Arizona ATV Guide
Arizona ATV Trail Guides
You’ll may very well discover that trying to decide where to ride ATVs in Arizona is as big a challenge as navigating some of the rugged, adventure-filled terrain the state is known for, because there a lot of good options. Arizona has much going for it when it comes to ATV and UTV riding trails. You can strike out on your own, or you can sign up for one of the many available ATV tours in Arizona when you’re in the mood to just enjoy the warm climate and vivid landscapes without making any decisions or your own. We’ve only highlighted a very few of the best ATV trails in Arkansas, but there are many other great areas to be found without much effort. Here at Treadworld, we have the ATV tires you need for everywhere your adventures take you. Don’t hesitate to contact our tire experts via live chat or email with any questions you may have, and to get the ideal Master ATV and UTV Tires for you.
Arizona Peace Trail
Location: Quartzsite, AZ
Website: https://arizonapeacetrail.org
Traversing Mohave, La Paz, and Yuma counties, and reaching from Kingman, AZ on the south to Bull Head City, AZ on the north, the Arizona Peace Trail offers more than 750 miles of OHV loop trail system that not only has some of the best ATV and UTV trails in Arizona, but in the nation. Expect ATV trail riding through rolling deserts full of saguaro cactus, red rock landscapes, windy sand washes, narrow, very narrow canyons and mountain passes that reach over 7,000 ft. in elevation, as well as numerous towns, points of interest and historical sites. Terrains are varied, from easy graded dirt roads to intermediate skill-rated trails that once carried 49’ers with dreams of finding a life-changing gold strike, with rocks, steep hills, sand, trees, gravel, and water crossings. This is the largest off-road vehicle loop in the U.S. and includes a 150-mile stretch devoid of gas stations. Plan ahead.
Boulders OHV Area
Location: N Picacho Wash, Peoria, AZ
Website: https://www.riderplanet-usa.com/atv/trails/info/arizona_06482/ride_9984.htm
With over 200 miles of unimproved backcountry roads and single-track motorbike trails, ranging from 1,700 to 3,500 feet in elevation, this area will please all ATV and UTV trails riders. The north half of the area features steeper hills and twisty turns along with several very rocky wash sections and can be looped together to make a 13 mile route. The south loop is mostly flat land is ideal for beginning ATV riders and those looking for a relaxing ride with their minds in neutral. 4-wheeler trails are marked, and take you over some hard pack, a little loose dirt and some sand, a few rocky sections and a few small jumps and water crossings. The Boulders OHV Trail offers riders with intermediate experience 26 miles of ATV and UTV trail riding that winds through the Hieroglyphics Mountain Range, offering spectacular nature viewing including tons of beautiful wild flowers.
Broken Arrow Trail
Location: Morgan Road, Sedona, AZ
Website: https://azoffroading.com/arizona-trails/broken-arrow/
Although fairly short, many 4-wheeler riders consider this to be one of the best Arizona ATV trails. A red rock trail, it runs for 4 miles in the Coconino National Forest and has a moderate difficulty level with its sharp, narrow turns, rocky terrain and slick sandstone trails. Expect diverse terrain including some hard-pack, slick rocks, loose chunk rock, steep hills and sand. Chicken Point is a two way trail, but once past that you’ll come to Devil’s Staircase, the most difficult obstacle, a particularly steep area that consists of a series of slick rock steps, that you drive downhill.
Bulldog Canyon OHV Area
Location: 3024 Usery Pass Road, Mesa, AZ
Website: https://azoffroading.com/arizona-trails/bulldog-canyon/
Bulldog Canyon, part of the Tonto National Forest, is 34,000 acres big, with around 20 miles of open routes on five rocky desert ATV and UTV riding trails that provide access to the spectacular Sonoran Desert and Goldfield Mountains. The wide, marked, unrated and lightly maintained trails offer some hard pack, some loose dirt, some mud bogs and a lot of rocks, with a few steep hills, a few small jumps and many water crossings. Tonto National Forest Off-Highway Vehicle Permit required. Along with Bulldog, two other off-road areas can be found in the forest, Desert Vista OHV Area and The Rolls OHV Area.
