Buenos Aires – Arivaca
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This route is an extension of the 5 Star Buenos Aires route. At mile 22, the route turns right towards Tres Bellotas Ranch / Arivaca on FS 216 instead of continuing straight as on the original route.. At the town of Arivaca, mile 28, you can refuel and get water. The route then heads west on an undulating, Arizona paved road with little traffic. Many will find this section of road riding enjoyable and a nice break from the gravel. We drove this portion, we did not ride it.
At ~ mile 36.5 the route heads south on gravel reconnecting with the original route at ~ mile 41. We have not ridden nor investigated this section with “boots on the ground”. Thus, the designation of the route as a Training Route.
We believe, that 40 mm tires will work well on the route.
The route comes very close to the border with Mexico and parts of the route are actively patrolled by Border Patrol. When we come across them for the first time in the day, we stop and ask if “there’s anything we should be aware of” and we also give them our route for the day. We saw no Border Patrol on our ride.
We would really like to hear your thoughts on this route. Leave us a comment below.
Adventure / Gravel Route
– Loop: 46 miles / 2500 ft gain
– Surface: ~ 80% gravel, 20% paved
– eBike Friendly: Yes
– Location: ~ 1hour, 15 min southwest of Tucson, AZ
– Published: December 2019
Difficulty
Moderate. There are several short, rocky sections and several short, steep pitches in excess of 10%.
The Start
Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. Flush toilets, water and picnic grounds.
Lat / Long: 31.571737, -111.506000
Downloads
Cue Sheet / GPX file / TCX file
Legend
Red = paved road
Brown = gravel / dirt road
For help with GPS files, the RideWithGPs mapping app and to learn how to download our routes for free, see the “Using Our Rides” page.
Ridden and Reviewed by …
Gravel Girl / Team Dirty Freehub
She loves a good day of gravel like most people like a good book. She’s always amused by the outdoors and the wild adventures. Gravel Girl is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.
Captain O / Team Dirty Freehub
He should have “Never Stop Exploring” tattooed on his chest! He loves adventures on bikes and is a Co-Founder of Dirty Freehub.
A buddy and I did this as a sub 24 bikepack. Left about 2 in the afternoon, camped at the top of the route and got back to the start around 11 the next morning. Saw a herd of antelope, a deer that ran along side of us, then jumped a couple fences right in front of us (awesome to see) and a little family of javalina. GREAT ride! Really enjoyed it!
Excellent! We are back in AZ for 2 to 3 months and this route is on our to do list. Thanks for the comment, it really helps others when deciding on routes. Ride Dirty & Smile!