The Basics
Vision and Guiding Principles
The Vision Statement of this plan serves as its foundation and represents the values and desires of our community. The Guiding Principles provide a high-level view, building on the vision and establishing the foundation for the plan's priorities and implementation plan. Together, they guide the intent of the plan by ensuring a reflection of community values and needs, promoting consistency in development and maintenance, and facilitating strategic planning.
The Vision Statement and Guiding Principles were created directly from surveys and conversations with residents and user groups on the existing conditions of OV's paths and trails system and hearing about how it could better serve the community. Drafts of these concepts were workshopped with residents and stakeholders, regional partners such as Catalina State Park, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and reviewed by the Town Council to ensure a cohesive and unified direction for the future.
Vision:
Oro Valley Residents value a comprehensive and inviting trails and paths network that brings users of all abilities into the beautiful desert environment and throughout the community. Through thoughtful planning and design, the network is increasingly safe, interconnected, maintained, and accessible for all abilities. The trail and path routes provide transportation to destinations, outdoor recreation, social interaction, physical and mental well-being, and a deeper connection to nature for generations.
Guiding Principles:
Reinvest in Existing Assets
1. Provide amenities to support a broad spectrum of users
A. Add bicycle racks and support amenities like bike repair stations to highest use and appropriate trailheads
B. Add restroom facilities and drinking fountains to highest use and appropriate trailheads
C. Add benches and points of respite along appropriate trails and paved paths
D. Increase shade opportunities where appropriate to encourage year-round use
E. Attract complementary businesses (e.g. cafes) near paved path routes
F. Encourage provision of cellular/Wi-Fi coverage along all paved path routes
2. Maintain high-quality trails and paved paths:
A. Assess trail and multi-use path surface conditions and prioritize improvement and repairs such as pavement cracks
B. Implement a preventive maintenance schedule
C. Implement a program to routinely monitor trail and multi-use path conditions and upkeep
D. Coordinate trail maintenance on Pima County land within Oro Valley
3. Ensure resources and funding are available to maintain and improve trails and paved paths:
A. Support consistent funding to provide for maintenance and incremental improvements and expansion
B. Seek federal, state, and regional grants and partnerships
C. Formalize and promote a formal volunteer program to help maintain trails
D. Create a volunteer program to clean and report issues
E. Partner with businesses and external groups for maintenance, monitoring, and fundraising opportunities
F. Create and market the ability to provide donations for site furnishings and amenities like benches, etc.
G. Work with resorts, the OV Tourism Board, and Town Council to promote paths and trails in the tourism plan
Enhance Community Connectivity
4. Provide increased opportunities for local and regional connectivity:
A. Prioritize connections to trails and paths from neighborhoods
B. Ensure connections to trails, schools, parks, and places of interest (e.g., cafes, restaurants, shopping, resorts)
C. Plan connections between existing trails and paths
D. Engage with local (homeowners association [HOA]), regional, state, and federal land owners to identify and create an interconnected network
5. Uphold the scenic beauty and natural environment:
A. Maintain scenic views along major trail corridors
B. Ensure development along trail and paved path corridors that conserves scenic views and the adjacent trail environment with appropriate buffer areas
C. Educate trail and paved path users on their surroundings and the natural habitat
D. Identify wildlife corridors and natural washes to prioritize sensitive placement of new unpaved trails and paved path alignments within open space conservation areas
E. Provide and maintain trash receptacles in appropriate locations
F. Provide wildlife sign notice to users when entering habitat areas
G. Identify and address unauthorized trails, especially in areas with significant habitat or cultural resources
Grow a Safe and Accessible Network
6. Secure new trails for all users of all abilities
A. Identify and implement Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessible parking and unpaved trail loops at key trailheads
B. Engage with Arizona State Land Department in coordination with Pinal County, Pima County, and Town of Marana to identify and secure formal trail easements in the Arroyo Grande area, prioritizing existing high-use trail corridors in the Big Wash, Honeybee Canyon, Edwin Road, and Badlands areas
C. Coordinate with and assist Pima County to expand County trails to create more opportunities for regional connectivity
D. Prioritize adding trails where easements already exist and secure pending easements
7. Ensure a safe trails and paved paths network and educate users on trail and path etiquette
A. Improve safety and etiquette through design, policies, standards, and rules, including the use of e-bikes
B. Ensure rules address the safety of the diverse spectrum of users
C. Clearly communicate policies, rules, safety caution areas, and etiquette through signage
D. Investigate how the Town and Pima County should enforce adopted rules through programs such as a volunteer bike patrol
E. Facilitate emergency response efforts by adding locational mile markers
F. Host an annual campaign to educate residents and promote trail and path etiquette, leash laws, safe speeds, etc.
G. Consider lighting in isolated, high-traffic paved path areas in a sensitive manner to conserve dark skies
H. Seek provision of cellular coverage along all paved path routes
8. Ensure accessible parking and access to trails and paved paths
A. Establish clear points of access and associate signage to trails
B. Coordinate with Pima County, other government agencies, and private landowners as appropriate to ensure sufficient parking at designated trailheads
C. Ensure ADA accessibility at key trailheads and all paved paths
D. Ensure adequate parking for equestrian use where applicable
E. Work with businesses and shopping center owners to enable parking adjacent to paved paths
F. Acknowledge that e-bikes increase accessibility for all ages and abilities and pedal-assist e-bikes should be accommodated accordingly
Improve Signage and Wayfinding
9. Sign and clearly designate trailheads and paved path access
A. Ensure signage lends itself to the clear designation and formalization of trails
B. Add wayfinding signage and surface markings to assist in trail and paved path navigation
C. Balance need for signage with desire to maintain natural environment setting
D. Add signage that clearly delineates policies, rules, safety caution areas, and etiquette
E. Signage design should be clean, concise, and oriented toward a first- time visitor or resident user
10. Provide a variety of map resources for all users
A. Provide map resources for all users
B. Provide electronic map files for download into popular apps
C. Map amenities, slopes, surface types, and di=iculty level for user reference
D. Erect ground-mounted maps at key trailheads and other heavy-use areas
E. Increase access to digital maps by providing QR codes on signage
F. Promote trail and path network information and digital maps by reaching out to area businesses and resorts
G. Integrate maps with networks beyond Oro Valley limits in concert with adjacent regional, state, and federal jurisdictions
The Plan is built on this vision and these guiding principles, which were entirely derived from resident and stakeholder participation. Recommendations within, including proposed trails and paths, standards, and priorities for improvement, are rooted in this philosophy and should guide future decisions and development.
