Hiking

Several mountains around Phoenix, including Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak, have been set aside as parks and nature preserves, and these natural areas are among the city's most popular hiking spots. The city's largest nature preserve, South Mountain Park/Preserve (tel. 602/534-6324; www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/southmnt.html), covers 16,000 acres and is one of the largest city parks in the world. This park contains around 50 miles of hiking, mountain-biking, and horseback-riding trails, and the views of Phoenix (whether from along the National Trail or from the parking lot at the Buena Vista Lookout) are spectacular, especially at sunset. To reach the park's main entrance, drive south on Central Avenue, which leads right into the park. Once inside the park, turn left on Summit Road and follow it to the Buena Vista Lookout, which provides a great view of the city and is the trailhead for the National Trail. If you hike east on this trail for 2 miles, you'll come to an unusual little natural tunnel that makes a good turnaround point.

Another place to get in some relatively easy and convenient hiking is Papago Park, Galvin Parkway and Van Buren Street (tel. 602/261-8318; www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikepapa.html), home to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo, and the fascinating Hole in the Rock (a red-rock butte with a large natural opening in it). There are both paved and dirt trails within the park; the most popular hikes are around the Papago Buttes (park on W. Park Dr.) and up onto the rocks at Hole in the Rock (park past the zoo at the information center). During World War II, there was a German POW camp here.

Perhaps the most popular hike in the city is the trail to the top of Camelback Mountain, in the Echo Canyon Recreation Area (tel. 602/261-8318; www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikecmlb.html), near the boundary between Phoenix and Scottsdale. At 2,704 feet high, this is the highest mountain in Phoenix and boasts the finest mountaintop views in the city. The 1.2-mile Summit Trail that leads to the top of Camelback Mountain is outrageously steep and gains 1,200 feet from trailhead to summit. Yet on any given day there will be ironmen and ironwomen nonchalantly jogging up and down to stay fit. At times, it almost feels like a health club singles scene. To reach the trailhead, drive up 44th Street until it becomes McDonald Drive, turn right on East Echo Canyon Parkway, and continue up the hill until the road ends at a parking lot, which is often full. Don't attempt this one in the heat of the day, and bring at least a quart of water. Although people do this hike in sneakers, I would never dream of bagging this peak without good hiking boots on my feet.

At the east end of Camelback Mountain is the Cholla Trail, which, at 1.5 miles in length, isn't as steep as the Summit Trail (at least, not until you get close to the summit, where the route gets steep, rocky, and very difficult). The only parking for this trail is along Invergordon Road at Chaparral Road, just north of Camelback Road (along the east boundary of the Phoenician resort). Be sure to park in a legal parking space and watch the hours in which parking is allowed. There's a good turnaround point about 1.5 miles up the trail, and great views down onto the fairways of the golf course at the Phoenician.

The 2,608-foot-tall Piestewa Peak, in the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area/Dreamy Draw Recreation Area (tel. 602/262-7901; www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikephx.html), offers another aerobic workout of a hike and has views almost as spectacular as those from Camelback Mountain. The round-trip to the summit is 2.4 miles and gains almost 1,200 feet. Piestewa Peak is reached from Squaw Peak Drive off Lincoln Drive between 22nd and 23rd streets. Another section of this park, with much easier trails, can be reached by taking the Northern Avenue exit of Arizona 51 and then driving east into Dreamy Draw Park.

Of all the popular mountain trails in the Phoenix area, the trail through Pinnacle Peak Park, 26802 N. 102nd Way (tel. 480/312-0990; www.scottsdaleaz.gov/parks/pinnacle), in north Scottsdale, is my favorite. The trail through the park is a 3.5-mile round-trip hike and is immensely popular with the local fitness crowd. Forget about stopping to smell the desert penstemon; if you don't keep up the pace, someone's liable to knock you off the trail into a prickly pear. If you can find a parking space (arrive before 9am on weekends) and can ignore the crowds, you'll be treated to views of rugged desert mountains (and posh desert suburbs). November through April, there are guided hikes Tuesday through Sunday at 10am. There are also wildflower walks, full-moon hikes, and astronomy evenings here. To find the park from central Scottsdale, go north on Pima Road, east on Happy Valley Road, and north on Alma School Parkway, and turn left on North 102nd Way.

