The Mt. Graham Hill Climb is one of Arizona’s classic tests on two wheels and the Arizona State Hill Climb Championship. Starting outside Safford, the race heads straight up the Swift Trail into the Pinaleño Mountains, trading Sonoran Desert for pine forest and cool mountain air as the road climbs higher and higher.

And when we say climb, we mean climb. The full course is roughly 20 miles with about 5,700 feet of elevation gain, making Mt. Graham one of the biggest sustained road climbs in Arizona. Shorter 10-mile categories are offered for some age and masters divisions.

This isn’t a ride where you’re wondering when the next hill starts. The hill is the ride. Pace yourself, settle into a rhythm, enjoy the changing landscape and try to remember to look around occasionally as you climb thousands of feet above the desert floor.

For racers, there are Arizona State Championship titles on the line. For everyone else, there is the satisfaction of reaching the top of one of the most formidable paved climbs in the Southwest.

20 miles. 5,700 feet of climbing. One very large mountain.

September 20, 2026 | Safford, Arizona
47th Annual Mt. Graham Hill Climb