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| Home > Arizona > Mt. Lemmon |
Mt. Lemmon Control Road
Monday, February 10, 2025
| Other Names | Backway To Mount Lemmon, Backway To Mt. Lemmon, Mt. Lemmon Control Rd, Peppersauce Creek, Coronado National Forest, Santa Catalina Ranger District |
| Last Known Status | Closed For Season |
Open to street legal vehicles only, this 25 mile long maintained dirt road begins at Peppersauce Campground and leads to the top of Mt. Lemmon. The road is mostly smooth and hard packed dirt with some small but occasional loose chunk rock.
The Mt. Lemmon summit offers various restaurants and cafes, making this a nice and easy dual sport ride, or if you have a street legal ATV, as many do in Arizona.
Peppersauce Campground at the base offers cool and shady developed campsites but is too cramped for large trailers and RVs. There are no pull-throughs and the sites are about 22 feet deep.
REGULATIONS
| Permit Required | Yes | AZGFD sticker required |
| Dates Open | March - December 14 | |
| Other ATV Stickers Accepted | No | All non-residents must purchase an Arizona OHV decal. |
| Spark Arrestor | Yes | A spark arresting exhaust silencer or end cap is required for all vehicles. |
| Noise Limit | Yes (96 dB) | |
| Whip Flags | Not Required | |
| Maximum Vehicle Width | No Restriction | |
 Motorcycles & Dirt Bikes | Permitted | street legal only |
 ATVs | Permitted | street legal only |
 UTV & SXS | Permitted | street legal only |
 SUVs & Jeeps (registered) | Permitted | street legal only |
| Dune Buggy & Sand Rail 4x4 (unregistered) | Permitted | street legal only |
| 2 Stroke Engines | No Restriction | street legal only |
| MX Helmet Required | Youth Only | required for persons under 18 by state law (RiderPlanet strongly recommends helmets for all riders.) |
 Camping | Some Areas | (camp in developed sites only) |
 Campfires | Some Areas | (permitted in developed campsites only) |
| Night Riding | Yes | Not Recommended |
| Trail Blazing | Prohibited | keep on the trail |
| Rule Enforcement | Few/Periodic |
TERRAIN
| Miles Of Trail | 25 | |
| Climate Type | Desert | |
| Elevation | 4600 to 8000 ft. | |
| Trail Maintenance | Marked, Not Rated, Lightly Maintained | |
| Loose Dirt |  None | |
| Hard Pack |  All | |
| Sand | None | |
| Mud |  Little | |
| Dust | None | |
| Rocks | Little | |
| Trees |  Few | |
| Steep Hills | Few | |
| Water Crossings |  Some | |
| Small Jumps | None | |
| Large Jumps | None | |
| Berms | None | |
| Sand/Gravel Pits | None | |
| Single Track | None | |
| Roads | All | |
| Intersections | Few | |
| Rider Traffic | Few | |
| Shade | Some | |
| Ranges/Gunfire | Few | |
| Hazards | Few | (hazards not marked) steep banks, no guardrails |
 Novice | All | |
 Amateur | None | |
 Expert | None | |
| Comment | Just a smooth, maintained dirt road - not many pot holes. | |
TYPE OF AREA
| Area | Motorized Trails |
| Land | National Forest |
GPS POINTS
KEY SERVICES
 Gasoline | 5-20 Miles (N) | Oracle |
| Diesel | 5-20 Miles (N) | Oracle |
 Water | On Site | Peppersauce Campground |
 RV Hookup | 30+ Miles (SW) | Catalina State Park (520) 628-5798 |
 RV Disposal | 30+ Miles (SW) | Catalina State Park (520) 628-5798 |
| Campground | On Site | Peppersauce Campground |
 Conv Store | 5-20 Miles (N) | Oracle |
FEES & PASSES
| Parking | (None) |
| Entry | (None) |
| Riding | (None) |
| Camping | Yes Tent: $15.00 RV: $15.00 Addtl. Vehicle: $15.00 Peppersauce Campground Fee - $15/night; group site - $50/night. |
| Comment | Cash, check, or money order accepted at campground. |
RATINGS
| Pros | free, nice campground, nice scenery |
| Cons | no actual trails |
| Our Rating |  Fair |
| Recommended Stay | Full Day Spring/Fall |
| Comments | (Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments) |
DRIVING DIRECTIONS
| Nearest City | Oracle, AZ | ||
| Address | S Mt. Lemmon Road, Oracle, AZ 85623 | ||
| From: Oracle, AZ
1) Take SR-77 to West or East American Ave. 2) Follow road until it connects with Mt. Lemmon Road 3) Continue about 8 miles east on Mt. Lemmon road to Peppersauce campground. Stage here. |
OFFICIAL CONTACTS
| Contact Info | Coronado National Forest - Santa Catalina Ranger District 5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road Tucson, AZ 85750 (520) 749-8700 mailroom_r3_coronado@fs.fed.us www.fs.usda.gov |
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
The road offers beautiful views of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Not much terrain but the scenery is nice.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
This is one of the sites at Peppersauce Campground. The name comes from an incident back in 1880 when prospector Alex McKay claimed that a bottle of hot sauce turned up missing.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Peppersauce Campground has 17 sites and one group site. Each campsite comes with a picnic table and fire ring. There are no hookups but a water spigot with potable water is available (we recommended filtering with a Big Berkey).
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
There are no real ATV trails in this area, just a smooth and maintained gravel road.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
This is the entrance to Peppersauce Campground.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
A shallow stream crossing the main road.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Most of the road is fairly smooth with a few scattered cacti vegetation and beautiful mountain views. This area is best explored on a dual sport motorcycle.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
At one time this road was the only way to access Mt. Lemmon.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Another view of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
The gate is closed seasonally when there is snow and ice on the road, which is generally around December through mid March.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
A slight bend in the road.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
A view from the other side of the campground.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Another view of the road.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
This photo pretty much sums up the place.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
A shallow stream crossing on the main road.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
The views are the best thing about this place. Not much for trails.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
A shallow stream crossing on the side of the road.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
This photo sums up the Mt. Lemmon Control Road. Nothing too difficult.
Mt. Lemmon Trail Photo
Another view of the road.
RIDER COMMENTS & REVIEWS