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1.1 miles
Distance
101 ft
Climb
-75 ft
Descent
00:07:52
Avg time
26 ft
Altitude change
1,668 ft
Altitude min
1,768 ft
Altitude max
1,720 ft
Altitude start
1,745 ft
Altitude end
0.4%
Grade
-14.1%
Grade max
18.5%
Grade min
3,038 ft
Distance climb
2,631 ft
Distance down
167 ft
Distance flat
00:07:52
Avg time
Desert Tortoise Details
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Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
-
Riding AreaPhoenix Sonoran Preserve
Phoenix, Arizona -
Difficulty Rating
-
Voted DifficultyBlue (2 votes)
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Local Popularity95 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 85 in E-Biking
- 90 in Trail Running
- 100 in Hiking
-
Global Ranking
-
State Ranking
-
Hiking SAC ScaleT1 Hiking
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Trail TypeSingletrack
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Bike TypeXC
-
DirectionBoth Directions
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Climb DifficultyBlue
-
Physical RatingModerate
-
Trail VisibilityAlways easy to follow
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Dogs AllowedYes
-
eBike Allowed
-
Land OwnerCity of Phoenix
An easy going trail linking Hawksnest to Vale Vista and onto Dixie Mountain Loop for a slightly longer route then.
Traditionally Indigenous Territory
Recent Activity on Trail
Past Week
- 3 rides
- 15 miles average
6 Months
- 95 rides
- 11 miles avg distance
All
- 1,023 rides
- Last: Oct 22, 2026
| c1 | c2 | c3 | c4 |
|---|---|---|---|
January | February | March | April |
May | June | July | August |
September | October | November | December |
Desert Tortoise Trail Reports
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3D
Trail Conditions
- Unknown
- Snow Groomed
- Snow Packed
- Snow Covered
- Snow Cover Partial
- Freeze/thaw Cycle
- Icy
- Prevalent Mud
- Wet
- Variable
- Ideal
- Dry
- Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
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The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of users are riding a trail in its intended direction.
- > 96%
- > 90%
- > 80%
- > 70%
- > 50%
- < 50%
- bi-directional trail
- no data
Trail Last Used
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
- < 2 days
- < 1 week
- < 2 weeks
- < 1 month
- < 6 months
- > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
- Downhill Only
- Downhill Primary
- Both Directions
- Uphill Primary
- Uphill Only
- One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
- Description
- Photos
- Description & Photos
- Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans activity logs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months.
Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades.
Think of this as a heatmap, more activities = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
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- popular
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- not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
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Activity Recordings
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?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data.
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Winter Trails
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Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where users jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status
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Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
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Directions to desert-tortoise trailhead
(33.743330, -112.094550)
Photos
2 more »
Videos
1 more »
mtb
0:36 |
720 |
Jun 3, 2019 , Phoenix
Routes with this trail
★ 4.7 • 10 miles • 1,236 ft • 99 • Loop •
A loop around the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve with a tough climb up Dixie Mountain rewarded by a fun, fast...
71 miles • 5,166 ft • 30 • Loop •
Huge route using most of the trail systems in the Northwest Valley: Sonoran North & South,...
Ampfrog
Super fun ride either direction, don't let the elevation chart fool you. Blue rollercoaster ride of fun ups and downs.
The only significantly technical bit is climbing up westbound out of the wash on the west end, specifically at the sharp left at the top... stay out wide to the right to clean it (much easier to go down eastbound).
The only significantly technical bit is climbing up westbound out of the wash on the west end, specifically at the sharp left at the top... stay out wide to the right to clean it (much easier to go down eastbound).
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Nearby Trails
- Dixie Mountain Loop 735 ft
- Sonoran Mp Acc 1,142 ft
- Hawk's Nest 1,145 ft
- Valle Verde 2,687 ft
- Sonoran Mp Acc 3,107 ft
Phoenix Sonoran Preserve
- By todd
Trailforks & contributors - #15180 - 2,400 views
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