91 miles with 8,700 feet of climbing
![Mount Lemmon • Route Profile](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99ALl4Q_5fCCnIMMrMe4khz_7rc_cXtP1R8pU_MXiFtxJGCBOwS4YxwCgflhmotDzd6dGObr6owe0xiCrQOXJP3wKJlg4cNOZziXDZyW3G5bGQ-uqAXNXl9zxuApaGt1N6OXzvbBijnNk/s800/mount-lemmon-profile.png)
Route Profile
Mount Lemmon • Climbs
Mount Lemmon • Description
Mount Lemmon is one of the top bike climbs in America in terms of elevation gain, and it can be accessed easily from Tucson.
After entering Coronado National Forest, Catalina Highway ascends 20 miles to Palisades, 25 miles to Summerhaven, and 27 miles to Ski Valley. From Ski Valley, Ski Run Road climbs another 2 miles to the observatory, which is located at 9,100 feet above sea level.
Catalina Highway is smooth with a wide shoulder and wide turns, mile markers, and a steady 5 to 6 percent grade. Only the 2 miles to Ski Valley are steeper, around 8 percent, and the last 2 miles to the observatory are the steepest, exceeding 10 percent.
Vegetation ranges from saguaro cacti at the bottom to pines and aspens at the top.
Mount Lemmon • Interactive Map
Mount Lemmon • Pictures
![Mount Lemmon • Coronado National Forest](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZuneWsbQYyWT3gz0uFG8FHPjx5GSHLyRsg_PwEEuoKLj__2oFQycKvxps0sN_I3I9Ldw76SY9DxaekJF6mPr4SxmeeYFXK8HoGFAPVraKcatnnzmI-iI-L056NM9YYcvvruViR5ovYum/s800/coronado-national-forest.jpg)
Coronado National Forest
![Mount Lemmon • Catalina Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDga_oYdA-9TC6hJP011ZI6zEzDHmdkh_zJqZS3vz89T4DZEKGnUe4xzV0oJrIiIg5RPxwW0_gZ2No3-OdG8eFPrDtwXA-6FIdiHVXH6N0ZAhpocradRkincTkR4B0HPQWRJQp-_zLpvdW/s800/catalina-highway-1.jpg)
Catalina Highway
![Mount Lemmon • Catalina Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOFuX5KzI7hMEb9YQ5M6aqC07nhcmWHIE5cLStqWY9YOYmf_msLRsFy6dCf-n8UKlHfC2UD37C2BECZcjin2dzc8A23kgiP7GKoE-IOX_W4CRnzwglQAtRYk9Jpzbfct8YCHQbSIC7io8/s800/catalina-highway-2.jpg)
Catalina Highway
![Mount Lemmon • Catalina Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDJd0CZxIZe8wVGwVRayyD2wQD2octWJ-9e20qBpOq-u2mM0teeehF9cFFx6Bjmp3EEsd4ntcdpleTT1j0gIhsVAPvQVLMPM9iq1WtcEpiJ3eypiY0_QF0GDW0RnlPNXciPD1XGJFkWRC/s800/windy-point.jpg)
Catalina Highway
![Mount Lemmon • Catalina Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ_R1cmN6xl9BTvsgBKclELWA8gwvccawJnO_L3dqlRLb8KtWuw0omYvSRQYV5-6Uy2w-zH2_uwvPcBwPvsnMzVqlCvzYiRHP7VPVu1iky_7fTtYiM5eP6MndgRPtckQKIQ2o7kgNarmw/s800/catalina-highway-3.jpg)
Catalina Highway
![Mount Lemmon • Catalina Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRsXRBzRI9P5yY_OsKZJxug7dSMDcLCHf_Y4HAo24Ymzz8jKl06zIamgTsDQmTsnDhx9uYJS5vfim1I1CiPKHhyphenhyphenlsCKqSXcyGwReI6GIRkmQIWUIrk1CQ7kGy2qiS9EtZL-eJryIanB5_/s800/catalina-highway-4.jpg)
Catalina Highway
![Mount Lemmon • Catalina Highway](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawz8GZfSjj8yq6o6ui2EJH_c5hf45bGdOyZ9wj1r0aeOwMzuj03tibZSXvZZa_GTp4J4sOr036QctRejPNyT523psLbnr2iq7IIF3c5vCWd7YQ1MVk7ybBoQhM67ZY6I6v-Xd_XLQxL-6/s800/hoodoo.jpg)
Catalina Highway
![Mount Lemmon • Ski Run Road](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7teOAxwEVQtJ7XLTNVijVTHUGaAxPhyeIN84oFTRNgIOs61GCzKMNausp5fVmrSWBr48g0i9drdnvhkk-71Gd332CwHqEgJSS9lrgcIK-Np98n-oRnhkzj-5wsvBSbCJ6w_r-Luc6lekE/s800/ski-run-road.jpg)
Ski Run Road
![Mount Lemmon • Mount Lemmon Observatory](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_poFVmbfWJOIZZLnVeS6B8wvJ8vv01uxQvpy0NyMwc8Y2xS-Q6sUSkx_VEHz0mV9peKGELkwPDoMAeTT7WxQDYMuijV-WBhmtsPGH4UnF25Bmeewvm_rEYBhzTYqo54at9WC-68c2plmP/s800/mount-lemmon-observatory.jpg)
Mount Lemmon Observatory
By: Bernd Straehle
See Also: American & European Rides