Gates Pass
Climb · Tucson & the Sky Islands
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Gates Pass is a 4.2 km cycling climb averaging 3.9% (+162 m), rising from 801 m to 963 m in Tucson & the Sky Islands.
Tucson's west-side test, on a road a saloon keeper cut in 1883 with a thousand dollars of his own money after the county refused to pay. The CCC built the stone overlook at the saddle, and riders time it for the end of the day, when the pass opens the Avra Valley at exactly the hour the light goes long.
4.2 km · +162 m · 3.9% avg · ~5.0% max · 801 → 963 m
Stats computed from OpenStreetMap and satellite elevation data — approximate.
Download GPX ↓Navigate to the foot ↗
Gradient by colour: ● <3% ● 3–6% ● 6–9% ● 9%+
Where it bites
Steepest 500 m: 5.0% (km 3.1–3.6).
Road: paved throughout
| km | to | avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 833 m | 3.6% |
| 2 | 875 m | 4.0% |
| 3 | 906 m | 3.2% |
| 4 | 953 m | 4.5% |
What it’s like to ride
Gates Pass is Tucson's short west-side test: about 4 km at around 4% out of the city on Speedway Boulevard, which becomes Gates Pass Road as it tightens into switchbacks. The average hides the shape of it, because the pitches touch nearly 11% and arrive in short bursts separated by rollers, with one kick close to the top that riders single out as noticeably steeper than the others. Saguaro, cholla, palo verde and ocotillo stand right at the edge of the asphalt the whole way, and the road tops out at 3,172 ft (967 m) on a narrow saddle. At the summit is a trailhead overlook with parking, a restroom, a ramada and interpretive displays, looking west toward Kitt Peak. Nothing is sold up there, no concessions and no vending machine, so carry what you need or load up at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson down the far side. The west descent is narrow with tight turns, tight enough that RVs and anything over 23 feet are banned from the pass, and cars come past close in tourist season.
History
Thomas Gates, a Tucson saloon keeper, rancher and miner who arrived in the town in 1866, cut the first road over this saddle in 1883 to shorten the haul between Tucson and his mine in the Waterman Mountains. The county refused to fund it, so Gates spent $1,000 of his own money to clear and grade a narrow dirt track through the canyon, saving himself eight miles each way. The pass became a proper park road under the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose Camp Pima crews began work in 1933 and made Gates Pass the main access route into Tucson Mountain Park, building the stone overlook and picnic area at the top. Pima County widened the road in late 2005 so two vehicles could pass each other, work that Roads & Bridges magazine ranked the third best road project in the United States for 2006.
Worth stopping near the climb
More climbs in Tucson & the Sky Islands
Common questions
- How long and steep is Gates Pass?
- Gates Pass is a 4.2 km cycling climb averaging 3.9% (+162 m), rising from 801 m to 963 m in Tucson & the Sky Islands.
- Where is Gates Pass steepest?
- The steepest 500 m averages 5.0%, between km 3.1 and km 3.6 of the climb.
- What is the road surface like on Gates Pass?
- Gates Pass is paved throughout.