First Dirt - Backside of Mt Lemmon (near Tucson)
- Thread starter illzoni
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03_4x4Runner
Senior Member
Did you take the trail that starts at the end of the paved road by the ski lodge and go down the mountain from there? I am going to do that sometime. Also did you need to by a permit togo there?
illzoni
New member
I went up to Mt Lemmon from Oracle on Mt Lemmon Rd. Just followed the signs from Oracle and emerged on pavement up top next to the firehouse. Poked around up top (including taking a ride on the ski lift) and ate a picnic lunch. Also discovered the paved road that goes past the ski parking takes you to almost the same place as the lift (which is $8 each).
03_4x4Runner
Senior Member
Thanks, my son lives in Tucson but I have not had a chance to play down there much. We only visit several times a year and did Redington road last time. We ended up going through Oracle on the way back. I did not have time that day to go to Mount Lemon plus there was still snow up there at the time. I may start at the top of Mount Lemon go most of the way down and turn around and go back to the top instead of going all the way around to Oracle. I live in Lake Havasu City but it is getting to hot here now to off road. We are going to off road the Moggellon Rim and area in another week.
Harold1950
New member
Now you guys are in my old stompin grounds.....I grew up just north of Oracle...did you go up into if I remember it right "Pepper Sauce" Canyon and get into the caves up there....used to be a real attraction there. You had to crawl into them on your hands and knees to get into the main caverans. The caves are supposed to hook up with some all the way in New Mexico. If you go down I think it is Hwy 77, the one that runs from Tucson to Globe, there are a lot of old river beds/washes that you can get into and 4 wheel in the deep sand. About nine miles on the other side of Mammoth is a road that goes off to the west, you can't miss it, there are signs just past the San Pedro River, acutally just a trickle, that shows the Ariviapa Canyon to the right with the Arizona College of Technology signs going to the right, go left there and you will see where they have been doing I believe gypsum mining and the mountain is being leveled off. That big wash just to the left of the mined mountain used to be a main thouroughfare for sandbuggies, jeeps and what have you.......there is water, sometimes more than other times and deep sand and it eventually has off shoots where you can get into the hills/mountains and do some off roading in there, my family used to deer hunt in there and also some javelina hunting. If you take the branch in Hwy 77 at Oracle Junction, there are roads you can take off to the right and go into the mountains that will take you over them and to Kearny. They are rough and I'd rate them at a 7 or 8, but we used to do them in a sandbuggy with a "locked" rear differential but had to be pulled up and over somethings with a jeep. I've forgotten more about that country and the trails we used to go onto and create. Have fun up there if you go but watch for the rattlers they come out looking for water and food and as you probably know are pretty nasty..........
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DuckieAZ
New member
Tucson wheelers!
The backroad is ok, just a simple decently maintained dirt road, but with awesome views. During the winter months, they won't let you threw to winterhaven or whatever its called up there from the backside. The trail bears left at peppersauce campground, if you bear right you ca hop on the trail to Rice peak, but thats substantially more difficult than Mt Lemmon road.
The Gap is also up in Oracle, and thats a fun trip too. Definatly a no go alone trail though. Check out TucsonOffRoad.net, thats a local offroad forum, we have Jeeps, Chevys, toyotas, and even some cool rigs like a lifted AMC eagle and a Scout thats getting SAS'd.
The backroad is ok, just a simple decently maintained dirt road, but with awesome views. During the winter months, they won't let you threw to winterhaven or whatever its called up there from the backside. The trail bears left at peppersauce campground, if you bear right you ca hop on the trail to Rice peak, but thats substantially more difficult than Mt Lemmon road.
The Gap is also up in Oracle, and thats a fun trip too. Definatly a no go alone trail though. Check out TucsonOffRoad.net, thats a local offroad forum, we have Jeeps, Chevys, toyotas, and even some cool rigs like a lifted AMC eagle and a Scout thats getting SAS'd.
