Fantasy Island Trails Park

And the Thunder rolls, while the Lightning strikes… #Tucson #TucsonAZ #Pima #520 #MonsoonSeason

Usually I use this system of trails when riding to and/​or from work on my bike. You can choose the fast route and go straight south/​north or north/​south along the fence that divides the Park from the AF Base, or you can take the system of bike trails that can make the commute more fun.
Very well marked trails, and with lots of fun and interesting decorations/​markers/​art. Definitely a must visit if you like mountain biking. or just having a relaxing ride.

Nice, family-​friendly trail! I was a beginner rider when I first came here but I was able to build my confidence. First-​timers should start on the Bunny trail (Valencia side) before transitioning to Lone Cactus (Irvington side). There is a map of the trails on the Irvington side which does not include the Bunny trails.
It is a well-​marked trail with lots of random trinkets along the way. I never encountered a rider going the wrong way so it’s safe to say everyone follows the rules — don’t be that guy!
Bring plenty of water, tubes and a comb in case you should encounter the stage-​5 clinger known as the Cholla cactus!
I love bringing friends to this trail to get a good workout in before the traditional post-​ride margarita.

Fun! Lots of charm and character. This trail has a good sense of humor. Trails are rocky and you are surrounded by cactus but they are easy to manage. Follow the signs! Lots of scary but manageable obstacles, including a crazy drop in wooden contraption. It looked intimidating but was really doable.
As we were leaving we ran into another couple from Huntington Beach who were also on a mt bike vacation. They asked if the trail was easy to figure out and we thought about it for a while and then said yes.
If you love mountain biking you should check out the trails here. They are one of a kind and really fun!

Road a few loops today and love these trails. I felt safe riding by myself but always on the look out for wildlife. Today I saw a roadrunner.
You def. need a map and to know where you are going or it’s easy to get confused.

I’d forgotten how much fun these trails can be on a Mountain Bike!
Good rules of thumb:
1) Bring plenty of water!
2) Print out a map of the trail loops, understanding that they aren’t to scale, but good use for reference.
3) Bring a cheap comb and pliers for the inevitable invasion of cactus spines (in your tires and sometimes your face, ask me how I know)
4) Obey the one way only signs, please! Some people think it’s cool to ride it in reverse– not only can it be dangerous but it tears up the trails.
There are two spots to park and enter Fantasy Island. The main trail head is at Harrison and Irvington– take Harrison south until it dead-​ends at Irvington and there’s a small paved lot for the riders. Tip: try not to leave any valuables in your car– take your cell phone, etc with you. There have been break-​ins here, consider yourself warned!
The other entrance is off of Valencia, on the south side of the park. The pullout is a dirt lot but the entrance is fairly easy to spot. This will put you on the Bunny Loop and there isn’t a map of the entire park at the trail head, so again, a map is a good idea.
This is officially State Trust land, so technically you need a permit (google AZ state trust land permit, you’ll find instructions on how to obtain one). While not strictly enforced, the money from the permits does go to upkeep of FI.
There are several large loops: Lone Cactus, Christmas Tree, Bo’s, Burro, Bunny Loop, to name a few. The trails are mainly flat single track with a few technical sections of steep washes, etc. There are tons of Easter egg «garbifacts» out there too.
There are about 26 miles of trails, most loops are on the map that’s located at the trail head, some aren’t (Rez, Fire, Bunny, Snake Dance, Bunny’s Revenge). Basically, if you keep taking all of the right-​hand options at the turnoffs you’ll do all of them. Some trail heads are well-​marked, some aren’t, another good reason to tuck a printed sheet of the map in your CamelBak.
A quick review of the loops with which I’m familiar:
Lone Cactus Loop: The Main Loop of Fantasy Island. It’s about 7 miles and has some steep sections right off the bat. Windy and fast, it’s a lot of fun if you can hold your line. There’s a really fun section toward the end called the Half-​Pipe which is seriously a natural half-​pipe in a small ravine. Stay to the left and you’ll follow it just fine!
Bunny Loop: Exactly as it sounds. Flat and fast singletrack, but beware of the ever encroaching Cholla cacti on this loop.
Snake Dance: This is a FUN loop if you’re into really fast and tight corners.
Bunny’s Revenge: A combination of Bunny and Snake Dance. This one has a lot of fun downhill sections that aren’t technical.
Christmas Tree Loop: You’ll know when you’re on Christmas Tree Loop, trust me. It’s similar to Lone Cactus with fun decorations. :)
Burro Pit Loop: Contains the smaller off-​shoot loop of the Dead Cow Loop. This, in my opinion, is the most technical of all the loops. There are some features like The Shaft (it looks exactly like it sounds– steep and really fast!) and the Over-​Under, a cool obstacle that you ride over, loop around, then ride under in a little tunnel. You’ll know when you enter the Dead Cow Loop– be sure to ring the bell for good luck!
Overall– plan on being out there for a few hours and if you’re riding at dusk/​dawn, bring a light. A ton of tun and great exercise!

I love it out here. I’ve been riding these trails for over 10 years and still love it.

This is a great desert biking trail. When I was visiting my Arizona people I rented a cannondale F400 hardtail from Cycle Tucson and headed out. It’s not like mountain biking. It’s mostly a pleasure ride, with ups and downs on rocky little hills, a few challenging gravel covered areas, desert plants and cactus all around. There are places on the trail that twist through dense patches of prickly pear cactus. As I was flying through there at full peddle I just hoped I wouldn’t hit some loose sand and dive into it. Saw a mad cow with cactus needles sticking out of his nose glaring at me. It’s an easy ride with some cool little shrines people set up along the trail. I rode around on multiple routes for 3 hours but you could spend a whole day there. I saw maybe 3 people the whole time. After that I rode back to my grandmas place on Pantano Wash. It’s a fun ride, especially for a lazy amateur. Wear sunscreen and bring a camelback full of water.

Have you heard of Fantasy Island? Sometimes locals need to be introduced to Fantasy Island. No, it’s not a kinky place. It’s a place you can run or bike. If you are a mountain bike rider, you probably have heard of the park. But it is also good if you are a runner and need a long run!
There is parking on the corner of Harrison and Irvington on the south side of Irvington. Then, you start running. It is like a normal wash and some technical areas. Sure beats running on random canals. You can also spot some random junk items on the trail occassionally. I personally have not run more than a few miles so I just go out as far as I want and turn back around! There are several loops. Most of them are flat, but there are some steep hills.
The trails are located on a 355-​acre piece of land that is part of the Arizona land state trust, so you are supposed to mail a form and $ 15 to Phoenix every year for permission. I have not heard of anyone doing that — areas on Silverbell and Starr Pass are on state land trust areas also.