Navigating the Plan
The plan is comprised of four primary sections, focusing on the main components of the Oro Valley trails and paths network. These include:
- Paved Multi-Use Paths
- The Loop
- Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
- Unpaved Trails
Each section includes information and maps about the component, proposed improvements, and identifies component-specific actions to implement. These sections are accessible from the navigation menu at the top of the screen.
Each section includes the following information:
- What is a Multi-Use Path / The Loop / Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve / Unpaved Trail?
- Existing conditions of that path or trail system
- Technical analysis (mileage, physical form, quality/condition)
- Current map
- Focused community guidance
- Proposed improvements and actions
- Narrative of improvements
- Alignment of priorities to guiding principles and community comments
- Implementation table
- Future map
Four Focus Areas:
Currently, Oro Valley boasts 79 miles of bikeable streets and pathways (33 miles of signed bike routes, 24 miles of bikeable paved shoulders, 22 miles of multi-use separated pathways along major streets) and 44 miles of natural trails (both cultivated and primitive trails). The current system caters to cyclists, mountain bikers, hikers, walkers and runners, equestrians, inline skaters, and baby strollers.
The four main trail types include:
- Paved multi-use paths adjacent to and separated from roadways (MUPs)
- Paved paths that are part of Pima County’s Chuck Huckelberry Loop system (The Loop)
- Paved paths within Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve
- Unpaved trails
Paved Multi-Use Paths:
Oro Valley’s extensive 30 mile network of multi-use paved paths offers residents and visitors a safe and scenic way to explore the area's natural beauty. These pathways are designed to accommodate a variety of activities, including walking, running, cycling, and rollerblading, making them accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
These primarily asphalt paved paths wind through picturesque landscapes, with stunning views of the surrounding mountains and desert flora, and typically run along roadways with a vegetated buffer between cars and users. They connect key parts of the community, linking neighborhoods, parks, recreational facilities and other key destinations, and providing a seamless travel experience without the need for motor vehicles.
Multi-Use Path Map
Chuck Huckelberry Loop:
The Chuck Huckelberry Loop, often simply referred to as "The Loop," is a renowned multi-use pathway system that spans over 138 miles throughout Pima County, Marana, Tucson, South Tucson, and Oro Valley. The Loop offers a network of mostly paved multi-use paths perfect for cyclists, pedestrians, runners, and horseback riders. Winding through scenic landscapes, river parks, and urban areas, it connects key regional destinations and provides a safe, enjoyable way to experience the diverse natural beauty of the region.
Loop Map
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve:
The Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve is a 200+ acre park with over six miles of eight-foot-wide concrete paths in north Oro Valley. The improved paths are open to walkers/hikers, dog-walkers, strollers, and bikers from dawn to dusk. The former private golf course now acts as a nature corridor for native wildlife to move through and provides visitors stunning views of the Catalina and Tortolita mountain ranges and desert flora. Pedestrian tunnels beneath roadways offer safe crossings for trail users on former cart paths. A conservation easement was placed on the property to ensure its permanent protection as open space, habitat space, and paths, and keep it safe from development.
Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve Map
Unpaved Trails:
The Town’s 45 miles of unpaved trails immerse users in the rugged beauty of the Sonoran Desert, offering a more natural and adventurous experience for hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and equestrian enthusiasts. Many of the more “groomed” unpaved trails are within natural spaces adjacent to housing subdivisions or remote public lands.
The more “primitive” trails are natural dirt trails that can contain rocks, steep slopes, and rough terrain, and run along washes or through the Town’s natural open space. These trails link parks and neighborhoods within the Town and connect to larger trail networks beyond.
Unpaved Trails Map
Maps & Resources
Implementation and Funding
Plan for Action
A proper plan for action is key in transforming a community’s vision into reality. The implementation plan sets priorities and clear action steps that reflect the values and needs of the community demonstrated in the Plan’s vision and guiding principles. During the public outreach process, online survey respondents were asked to rank a list of priorities for future improvement, from continued maintenance of existing trails to installing new amenities or new routes through Town and beyond.
Listening to residents’ opinions and needs, prioritizing changes that improve public safety, and weighing what could have the biggest impact with cost efficiency and ensuring progressive improvements were all major factors in the implementation plan. The implementation plan and deeper breakdown on funding can be found in the “Implementation and Funding” section.
Improvements are intended to be realized incrementally over time, with respect to the many demands on the Town’s budget resources. Securing adequate and sustainable funding is essential to maintaining and improving OV’s paths and trails network. A diversified revenue strategy from sources like the general fund, municipal bonds, impact and capital improvement fees, corporate sponsorships, government grants, taxes, philanthropy, and volunteerism can help the Town find unique strategies for securing funding needed. A comprehensive approach helps ensure successful implementation and long-term sustainability of paths and trails projects.