For much less vigorous hiking (without the crowds), try North Mountain Park (tel. 602/262-7901; www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/nmvc.html), in North Mountain Preserve. This natural area, located on either side of Seventh Street between Dunlap Avenue and Thunderbird Road, has more flat hiking than Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak. To orient yourself and get trail maps, stop by the North Mountain Visitor Center, 12950 N. Seventh St. (tel. 602/495-5540).

Another great place to go for a hike in the desert is north Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve (tel. 480/998-7971; www.mcdowellsonoran.org), where you'll find miles of relatively easy and uncrowded trails. The best place to access these trails is at the Lost Dog Trailhead at 124th Street north of Via Linda. To reach this trailhead, drive east on Shea Boulevard, turn north on 124th Street, and watch for the parking lot after you pass Via Linda. The 2.5-mile Ringtail Loop Trail is a good choice for an hour's hike.

North of Scottsdale, in the town of Cave Creek, you'll find a couple of my favorite hikes. The Black Mountain Trail is an uncrowded alternative to such popular hikes as Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak. This 1-mile trail leads to the summit of Black Mountain, and from the top you can gaze out over all of Cave Creek and Carefree. Keep an eye out for lizards lounging on the rocks at the summit. To find the trailhead, take Schoolhouse Road south from Cave Creek Road for 1/4 mile and park on the side of the road at the end of the pavement. The hike starts on the road that seems to lead straight up the mountain and then veers off onto the narrow trail. Both longer and less strenuous hikes can be found 3 miles north of Cave Creek at Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area (tel. 480/488-6623; www.Maricopa.gov/parks/spur_cross). Here you can wander by the water along Cottonwood Creek or hike up on the slopes of Elephant Mountain. In spring, the wildflowers here can be gorgeous. Best of all, this is the closest desert hiking that really has the feel of being away from the city. To reach the trailhead, take Spur Cross Road north from Cave Creek Road. There is a $3 day-use fee.

The Peralta Trail, way out on the east side of the Valley in the impossibly steep and jagged Superstition Mountains, just might be my favorite hike in the entire state. Unfortunately, a lot of other people feel the same way, and on weekends, the trail is almost always packed with people. However, if you come early on a weekday, you can have this trail almost all to yourself. The route climbs steadily, though not too steeply, past huge old saguaros to a saddle with a view that will take your breath away (or was it the hike up from the trailhead that left you gasping?). The view is an in-your-face look at Weaver's Needle, the Superstition Mountains' most famous pinnacle. The hike to the view at Fremont Saddle is 4.6 miles round-trip. To reach the trailhead, drive east from Phoenix on U.S. 60 past Apache Junction to Peralta Road, and then drive 8 miles north, mostly on gravel road, to the trailhead. For information, contact the Tonto National Forest's Mesa Ranger District, 5140 E. Ingram St., Mesa (tel. 480/610-3300; www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto).

Way out on the west side of the Valley, where suburban sprawl bumps up against the rugged mountains, you'll find White Tank Mountain Regional Park, 13025 N. White Tank Mountain Rd., Waddell (tel. 623/935-2505; www.maricopa.gov/parks/white_tank), and the popular but very rewarding Waterfall Trail. This 1.8-mile round-trip hike leads past Indian petroglyphs to, you guessed it, a waterfall. Well, sometimes. Most of the year, the waterfall isn't running, but after a rainstorm, water cascades over the rocks here. Whether the creek is running or not, this is a pretty spot. You can also escape the crowds by heading out on some of the park's more remote and rugged trails.