Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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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 trail head 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 McDowell Road (
&
602/261-8318;
www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/
hikepapa.html), home to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo, and the fasci-
nating 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 Moun-
tain
, in the
Echo Canyon Recreation Area
(
&
602/262-6575;
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 Moun-
tain is outrageously steep and gains 1,200 feet from trail head 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 trail head,
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. I also
recommend wearing hiking boots.
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 are great views down onto the fair-
ways 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
(
&
602/262-7901;
www.phoenix.gov/PARKS/
hikephx.html), offers another aerobic workout of a hike and has views almost as spec-
tacular 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 Ariz. 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 (
&
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 Sat-Sun) and can ignore the crowds, you'll be treated to views of rugged desert
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