Any walker/hiker must now start very early to get their trail hike. The incline begins quickly and will get your heart beating within 15 minutes of walking. It is a steep incline until you hit the entrance. From there it is loose dirt with some portions being slight flat. However if you want to reach the summit, it's a good uphill climb. At least, coming back is all downhill and you have to dig in. Free street parking. Just be courteous to those who live nearby and off the trail. read more

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How do you rate a hike like this?! 5 stars with alot of asterisks! My fiancé is the experienced hiker. Lover of trail runs, marathons, and completing the types of challenging hikes they make documentaries about, this hike albeit steep was a breeze. He ran a few miles to the trailhead, hiked the mountain, then ran back to the hotel three times during our stay. I, on the other hand am not a fan of early mornings or strenuous hikes but I do love a good challenge. In lieu of beating my time up Toms Thumb, I tackled Black Mountain solo, and let me tell you, if my 4'11", geriatric knee having, asthmatic, former athlete self can complete this hike, you can too! Yes, it's pretty dang steep. I wish someone would have warned me that instead of riding switchbacks, you are climbing straight up, gaining elevation very quickly, but it does make for a fun change of pace. Personally, it took me an hour up, and an hour down (so two hours total), and my partner made it up in 30 minutes, and down in around the same (so an hour total). Here are a few tips no matter your skill level: *bring water, a snack or two, sunscreen, sunshades, and considering how steep this bad boy is, wear hiking shoes with good grips. I hiked in October 2024, so I'm not sure if you'd need to modify for other times of the year. *know that although there are a good amount of shops if you make it to the Spanish Village, there aren't a ton of walkable roads in the surrounding town of carefree. In fact, there are a few residents that live on this mountain, and may encounter cars on your way up to the trailhead marker. *all trails is an amazing app to have handy for this and other solo hikes if you're going alone or would like to track your time/ensure you stay on the trail (it buzzed a few times to alert me that I was no longer on the trail...whoops) *the view is nice...even if you don't make it to the top, you're in for a visual treat! read more

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This is one of my favorite hikes in town. It's about a 1.1 mile hike one way with a 1,197 foot elevation change. There's no parking at the start of the trail head. Parking is off School House road. There not a lot of parking but I've never had difficulties finding a spot. You have to walk up a paved road to get to the start of the hike. The trail is primitive and rocky. I just love how you have to concentrate with each step. I find the other hikers on this trail are always so friendly and polite. Always giving the right away to the people going up. You will experience a false peak but it's obvious when you reach the top. There's an American flag at the top on the mountain. The 360 degree views are incredible! I've hiked it r/t in 50 minutes when I'm in shape but have dragged it out to 1 hour 20 minutes before. Just take you time , bring some water and remember your hiking etiquette! read more

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This is an awesome trail. Very challenging in the sense that it's quite steep but someone in decent shape can still probably get up and down in 2-3 hours. Very deceiving as you climb tho. I kept thinking I was close to the top but hadn't made it yet. Also, why do ppl give trails less than a 5 star review? It's a trail man, how's it going to improve? read more

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Great hike from downtown Cave Creek. Get out early and bring water. Good news is "IF" you make it to the top and back down treat yourself to a refreshing beverage at Black Mountain Distillery or Cave Creek Coffee! Be careful and enjoy the views. read more

Black Mountain Summit Trail - Never gets old this is a great trail to overlook the city and mountains - Hiking Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Really loved Black Mountain trail. The hike is challenging, but don't get it twisted, it is not camelback. It's great in the fact that it's difficult but safe. No use of the hands are required. I didn't have any fearfulness of falling. The trail is well maintained and not very busy. I'd rank it in between camelback and Piestewa peak read more

Black Mountain Summit Trail - Hiking Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

This is a classic trail in the valley that is deceptively strenuous. I think total distance is just over a mile one way, but it doesn't let up with its steepness. I live in North Phoenix so this is close enough to me that it's not such a long drive, but also far enough away from downtown that it is not excessively crowded. There are a lot of parking options at the intersection of Military Rd, Mark Way, and N School House Rd. The trailhead itself is just a five minute walk up School House Rd. You'll usually see others coming or going so you shouldn't have much difficulty reaching it. The trail itself has a couple of false summit instances, but don't lose hope. As I mentioned the steepness may make it seem daunting at times, but overall the length is very short. Anyone in reasonable shape could make the summit in under an hour. I usually average around 30 minutes. At the summit you're rewarded with an American flag and awesome views. Spend some time and savor the scenery before making your descent. read more

