Fantasy Island North Singletrack aka FINS
View FINS Fantasy Island North Singletrack in a larger map
(Don’t mistake this for the original Fantasy Island trail in Tucson.)
The anticipation of a new ride…you search the internet, MTBR trail review, the forums, and MTB Joe’s personal site looking for info about the new trail. I heard about F.I.N.S. after reading about a group ride on MTBAZ.net, aka: Kristi’s rides. That’s where my fascination with FINS began.
Living on the east side, I don’t get many chances to head out west to ride so it took a few months for the opportunity to partake of the new singletrack. I set out for an evening ride armed with a couple of maps, a Google Earth layout of the land, 100 oz. in the HAWG and the quest for adventure.
First impressions. These trails are loads of fun. I rode for 13 miles, cruising through nearly the entire system. The north/east loops are fast, with moderate climbs and lots of twisting and turning. They are all fairly short and you can ride them up and down all you want. I especially liked Harv’s Howl, Hurt’s Donut, and Boneyard.
For me the best of FINS though is Grunt trail and the new section that traverses the length of the mountain up to Jim’s Ascent. Definitely the most technical riding on the Island with some decent exposure and climbing to satisfy the uphiller in me.
Bottom line: FINS is an XC riders paradise. If your tastes are more geared for National, Mormon, Geronimo, Holbert, Corona Loma, you won’t find much challenge on FINS but you surely could have fun. If you’re a weekend warrior and frequent Hawes, Usery, Casa Grande Mountain, or the race loops at McDowell, FINS is for you.
FINS is built on private land in the Estrella Mountain Ranch development. There have been a lot of questions about its legality the past few years. Although it’s not an official trail system, I’ve never heard of any trouble with the land owners. There is no doubt the land will be developed soon. How soon? I saw flags marking new lots out near the north/east loops. If I were you I’d get out and ride FINS before the bikers are booted off the Island. Developers are there, the land is parceled, flags are drawn. It’s very likely that these trails will be gone or at least shortened soon and some awesome riding will be history. My advice: Ride ‘em while you got ‘em!
Thanks to Harv and all the other locals who built the system. They group ride on Thursday evenings if you want a grand tour of this Island paradise. If you’re going to ride solo Harv suggests parking at Westar Elementary School and riding to trailhead about 1/2 mile. Left turn off the sidewalk where the left turn lane turns in to a roadblock. See Picasa photo album for a shot of the TH.
Printable PDF of the latest FINS map
Even older version (Harvs 2006 map posted on MTBR)
Estrella Mountain Ranch MTBR Thread (Thread removed from MTBR due to the “non-official” status of the trail system)
FINS Ride 12-27-08 from Rod Dwight on Vimeo.
Went on a mountian bike ride with some
friends out west of phoenix on the FINS
trail system. 1st video with gopro hero5 wide
camera..
Other Trails Nearby
Estrella Competitive Race Loops, Goat Camp Loop
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This trail Rocks. Best in the West Valley!
Rode this trail for the first time on 11/18/07 and loved it. As you make your way out to the main system of trails, you pass by two small 1 foot jumps. Kinda fun to warm up on.
The trails are well marked with degrees of difficulty. Most trails if not all are very narrow and tight in certain places. The trails are lined with cactus everywhere so be careful to not go too fast on the way out and loose it.
From the trailhead, it’s all up hill – some gradual, some steep. However, there’s a lot of switch backs, some medium rocks and minor technical stuff to overcome which make the trail fun.
There’s some loose dirt and rocks along the way, especially on some of the climbs near edges – but that’s totally expected, this is Arizona. However, if you’re a novice, you might want to take it slow, especially on the way back.
Overall, this trail is great for the entire family of all ages and I expect to be back weekly.
Tanx for the props.
Nice – looking web-page too.
The rider dropping in / off that chunk of “North-Star” is David.
Will tell more on the legality / longevity of FINS when I/we know more.
