San Tan Regional Park is Wonderful XC riding

San Tan Regional Park is the jewel of the South East Valley. 

The park sits in Queen Creek, AZ. There are several entrances to the park; The main entrance is 6533 W. Phillips Road Queen Creek, AZ 85242, The second main entrance is the Gold Mine Trail , north of the main park off Wagon Wheel road, is more rustic with no facilities except a port a potty,  but has become busy since the addition of the Dynamite Trail. In large San Tan is over 10,000 acres of pristine desert land with some good mountain bike trail riding. 

The San Tan Regional Park trails would be classified as easy intermediate. My definition of easy intermediate is that there is low tech mostly groomed trails but does require good cardio fitness to do the trails. The Dynamite climb is 1.5 miles from the start which descends into the main area of the park. 

There are several ways to ride these loops. 

1. Dynamite -> San Tan (CCW) ->Hedgehog-San Tan -> Stargazer-Moonlight-Little Leaf-Gold Mine-San Tan - Dynamite. This loop is approximately 12-13 miles. Good work out with roughly 1200 AEG (based on old Strava app). Some good climbing and short burst climbing here.

2. Dynamite ->San Tan (Clock Wise) -> Gold Mine- Little Leaf -> - > Moon Light-> Star Gazer - > San Tan -> Hedge Hog -> San Tan (CC) -> Dynamite. same mileage but different experience. Based on some of the trails little more technical harder but more fun.

3. Other options would be to include the newly completed San Tan Mistake Segment. This is off of Hedge Hog Counter Clock wise on San tan. In the past it was a 3 mile out and back because you would hit the deep sand washes but new connectors were added. This is a more fun again little more technical loop (not really just more whoopee woos) . There is one really steep hill in this section that makes for a fun slippery puckery down hill or a shoot do have to get off and walk the bike up the rest of the hill.

4. Another loop that I just did is to take Dynamite Trail -> CCW on San Tan to Hedgehog -> San Tan go right or now it will be (CC) to the new completed mistake segment. You will be back at Hedge Hog and will have to do the climb again -> San Tan turn left -> and left again -> Stargazer -> Moonlight -> San Tan take right 
-> left on Dynamite back to park lot. This was 14.8 miles and roughly 1400 feet aeg.

The only short coming of this trail system is that there are not more trails. You can go up the Gold Mine pass but would not recommend it hike and bike mostly. You do have to be careful of the many other trail users equestrians and hikers. 


More Trail Information from MTB Project.