Written Directions
State Route 83,between Sonoita AZ to Sahuarita Road. This is a great road to take whenever one rides between Tucson/Phoenix to Sierra Vista/Tombstone. It connects to State Route 82 to the south, which is another great ride. SR83 is easily accessible from Interstate 10 from the north and from SR82 from the south (in Sonoita, AZ). For the purposes of this review, we ride from Sonoita AZ going north until the road meets with Sahuarita Road.
Scenery
Heading north from Sonoita, you'll have ranch land on both sides all the way up to the border control check point. If you're lucky, you may see some pronghorn sheep, which by the way are the fastest mammal in the US and second fastest in the world (to the Cheetah). Past the boarder check point, there are smaller mountains on both sides and the vistas are not bad in spots. There are not many trees on these mountains but that means the the road is not in high elevation country, meaning that it is rideable nearly all year round.
Drive Enjoyment
The pavement has tar snakes in places. Past the border check point just north of Sonoita going northward, the road gets twisty as it meanders through some hills. There are no tight hairpin turns, but be careful as some of the turns will challenge you, especially if you haven't ridden SR83 before. You can really lean in some of these ample curves. The LEOs are usually not out on this road but sometimes you'll see them going in the opposite direction (respect them when you see them).
Tourism Opportunities
There's a few places to eat in Sonoita, all have decent food. The Sonoita Steak Out has good steak and ribs and is probably the best choice to eat if you're hungry in Sonoita. Sonoita also has a couple gas stations. There's even a picnic place at one of the rare roadside pullouts. There are no camping or parks/attractions along this route, though. On the north end of the route, there's really no eateries/rest rooms/fuel stations. Rest assured, you're riding State Route 83 for the ride, not for the roadside amenities.
Motorcycle Road Additional info
If you like Vulture Mine road for the curves, you'll absolutely enjoy State Route 83 much better because there are no cattle guards. The local riders from Tucson and Sierra Vista know this road very well as it was a well kept secret from the rest of Arizona until now. Our riding chapter from Sierra Vista always find an excuse to ride SR83.