Chiva Falls
Location: Vail, AZ
Website: https://www.trailforks.com/trails/chiva-falls/
A fairly hardcore, 20.4-mile loop trail found in the Coronado National Forest, Chiva Falls provides ATV riding challenges with some creeks, high rock ledges, and narrow rocky trails, all leading to magnificent views of the 75-foot waterfalls the trail is named for at the end of the line, as well as the surrounding mountains including Mount Lemmon and the Rincon Mountain. A narrow, rocky trail drops into Tanque Verde Canyon then follows the canyon creek bottom, which is usually relatively dry, but can lead to deep crossings when the weather dictates. The highest difficulty obstacle is called “Three Feathers,” and tends to be a highlight for those who take their 4-wheeler riding seriously. It offers three choices: difficult, more difficult and nearly impossible.
Cinder Hills OHV Area
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=70996&actid=34
Located in the Coconino National Forest, Cinder Hills is a 13,500-acre area with a 19-mile loop trail studded with some steep ponderosa pine-covered hills and featuring volcanic cinder cones and craters. Lightly marked trails are primarily made up of volcano cinder, which feels a bit like sand, but is actually made up of tiny lava pebbles that are much quicker to do damage. Expect a few small and large jumps and a ton of berms, and keep an eye out for the Hundred Dollar Bill, a nasty 90-foot hill climb, and the Sunset Crater, a 500-foot deep volcanic crater used by the Apollo astronauts for Lunar Rover practice.
Ghost Town Trail:
Location: Out of Tombstone, AZ
Website: http://www.arizonaghosttowntrails.com/
With ATV trails from Tombstone through the Dragoon Mountains, by way of formerly prosperous mining towns of Gleeson, Courtland and Pearce – now ghost towns – and the stomping grounds of the Apache Chief Cochise, the Ghost Town Trail affords 16 miles of historic ATV riding in Arizona. For the most part desolate territory through desert scrub, this trail provides views of a number of remnants from the wild and wooly past.
The Great Western Trail
Location: Circle Pines Rd, Williams, AZ
Website: https://www.azbackroads.com/gps-track/the-great-western-trail-arizona-route/
The Great Western Trail is a granddaddy of U.S. Trails. In Arizona, it runs 800 miles from the Mexico border north to Utah. Overall, it’s a 4,455-mile-long trail that extends across the U.S. from Canada to Mexico, passing through the states of Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, along with Arizona, and through 18 national forests (including four in AZ). It stretches through a wide variety of AZ landscapes including stunning deserts and canyons, plateaus, woodlands, dense forests and alpine tundra. It’s recommended for ATV and UTV riders with more experience rather than less.
Harquahala Mountain OHV, UTV and Off Road Trail
Location: Eagle Eye Road, Aguila, AZ
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/southwestutv/trail-information-1/harquahala-mountain-ohv-utv-side-x-side-trail
Beginning at the base of Harquahala Mountain before heading up a winding path to the historic Harquahala Observatory (used by Smithsonian Institution scientists studying the sun in the early 1920s), this rugged 21 mile out and back trail is one of the state’s preferred ATV riding trails. It starts out easy-going over a well graded dirt road that weaves its way through Lower Sonoran Desert with its large Saguaro cactus. Then the trail narrows, snaking its way through Blue Tank Canyon, over some large mountain razorbacks before starting to climb until it reaches the top of the tallest mountain in southwest AZ, Harquahala Mountain and its 5,700-foot elevation views. Terrain is mostly hard pack with a little sand, some mud, some rugged, rocky sections with a few steep hills and a few water crossings.
Mescal Mountain OHV Area
Location: Kearny, AZ
Here for the most part, you’ll find wide rocky trails with some sharp twists and turns plus a couple of riverbed washes weaving through the Sonoran Desert past saguaro cactus and the scenic Blue Mountains. Along with the rock-strewn sections, expect some hard pack, a few mudding trails, trees, steep hills, a few shady areas and some water crossings. Trail difficulty runs the spectrum from novice to expert.
