El Capitan 227 km
Ride to El Capitan
Starts at the McDonalds in Catalina, just north of Tucson.
Description: Route is out and back. The turnaround is at the summit just south of Globe.
Distance: 227 km (141 miles)
Services and Checkpoints: Convenience stores every 35-45 miles.
Best time to go: October to April.
No freeway riding. Most roads have a shoulder though you should keep alert on the stretch through Mammoth.
Elevation: Rolling for the first 34 miles to Winkelman. Then a big climb up to the turnaround on El Capitan. Coming back there’s a 10-mile climb out of Mammoth. Total elevation gain is 8,364 feet.