Longboarding Cañada del Oro River Trail near Tucson

Longboarding Canada del Oro Trail in Tucson is a great way to feel the wind blowing and enjoy the desert sun. While in Tucson we longboarded a section of this scenic paved path. And it turned out to be a nice, smooth trail and a great time with beautiful Arizona scenery.

Quick Info: Longboarding Canada del Oro River Trail

Distance: The length of Canada del Oro River Trail is 11 miles one way. Though you can longboard more or less as desired.

Surface Type: Asphalt

Directions: Click here to get directions to the La Cañada Trailhead: 9500 N Rancho Feliz Dr, Tucson, AZ 85704. From the trailhead, we began our longboarding adventure by turning right on the paved path.

Know Before You Go: Cañada del Oro Path is part of the larger Santa Cruz River Park Trail that follows the Santa Cruz River throughout Tucson. It offers more than 40 miles of pathway along both sides of the river, which is a dry wash during most of the year. 

Our Experience Longboarding Canada del Oro Trail

We started our journey at the La Cañada Trailhead. Here you’ll find a small gravel parking lot at the end of N. Rancho Feliz Dr. We started our ride by turning right/west on the trail which paralleled the road for a little bit then turned away.

Soon after the parking area you descend a small hill that will pass under the road. This is the first of a few underpasses. These drops that lead down under the underpass are fun because most of the trail is pretty flat. So we used these underpass sections as a good opportunity to gain some speed and cruise. Be aware that there may be some rough patches or debris under these bridges. We entered them cautiously on the way out but hit them faster on the way back because we knew what to expect.

Along with a number of underpasses you will also cross over a few bridges while longboarding Cañada del Oro trail. A few of these bridges have some tight turns entering the bridge area. So be ready to slow down for the turn. This first bridge crosses over an area that is usually dried up, but there can be water here during the right time of year.

While longboarding Canada del Oro trail there are a few windy sections that have a slight incline/decline that make for some fun longboarding carves.

Most of the Cañada del Oro trail is pretty flat and mostly straight. With the right longboard, riders can really use a pumping motion to cruise far on this trail without having to kick. This smooth asphalt trail is a surprisingly scenic and enjoyable desert run.

Cruise it Later – Pin it Now

As we know, the Tucson sun can be very hot! So longboarding Canada del Oro trail is best done in the winter months. Luckily there is some shade along the path provided by the wall and trees. These are great spots to take a quick break. You won’t find shade along the entire trail so take advantage of it when you can!

This photo below shows the dramatic desert mountain scenery behind Tucson and the Cañada del Oro trail. Although we only longboarded a section of this trail, it does meet up with other trails in the trail system around Tucson. This long trail offers more than 40 miles of pathway along both sides of the river and provides a great place for some longboard cruising and bike riding in Arizona.

Next time your in Tucson and looking to put some miles on your board, grab some friends and hit the trail!

Thanks for Reading!

We hope you enjoyed this article about longboarding Canada del Oro Trail. You can check out some more of our longboarding adventures in the articles below:

• Longboarding Truckee River Legacy Trail
• Grass Valley Neighborhood Longboarding Sesh
• Longboarding Island Trail in Lake Havasu
• Longboarding Owens Gorge Road
• Scenic Longboarding Run on Beartooth Highway

If you’re on the market for a new longboard, head over to our Lost Coast Longboarding Shop! You can check out our latest lineup of our unique hand painted longboards. And we also design and screen print our own t-shirts and now have long sleeves as well.

And you can also show your support for The Lost Longboarder Blog by using our Amazon link whenever you’re doing some online shopping. It won’t change your shopping experience but it’ll help us out a bit. Thank you!