Black Mountain Summit Trail - Looking south from the summit - Hiking Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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Friendly reminder to fuel up before hiking (Black Mountain Summit Trail or any trail for that matter)... Black Mountain is a challenging hike with beautiful views and a nice change from some of the trails I'm used to hiking in the Scottsdale / Phoenix area. It's not too far of a drive and there are so many great local businesses in the area -- make a day trip and enjoy! That being said, I recently hiked this trail with my husband... I didn't eat breakfast that morning and got 3/4 of the way up and didn't think I would make it any further (up or down) without passing out... Luckily, after a handful of hikers went by without any sugar / fuel, we found a woman who was kind enough to share half a Cliff Bar with me. I made it down after that thank goodness! Now I'm determined to return after fueling up and complete the entire hike next time... Hope to do that soon and add some photos of the beautiful views on this trail as well! read more

2.2 mile hike with 1,100 ft in elevation gain. Provides beautiful views of North Phoenix/Scottsdale and Cave Creek. Trail is fairly well groomed and is never terribly busy. No restrictions (that I know of) on time of day, making this a great hike if you'd like to go before sunrise or after sunset. Be prepared for a generally steep climb for the entirety and climbing over larger rocks in some portions, as is common for most Phoenix hikes. Comparable to Echo Trail on Camelback which is 2.4 miles and 1,400 ft elevation gain. read more

Black Mountain Summit Trail - Hiking Near Me - Cave Creek, Arizona

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My husband and I enjoyed this hike on a Saturday morning. It's a challenging hike, but worth going all the way up. It's not a busy trail. There is not a parking lot at this trail. read more

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5 stars for what it is: a steep 1 mile climb (21% average grade vs Camelback which is 22%, for reference). I chose this over the more popular hike because the 1% challenge difference isn't worth the challenge of dealing with throngs of people and limited parking. I saw a handful of people and all were quite friendly, which to me means they're all regular hikers and added to the pleasure of this trail. You have to park a quarter mile before the trailhead and pass some houses to get to the start. You're never out of view of houses actually, but that's because this trail is in an urban area. Some people lower their rating because of this but... It's in an urban area. Besides, the houses are pretty cool. You can hear music from one of the restaurants in town all the way to the summit. If you like southern rock and country you'll enjoy it. BTW, there are several biker hangouts in town ... so you will also hear a lot of loud bikes. Definitely not a "backcountry" experience. Haha Lots of wildflowers, a few coyotes, sharp jagged rocks and 360° views made it a good short workout hike. read more

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Fun and moderate hike with amazon desert and sunset views. The day I did it the clouds were amazing. read more

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This trail is one very good reason to visit the Cave Creek area. It provides some of the best views of the Valley without being too far from Phoenix, it gives you a really good cardiovascular workout because the climb is moderately challenging, and you have truly breathtaking views from the slope to the summit. I did not encounter any really risky drop-offs from the sides of the trail, but the abundance of cacti and sharp-angled rocks will make you want to be careful nonetheless. The trailhead and parking area are right in the middle of the town of Cave Creek, which makes it easy find a cafe, restaurant, or bar to refresh yourself after completing the climb. read more

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Took about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Good hike to sweat and short enough that leaves time to do other stuff for the day. Wearing my hiking boots made the hike easier since it was less slippery. There's a USA flag at the top. It is a hard hike though so bring water, but it's short enough that it's not unbearable. No really climbing involved but there are some parts you need your hands. The rocks are indeed black which look cool. Once you're up there, you'd be surrounded by civilization all around. Parking is available outside of the trail, since it's all house parking inside. You'd see a dead end sign. read more

Great find that is not too crowded. A proper pair of shoes or boots is definitely a must. The top provides an amazing 360' view

