miles of smooth and twisty before you even get to a decent wash crossing. If you start north there is a big sign with a map of the whole thing. You will get a good dose of up and down cardio right off the bat, crossing small "canyons".
It is not the most anything, but little of everything. People say "I would not make the trip just to ride there." But it is something every one should do at least once. Most of the avid riders down here won't even cross town to do it, but people like me who ride it a lot appreciate it. If you are looking for a challenge, this is not the place. If you want to have some fun, this is a good choice.

Check out the tucsonmtb.com forum or sdmb.org for the descriptions, directions, pics etc. of all the local trails here.

 

[bigworm520]

Heres a list of trails you should ride in Tucson before you ride F.I.
50yr
Sweetwater
Starr Pass
all the Lemmon trails
24hr trail
AZ Trail
Robles
TMP
Then F.I.
and many of them are worth the drive up from Fenix if you have hit everything there.

 

[bornhere]

Heres a list of trails you should ride in Tucson before you ride F.I.
50yr
Sweetwater
Starr Pass
all the Lemmon trails
24hr trail
AZ Trail
Robles
TMP
Then F.I.
and many of them are worth the drive up from Fenix if you have hit everything there.

So pretty much everything else first, don't you have a ride to lead in an hour or so?

See you there

 

[eatdrinkride]

Dude if someone took money from you to let you into FI you got hosed. Sounds like the 55+ community across the street is running a scam. There are no shacks or booths, just bike gates.

I guess we went somewhere else??? Thought it was FI but I'm obviously wrong.

 

[twowheelsdown2002]

Fantasy Island is a step above a stationary bike.

Definitely don't plan a trip around Fantasy Island!! Like what was said above, most of the locals(count me in this) won't drive across town to ride it. It is flat and twisty and that is all. Spin, turn, spin, repeat as necessary. It is good if you live close to it and need a quick workout, as it is better than sitting in a gym looking at the wall and spinning, but there is not a bit of challenge to it unless you just started mountain biking yesterday.

50 year is worth driving for because of the unique terrain, and scenery.

I wouldn't make a special trip for Sweetwater. It is more fun than Fantasy Island for sure, with more hills, but again, no technical challenges.

Mt. Lemmon rides, have a lot more challenges, and are done as shuttles by most because it is up one way steep, down the other way steep. I do like trying to climb Milagrosa though, and Agua Caliente is a nice techy climb.

Arizona trail from Pistol hill is fun and scenic down to the bridges, then gets boring as hell from then on south.

Tucson Mountain Park has a lot of trails, but not easy to find them if you don't explore a lot there, or go with a guide. I explore every little goat trail I can find there, and am amazed at how many people ride there, and do the same loop, over and over with no clue how much more there is. Robles at the south end has quite a few trails, and Brown Mountain to the north end is a very fun technical trail. Inside the park I like John Krein(techy) Gates Pass around Golden Gate Mtn(techy) Hooligan(techy), and the east side of Cat Mtn. to Robles connector(techy), which I am now Henceforth by Special Decree Officially giving the name of "Cool Cat".

 

[bigworm520]

So pretty much everything else first, don't you have a ride to lead in an hour or so?

See you there

Yes. And I have beers to drink or drank since its already been done now.

 

[bikeman1243]

Fantasy Island is a fun trail, like others mentioned before it's not technical, i'd say if you've never ridden it go check it out for yourself. Since it's not really hard ride all 20 miles. I ride it once or twice a year as an excuse to go have a grinder at eegee's...good grub.
I think rider who mentioned pay booth was at one of the State Parks.

 

[crAZy Irish]

+1 for Fantasy Island - Tucson
+5 for FINS

You should ride Fantasy Island - TUC, it is fun to see how fast you can go. Plus there are some cool features you get to roll into at high speed that make it more fun. But make sure you scope another ride in Tucson while youe are down there. The 50yr trail would be a fun addition and I know this has been said before but really......don't miss the chutes!

 

[twowheelsdown2002]

The 50yr trail would be a fun addition and I know this has been said before but really......don't miss the chutes!

I don't really get the whole obsession with "The Chutes".

Sure they are kinda fun if you have not done them, but they don't do all that much for me. I see riders all the time that ride out to "The Chutes", do them a couple times and go home. They never even venture into the upper areas at all.

I do just the opposite out there. I usually go right on past "The Chutes" without even a thought about riding them, and go up into the fun, rocky technical stuff. There is so much more there than "The Chutes".

Ride the upper loop, ride Middlegate then take the junction that leads to Deer Camp and take a left all the way around the mountain toward Charleau Gap. Or ride up to Deer Camp and loop it around to Baby Jesus and come down that. Those are all much more fun IMHO than "The Chutes".

 

[csparks66]

I ride F.I all the time. Fun the first time, buit gets old. Nothing to travel for. Maybe good way to end a short day on mt lemmon.

 

[AZTtripper]

Not sure if this is still relevant but if you are looking for a place closer to Queen Creek you should check out Casa Grand mountain. Trails there are similar to FI fun riding not super scenic but a good work out on fun fast trails.

That said FI is worth hitting up at least once if only for the unique nature of the one way course and the fact that there are virtually zero non bike trail users. As a place to train FI is great I am sure (that's why it got built after all, by racers looking for a place to train) and it is an easy place to figure out with zero navigation skills required.

I can see why people like the Chutes so much, a quick blast that meets the need for speed, now if only there was an easy way to shuttle it.

Tucson is definitely worth a visit but I doubt FI is worth the drive all by itself.

 

[abegold]

Ya, we made the attempt to find that place on a weekend we were down there doing Mt. Lemon. We didn't realize it was a state park so we were surprised when we had to pay to get in. We didn't mind as I had heard is was really great. The lady handed us a map and as soon as we scanned it we asked about the trails. We said we were looking for some technical stuff and she replied something about us being able to ride all over the place and how nice and flat some of it was. We did a uturn right at the guard shack and politely asked for our money back. The nice lady reluctantly agreed.

You were NOT at Fantasy Island. There is NO guard house and NO ONE to take your $$.
Fantasy Island is at Harrison and Irvington. The ONLY guard houses around there are for gated communities. Mt Lemmon is 20 minutes away.
Sounds like maybe the 50 Year Trail @ Catalina State Park? That's on the northwest side of Tucson, FI is on the southeast side. Only other place where you pay to play is Saguaro National Park. You were lost!