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The Full Lemmon Drop
Mountain Biking Trail
Extreme
30.11 mi
3,702 ft
One of the most epic and brutally-gnarly shuttle runs in the USA!
The Full Lemmon Drop is easily one of the most epic mountain bike shuttle runs in the United States. Starting on top of 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon, this route connects the best trails in the region into a massive 29-mile route from mountain summit to valley floor. Even though this is a "shuttle run," riders will still pedal up 3,700 feet of elevation… but that climbing scores you a solid 10,000 feet of descending, for a whopping 6,300 feet of net elevation loss.
If you're surprised to find a shuttle run of these proportions in Arizona, you're not alone. It's rare to find a shuttle this massive, this epic, even in the burliest of the Rocky Mountains, let alone dropping into the Sonoran Desert just north of the Mexican border. But word is getting out about Mount Lemmon, and companies like [Home Grown Mountain Biking Tours]( are springing up to serve the demand for shuttles and guided riding alike.
So what exactly are the trails on this epic shuttle run *like*? In two words: "brutally gnarly."
"The word 'gnarly' falls well short of doing justice to La Milagrosa, a rock-strewn, cactus-lined plummet through a potential house of pain," [writes]( mountain bike journalist John Fisch about one of the prime sections of the Full Lemmon Drop. "Some may bemoan a lack of flow, but others prize this trail for its natural, non-manmade features and continual challenge."
And La Milagrosa, while one of the best-known sections, isn't even the most technical. Mountain bike journalist Tory Powers [claims on Pinkbike]( that Incinerator Ridge is "one of the techiest public trails I've ever gotten a chance to ride." And that is saying something! "I'm not exaggerating when I say I couldn't ride some of this with my camera bag on," he continues. "If you want a seriously fun challenge, this trail is a must. 2 miles of mostly descent over about 1200' that's chock full of technical rock gardens, man-made technical switchbacks, natural rock rolls, and fast segments to connect it all."
Take these warnings to heart: this is not a beginner or intermediate mountain bike ride. The Full Lemmon Drop is for advanced and expert mountain bikers *only*—but once you're competent enough to handle this route, you'll have to plan your pilgrimage to Tucson!
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
The Full Lemmon Drop is easily one of the most epic mountain bike shuttle runs in the United States. Starting on top of 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon, this route connects the best trails in the region into a massive 29-mile route from mountain summit to valley floor. Even though this is a "shuttle run," riders will still pedal up 3,700 feet of elevation… but that climbing scores you a solid 10,000 feet of descending, for a whopping 6,300 feet of net elevation loss.
If you're surprised to find a shuttle run of these proportions in Arizona, you're not alone. It's rare to find a shuttle this massive, this epic, even in the burliest of the Rocky Mountains, let alone dropping into the Sonoran Desert just north of the Mexican border. But word is getting out about Mount Lemmon, and companies like [Home Grown Mountain Biking Tours]( are springing up to serve the demand for shuttles and guided riding alike.
So what exactly are the trails on this epic shuttle run *like*? In two words: "brutally gnarly."
"The word 'gnarly' falls well short of doing justice to La Milagrosa, a rock-strewn, cactus-lined plummet through a potential house of pain," [writes]( mountain bike journalist John Fisch about one of the prime sections of the Full Lemmon Drop. "Some may bemoan a lack of flow, but others prize this trail for its natural, non-manmade features and continual challenge."
And La Milagrosa, while one of the best-known sections, isn't even the most technical. Mountain bike journalist Tory Powers [claims on Pinkbike]( that Incinerator Ridge is "one of the techiest public trails I've ever gotten a chance to ride." And that is saying something! "I'm not exaggerating when I say I couldn't ride some of this with my camera bag on," he continues. "If you want a seriously fun challenge, this trail is a must. 2 miles of mostly descent over about 1200' that's chock full of technical rock gardens, man-made technical switchbacks, natural rock rolls, and fast segments to connect it all."
Take these warnings to heart: this is not a beginner or intermediate mountain bike ride. The Full Lemmon Drop is for advanced and expert mountain bikers *only*—but once you're competent enough to handle this route, you'll have to plan your pilgrimage to Tucson!
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