Awesome hike! One of my top favorites. The 360 degree views from the top are incredible and make it all worth the sweat. Not a very crowded trail. There's no warm-up, you go straight up until you hit the top and then straight back down. Very rocky and jagged. Some parts I couldn't tell where the trail was and had to follow people. There's 75yr olds that climb this mountain topless like its nothing, they put me to shame. I want to move to Cave Creek simply for the motivation that people over twice my age give me- WOW! read more

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Stunning 360 degree views from the summit. I definitely recommend this hike!!! Trail is somewhat steep the whole way. *apple maps and Yelp driving directions will take u the wrong way. Trail head is off School House Rd. Head south on School house road off Cave creek road. Or park at the Post Office on the north west corner of School house road and cave creek And walk across street to the start of trail. read more

My family did this hike together. It took us 3 hours and we were exhausted and a little dehydrated. Bring more water than you think you'll need. My 7yo and 8 yo are high energy and play on sports teams but this was hard for them. read more

This hike is a beast! Although it's only 2.2 miles round-trip, it feels closer to 8 for novice hikers such as myself. Steep inclines with very rough terrain most of the way, watch out for loose shale rocks, and get those hammies ready for some treacherous tall rocks. I'm giving this hike 4 stars because it's a killer workout, perfect mix of cardio and leg day. Also the trail has two faux summits (which will give you false hope on the way up) that offer awesome panoramic views of Phoenix. Get ready to put in work on this one! PS, the trail is relatively close to some good restaurants in Cave Creek which is convenient for a post workout snack read more

What a view! Its a lot of work to get their but worth it. Round trip for most will be over an hour and close to 1.5. read more

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Challenging hike with great views at the top but rather boring scenery on the hill itself. Lots of shale/slate like slabs of rock are all over the mountain and trail itself which look like Krypton and make the footing difficult. It is over 1000 ft in rise in about a mile in so it is pretty steep at spots but nowhere near as difficult as Echo Canyon, and nowhere near as exhilarating or interesting in its formations or scenery. read more

This is a primitive that ascends about 1000 ft. with great views. It's all walking, but rocky and steep. It starts at the center (business center) of Cave Creek. Park at the crossing of Andora Wash and start up Schoolhouse Road. The trail gets steeper as you go up. Bear left where the road jogs west onto private property. It takes me about an hour up and 40 minutes down. (I'm pretty fit.) Best done in the cooler months. read more

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Excellent hike! Not for the novice hiker though. The trail is steep with jagged rocks most of the way. 360 views from the top make it worth while. Getting there can be tricky. Most apps will send you the wrong way. From cave creek road, head SOUTH on schoolhouse rd to get to the trailhead. Parking is limited so it's best to park at the post office on the NW corner of schoolhouse and cave creek. Enjoy! read more

I love this little trail! It is a hard steep hike that is 2.2 miles round trip. Around the level of difficulty of camelback but easier for big dogs. Went this Sunday morning and only ran into about 10 people. Very nice. It might be a little difficult to find parking. Follow School house road up to hit the trail! read more

Best day hike in AZ ... no traffic , never too many people on trail... peaceful steady hiked for pretty much all relatively active fitness minded people & levels read more

Love this cardio pumping steep hike near our house! Great 360 degrees full view from the Summit! Excited for our Fall Saturday Morning Hikes to take advantage of the wonderful weather. read more

Lots of parking just south of Cave Creek Tumbleweed Hotel. Great work out, not quite as hard as Camelback but definately a lot of gain going up. Wasn't too crowded on a Saturday morning. It got a little muddy at the top but nothing too bad. Highly recommend if you like Camelback! read more

Great trail near Cave Creek!! It is only 2.2 miles round trip but a very good workout because it is straight up hill with a vertical gain of 1,200 feet in a mile. View up top is great. Town and of Cave Creek is great spot to shop and got lunch after the hike. read more

This was a great hike on a beautiful day. Amazing panoramic views, spring flowers, and a little breeze. Bring plenty of water.

Today was extremely buggy on the trail. I felt like a rotting corpse! Trail is steady climb entire way up. Will have to try it again another day. read more

Good workout Steep trail with lots of sharp edged rocks, and cacti. Was very crowed with hikers and dogs on trail. I am a Carefree local and prefer the McDowell's for the serenity. read more