Ironwood Overnighter

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Pima County, AZ, US

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Route Overview

Long Distance Studio

Bikepacking for the win.

48 mi.

1,601 ft.

The Ironwood Overnighter travels through the largest stand of Ironwood trees in North America. The 48-mile route showcases sweeping views of three desert ranges and highlights the diverse history of the land with two historical sites: The Cocoraque Butte and Titan II Missile Silo. Lastly, don’t let the mileage fool you; the rugged and sandy dirt roads make it a challenging ride…

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Route Details

Ironwood National Monument is known for its largest and richest stand of Ironwood trees. The Ironwood Overnighter highlights the region's unique biodiversity while connecting two historical sites; the Titan II Missile Silo and The Cocoraque Butte. Whether you want beautiful scenery, a secluded camping spot, or to learn more about the region’s history - this overnighter has much to offer everyone.

The Ironwood Overnighter is a bikepacking route designed to begin and end at the @poi[Titan II Missile Silo Interpretive Site](108478614), which is only a 40-minute drive from downtown Tucson. This missile site was on alert during the Cold War period and manned for 24 years, 24/7, from 1963 to 1987. From the interpretive site, the route goes on a smooth gravel road to a chunky power line descent that connects to a rugged climb.

Afterward, cow friends and large Saguaros start to appear alongside the road. This is a sign to prepare your legs for the hardest route climb. After reaching the peak and taking in all the sights, a fun descent follows. Continuing on the rolling, rugged roads, @poi[watch for dispersed camping starting around the 15-mile marker](108392426). The 360 views of the desert ranges make it an ideal camping spot.

Rolling descents continue as you move farther away from the mountain ranges. @poi[Around the 22.5-mile marker](108392429), there is a turn-off to Cocoraque Butte (the O’odham name is Shontok). This historical site includes ancient Hohokam ruins, hundreds of well-preserved petroglyphs, and the historic Cocoraque Ranch. The age of the petroglyphs ranges from 1150 to 2000 years old. The hiking trail is about one mile out and back from the route.

Continuing along the route, the @poi[first sandy section](108478069) begins for about a quarter mile. This is where larger tires and patience come in handy. After the sandy section, the route leaves Ironwood National Monument for a few miles through residential neighborhoods until you return to the monument trailhead. The @poi[Ironwood National Monument trailhead parking lot](108478070) is a good spot for a water cache. Once you’re back in the monument, the @poi[second sandy section](108478613) lasts about a half mile. Afterward, the route continues with meandering rugged dirt roads to fast, smooth gravel to a smooth pavement finish back to the Titan II Missile Silo parking lot.

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# Indigenous Acknowledgement

* **The route is on** Tohono O’odham and Hohokam land.

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# Highlights

* **Ironwood National Monument is 129,000 acres** and includes one of the richest stands of ironwood in the Sonoran Desert. 
* **Home to threatened and endangered species**, including Nichols Turk’s head cactus, lesser long-nosed bat, and desert tortoise.
* **Cultural places in the monument** represent approximately 8,000 years of human history, including campsites used by Archaic hunter-gatherers about 6,000 B.C.
* **Several desert mountain ranges**, including the Silver Bell, Waterman, and Sawtooth, with desert valleys in between.
* **Titan II Missile Silo is a historical interpretive site** and is one of eighteen across Arizona. The Titan II Missile sites were located in three places in the U.S. as a deterrent to nuclear war during the Cold War period–Arkansas, Kansas, and Arizona and they were manned 24/7 for 24 years, from 1963 to 1987.
* **The Cocoraque Butte has ancient Hohokam ruins**, hundreds of well-preserved petroglyphs, and the historic Cocoraque Ranch. The age of the petroglyphs ranges from 1150 to 2000 years old. The hiking trail to Cororaque Butte is about one mile out and back from the route. 
* **Many secluded dispersed camping options** in Ironwood National Monument.
* **Counterclockwise recommended** is recommended due to the sandy sections and wind.

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# Must Know

* **Ideal bike:** Hardtail, rigid, full-suspension, or gravel bike with 50c tires at minimum. Larger tires are recommended for the chunky, sandy roads. 
* **When to go:** Winter, late fall, and early spring are the best times to ride in the Ironwood National Monument since it can be extremely hot in the summer. 
* **Parking:** Available at Titan II Missile Silo Interpretive Site parking lot.

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# Camping
* **Free dispersed camping** is available anywhere on BLM land in Ironwood National Monument.
* **Permitted dispersed camping** is available on State Land Trust land (see trail notes).

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# Food/H20

* **Recommend carrying all your water or water cache** at the Ironwood National Monument trailheads at the 26-mile or 30.5-mile marker. 
* **A few cow troughs** appear along the first half of the route if you have a filter and chemical treatment. 
* **No food** resupply is available.

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# Trail Notes
* **This route travels through State Land Trust land** , which requires an annual $15 permit for individuals or a five-day $15 permit for groups of 19 people. Purchase a permit: [https://land.az.gov/](https://land.az.gov/)   
* **Check hot weather and wind conditions**; this remote route has little shade coverage and can be windy.
* **This route can be shortened to 30 miles** by starting and ending at the Ironwood National Monument trailhead and bypassing the Titan Missile Silo northern section if you want less mileage.
* **This route can be extended to 70 miles** by going north around the Silver Bell Mine to Pump Station Rd if you want more mileage. Please be mindful that there is no water or food resupply on this extension.

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# Route Difficulty
**I would rate this route a 5 out of 10 in terms of overall difficulty.** The main obstacle is the rocky, chunky, and sandy terrain, along with no water resupply. The two short sandy sections need bike pushing and/or larger tires. Highly recommend carrying all your water and/or water caching since the cow troughs are unreliable sources of water. 
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# Links

* [State Land Trust Permit](https://land.az.gov/)
* [Friends of Ironwood National Forest](https://ironwoodforest.org/)
* [History of Cocoraque Butte](https://www.cocoraque.com/our-history/history-of-cocoraque-butte/)
* [Ironwood Tree](https://apps.cals.arizona.edu/arboretum/taxon.aspx?id%3D190&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1701107647950354&usg=AOvVaw2z-PVud6chiHVEqCKxPp3W)

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# Route Development
* **Thanks to my partner Skyler Elzy** for pre-riding the route twice and helping take photos.
* **Thanks to Spencer J Harding** for the original route recommendation and encouragement to visit the area.

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Ironwood Overnighter

Route Overview

Route Details

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