USA · Santa Catalina Mountains
Mount Lemmon
A major desert-to-alpine climb above Tucson, Arizona. The Catalina Highway gains nearly 2,000 meters and is a classic long North American ascent.
- Length
- 42.0 km
- Avg gradient
- 4.7%
- Max gradient
- 10%
- Elevation gain
- 1,986 m
- Summit
- 2,791 m
- Hairpins
- 34
Versants
- From Tucson — 42.0 km at 4.7% (max 10%)
- From Oracle — 31.0 km at 4.6% (max 9%)
History
Mount Lemmon is a challenging Arizona climb reaching 2,518 m. The 43 km ascent from Summerhaven at 3.2% average is extremely long with deceptive gradients.
The road transitions from desert scrub to alpine forest as elevation increases. The views from higher elevations extend across Arizona desert landscape and distant peaks.
The climb is used in regional cycling training and events. The combination of extreme length, altitude, and landscape transition make it a testing endurance experience.