Other articles by Doug Kreutz:

Beautiful bywayDakota offers satisfying fare, modern flairVault Mine Trail: If you climb it, there's a rewardHike: Madera Canyon's Vault Mine Trail is steep, rewarding Reid Park's rose garden proves its sweet scent Streamside trail is aflutter with birdsButterfly Trail: Beauty and the Butterfly The wonder of wood Biking: Old Spanish Trail round trip ideal for cyclistsBirding: Get early start on Birding Trail

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CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE
DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
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Tucson Urban League
CEO/President Sales and Marketing
Everready Glass
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PATAGONIA — Miles spin out under fat, knobby tires as I pedal a mountain bike up the here pebbly, there bumpy, but mostly smooth-dirt surface of the Harshaw Creek Road.

It's a good thing the ride is piece-of-cake easy. The scenic setting — verdant hills below a backdrop of rocky peaks — has kidnapped my attention and left the business of biking pretty much on auto-pilot.

Snaking along gurgling Harshaw Creek, the road is just one leg of a winsome network of mostly mellow mountain-biking terrain southeast of Patagonia.

While it's possible to find some single-track routes, the real pleasure here is pedaling on unpaved back roads.

You'll traverse high deserts, wooded valleys and rolling grasslands. Along the way, you'll see historic ranches, livestock, birds and other wildlife.

To reach Patagonia from Tucson, take Interstate 10 east to Arizona 83. Follow Arizona 83 south to Sonoita and then continue southwest on Arizona 82 to Patagonia. The rides begin there.

● For an easy and scenic loop ride of about 13 miles, pedal southeast out of town on the paved Harshaw Road. After about three miles, watch for an unpaved road on the left with a sign for the Rocking Chair Ranch. Follow the unpaved route, which is the Harshaw Creek Road, for three miles to a T-intersection with another unpaved road. Turn right, go about half a mile to reconnect with the Harshaw Road and follow it back to Patagonia.

● For a longer loop of about 26 miles, ride from Patagonia and take the Harshaw Creek Road to the T-intersection. There, take a left onto Forest Road 58. Continue in a loop — on Forest Road 58, Forest Road 214, Forest Road 49 and the Harshaw Road — back to Patagonia.

The rides are generally easy, but carry water and basic bike gear because there are no services along the way. Be aware that you could encounter smuggling traffic in the area.

Doug Kreutz / Arizona Daily Star Mountain biking routes on the back roads outside of Patagonia roll through verdant hills.