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Seventy years ago, the Desert Willow, Diamond W, Triple H, La Posta Quemada, Flying V, X-9, and Valley Vail were just some of the guest ranches that thrived on Tucson’s eastside, offering visitors from all over a unique experience of the west. Only the Tanque Verde Ranch remains from that bygone era, but if the Pima County Board of Supervisors gives its approval, Tucson’s eastside will soon boast a 21st century guest ranch devoted to bicycles instead of horses located in the heart of some of the best year-round cycling in the country.
Located on Old Spanish Trail at Escalante Road, the Bike Ranch’s owner-developers, Kelley Matthews and Peter Lasher, are longtime eastside residents and cyclists who are passionate about the outdoors. They purchased the property in 2013 from the Calvert Family Trust with the idea of providing cycling focused lodging and amenities that would be complimentary to both the area and Saguaro National Park.
The Bike Ranch fulfills a vision that has been part of the location for over sixty years. Bert Calvert originally developed the property in the 1950s as a motor court to fulfill the need for services across from what was then Saguaro Monument. He built a gas station and hamburger stand, the original Saguaro Corner, and a group of furnished, air conditioned casitas for rent. By the time he died in 1963, Saguaro Corner had evolved into a restaurant, and he was planning more casitas. Bert’s heirs hoped someday to do a larger lodging concept, but never did.
Using the iconic guest ranches as inspiration, Matthews and Lasher also want the Bike Ranch to be a model for conscientious development in a resource sensitive area. They are designing the project according to rigorous Platinum LEED guidelines, utilizing natural building materials, solar power, and water efficient systems. LEED, which stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” is regulated by the United States Green Building Council and requires that a project meet exacting standards in multiple categories in order to obtain certification. There are currently only five Platinum LEED certified hotels in the entire country, and Bike Ranch hopes to be the first in Arizona.
National Parks across the country are looking at ways to increase revenue while decreasing environmental impact. They have identified bicycling as a way to do that. Our own Saguaro National Park welcomes more than 25,000 cyclists annually and recognizes biking as part of the culture of the Rincon Mountain District. Visit Tucson, our region’s travel and promotion agency, sees cycling tourism as a way to further enhance our local $2.4 billion a year tourism industry and has made cycling a primary component of their overall marketing campaign. The Bike Ranch may reference Tucson’s guest ranch past, but it is focused solidly on being an important part of Tucson’s future as a world class cycling destination.
