The Sun Corridor Trail
approximately 1,500 miles
Consisting of existing multi-use trails and proposed connections, when completed, the Sun Corridor Trail stretches between Douglas, AZ to Las Vegas, NV and includes loops around cities and towns along the way. The trail will boast access to amenities like food and lodging so that it can be enjoyed by more casual travelers along with seasoned explorers.
This concept trail is designed for multiple types of users but is designed to facilitate Credit Card Touring. Credit Card Touring is a style of fast and light bike travel where lodging, food and amenities are available along the way, as opposed to traditional touring where everything is carried.
Designed to be used for both longer expeditions and short day trips, the Sun Corridor Trail will be a linear park that has something for everyone. Below, the trail is broken down into segments for ease of exploring everything this trail will have to offer.
Trail Segment 1:
Douglas to Tucson, AZ
approximately 150 miles
The first proposed section of the trail will connect Douglas, AZ on the US/Mexico border to Tucson leveraging proposed rails-to-trails connections. Along this stretch, visitors can explore some of the historic small towns that southern Arizona offers, including Tombstone, Bisbee, and Sierra Vista, as well as the rich history of Native American culture and arts.
The Sun Corridor Trail continues on the Chuck Huckelberry Loop in Pima County, a 53.9 mile completed system that connects parks, trailheads, bus and bike routes, workplaces, restaurants, schools, hotels and motels, shopping areas, and entertainment venues. To the north, The Loop will connect the CAP Trail into Pinal County.
Trail Segment 2:
Tucson to Phoenix, AZ
approximately 405 miles, 315 of those on the Maricopa Trail Loop
This segment concept is longer than the others because it includes the 315-mile Maricopa Trail Loop. The Phoenix metro area is Arizona’s largest urban center, with over 14,000 square miles. North of Pima County, The Sun Corridor Trail meets up with a section of the existing CAP (Central Arizona Project) Trail, following the canal system that leads north from Tucson to Phoenix. From there, the Maricopa Trail offers a 315-mile route circumnavigating the area. The Maricopa Trail links to all of the county’s regional park systems, traversing 15 separate municipalities.
Trail Segment 3:
Phoenix to Prescott, AZ
approximately 118 miles
The Sun Corridor Trail concept will connect the Maricopa Trail in Phoenix to the existing Prescott Circle Trail, a 54-mile trek through Prescott National Forest with 15 access points into town and over 6,000 feet of elevation gain. The landscape and vegetation varies widely as the elevation rises, moving from high desert to pinon pine to juniper forest and then to ponderosa pine.
Trail Segment 4:
Prescott to Flagstaff, AZ
approximately 90 miles
The 39-mile Peavine Trail currently under construction will connect the Prescott Circle Trail to Sedona. There, the trail concept will connect with the existing Sedona Urban Trail System, with multiple access points into town and passing stunning landmarks like Chimney Rock, Steamboat Rock, and Chapel Spire Rock. A proposed trail will go from Sedona to Flagstaff, location of the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America.
Trail Segment 5:
Flagstaff to Kingman, AZ
approximately 218 miles
The 42-mile existing Flagstaff Loop Trail circumnavigates the town, nestled at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, home to 4 of the 5 tallest mountains in Arizona. It travels through the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in North America. The proposed trail will connect Flagstaff with Williams and Ash Fork and then on to Kingman along the scenic and historic Route 66, where travelers can explore small towns like Seligman, Peach Springs, Valentine, and Hackberry.
Trail Segment 6:
Kingman, AZ to Las Vegas, NV
approximately 204 miles
There is a loop just southeast of Kingman that explores the Hualapai Mountains and their impressive granite outcroppings and pillars. This segment traverses the Mojave Desert, which generally sits 2,000 to 5,000 feet above sea level with numerous mountain ranges and basins that are home to many desert critters. The proposed connection will head north through Arizona and meet up with the Colorado River before heading west into Nevada. Along the way, the trail will have access to amenities in Laughlin, Bullhead City and Searchlight before joining an almost-completed loop around Las Vegas.