* A good friend sent this link to me and this made my day!
Harv out.
Glad you found my review Harv. Drop me an email or make a comment when you hear news on the trails. Long live FINS!
WOW! These are possibly the best trails in the valley! There are a couple of small jumps, excellent trail signs, smooth rock gardens, and lots of beautiful rolling hills! I can’t wait to go back!
i rode this bundle of trails last winter and had a blast! like you said, not the most techinal, but we spent a good 4 hours out there just exploring – thanks for the review, this site is a blessing!
I rode this trail for the first time the other week and its easily my mostly enjoyable riding experience west of Phoenix. Even the drive down was pretty good!
I’m hoping to get up in time for an early start there tomorrow too.
I plan on taking plenty of water for lots of exploring to get to know the trails some more.
I really hope these trails stay for a very long time :-|
Yes FINS is a great play ground. I have been riding there for 2 years and never board with the layout. 99% of the trails can be ridden ether direction except Donut if your good even it can be done backwards.
the Tuesday Night Group Rides are a blast.you if like climimg take Jim’s Starpass up to to the North Shore Summit. at the top there is a nice 360 view of the area. then turn down for a hair raising desent with optional jumps on the way down.
What are the different colors on the map to represent?
I’m not sure Lee. That’s a question only Harv can answer. But I think the colors represent the different names of each trail segment. It can’t be difficulty, since Grunt and Murel’s Mile are both red. Grunt is much more technical than any of the other reds.
i discovered the trails totally by accident one day while riding around the area (it turns out i live about 5 minutes from the trail head). what a great find and big kudos to the developers and maintainers of the trails.
i do a lot of work from home and it’s the best thing ever to hop on my bike and spend some desert time on these trails. i’m a total novice, but there’s plenty of sane trails to keep me busy.
Awesome singletrack!!!! I found it by accident about a year ago and have been riding it whenever possible ever since. It is by far the best riding in the west valley. Novice may have some trouble. The trail is fast and fun with a great rhythm to it. The ” grunt ” trail is not for the faint of heart as there is a lot of exposure and some loose dirt. However, after you make it to the top, any trail you choose will be a great ride down!!!!
Thanks to the good people at Estrella Mountain Cyclery i found this phenomenal trail. It is well maintained, has helpfull signs and is a blast to ride. Development is inevitable, and i hate to see this trail comprimised, so ill go out there evry day to fullfill my addiction.
I have been riding FINS recently and love the layout. There is a lot of good single track and mtn climbs. The only note that I would like to add to the map is… the correct way enter Grunt is via Rusty Rake then through Jims Star Pass.
Attempting Grunt via the back entrance of Kylies Crossing is very difficult and is pretty much all up hill. Some may be able to run it this way – but not me! :-)
I also thought that Jims Star Pass was quite rewarding and dangerous as Grunt…
Hope this helps,
Andrew
Andrew, Thanks for your review of FINS. Yes, Grunt trail West to East is quite the climb, but there is no “correct” way to run it, only an “easier” way :) The uphill climb is my favorite approach to Grunt and I would still recommend it to anyone who loves climbing. If only it were longer and steeper :)
Mike,
Thanks for your quick reply.
What is the meeting time for the Tuesday group (if they still meet)?
I rode Tuesday from 3-5pm did not see many cars in the school parking lot and only a gold Land Rover in the front parking area…
Thanks!
Have and the crew used to Ride on Thursday evenings during the summer. I’m not sure when they ride in the winter. I’ll see if I can find out from Harv and I’ll post up.
I finaly got a chance to go out to FINS. After hearing alot of good things about the trail, so i dicided to check it out for myself and ive got to say that it is an amazing single track. several different options. i spent the day riding every trail that was there,. rode all the decents and some of the climbs. great trail system.
Glad you had a great time FYAZZIE. FINS truly is a great place to play. Thanks for the comments!
just went out this morning, was a beautiful day…first time there, was awesome…my favorite trail by far
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