I love being outdoors so I'm always going to rate a preserve, park, trailhead, etc. high because there are so many great places in this state to explore. This specific location usually has a lot of foot traffic and it doesn't have the payoff that some other trails have but the trail system is extensive and offers difficulty level for all adventurers. Great views and its a good place to see the desert beauty in autumn and spring. read more

Finally doing a review of my home away from home (At least when it's cooler than 95 degrees)! I'm not a hike with the rest of Phoenix kinda guy, so you won't find me on Camelback Mtn or South Mtn. Phoenix Mountain Preserve has trails that snake all over the place. Mix up the trails for longer runs or steeper treks. I am addicted to this crazy wild area of Phoenix. I love the fact that I can run right from my house and be in the thick of dust, cactus and reptiles in just a couple minutes. Now I would suggest pulling up some trail guides to figure out what loop would be best for you. Just know that not all the trails appear on these guides. Use the Mountains (or as I call them hills) as your guide. I learned my favorite trails just by trial and error. Word of caution, when you are going with the trial and error, know that when you are on the less traveled trails you will hear or run into some rattlers. My suggestion, and I wouldn't go by it, is to turn your music up loud enough so you don't hear them. The busiest trail is the one off of 32nd st. and Lincoln. Most people just go to the top of the peak and then turn around. Be adventurous and try the loop back to the 202! Well worth the 5 mile trek/run!! I didn't think I would like Phoenix when I moved from San Diego about 5 years ago, but I have to say my love of the Ocean has been able to transform into my love of the desert. Get your ass out there on these trails, you'll love it! If you get bit by a rattler sorry for the bad advice! **Oh shit, forgot about the Tarantula Hawk! I had one land on me and I damn near fell off the trail. There is one thing that freaks me out here, these damn things are the size of a hummingbird and have the most painful sting in the world. No BS!! Thanks for the reminder Joyce!! Enjoy the trail!! read more

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Beautiful, peaceful, calming, and definitely happy these preserves exist! Came here for a walk when I visited my friend who lives in AZ. The air is crisp and fresh and when you're here in the winter it's definitely the perfect temperature for a stroll. Recommend any mountain preserve to people who like the outdoors and appreciate nature. read more

I truly adore the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. I usually went to Squaw Peak, but after an ankle debacle, I needed something easy to get back in the swing of things. Enter the Preserve, recommended by a coworker. I drove on over and was happy to see that there were multiple trails to try. I asked a fellow hiker what they thought to be a good trail, and so I took #8. It's nice because it's mostly a scenic hike with a steady incline (mostly). It's very calm and relaxing out there, as there are usually just a few other hikers. I like being out in nature and this is the place to get it. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to try something other than the usual hustle and bustle of Camelback or Squaw Peak. read more

love to hike the trails off 40th street and Shea. Trails for all type of hikers, and for bikers and horse riders. Try it, you'll like it.

The Phoenix Mountain Preserve is one of the best kept secrets in town where you can escape the city in moments and enjoy miles of hiking and biking trails and solitude. Fred the Dog and I hike out here most every morning... he is quite fond of his trail time. There is a good mix of folks on the trails including hikers, walkers, mountain bikers and horse people. I started a FaceBook page called Phoenix Mountain Preserve Life if you'd like to join and add your own pics and comments. We even have a page for dogs of trail 100... my personal favorite. read more

I love everything about the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. I love running the trails, hiking the peaks, and enjoying the beautiful mountains we have here in Phoenix. 40th St trailhead is my favorite, and I love how I can run trail 100 for 13 miles and pass places like Dreamy Draw Park along the way. It is very well maintained, and I feel so fortunate I can come here and enjoy it whenever I want. read more

Great short hike 2.5 miles RT. Good daily trail - little Rocky and rock hopping most of the way up - good elevation 990'.. Lots of friendly locals and daily enthusiast at the preserve. Drinking water at the trailhead . read more

Phoenix Mountain Preserve - To the summit / 990 ft elevation from the parking area. - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Very easy hike, I was so glad to be out in the desert expriencing mother nature. This is also a favorite spot for trail runners in the area. I was excited to see a road runner on this trail. read more

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Awesome place to hike And adore the great views. We took the Circumference trail that took around the park, hiked up through the peak to see the views of the city. Great views, great exercise...had runners on the trail, next time we'll take the Summit trail to the top. Easy to get to, 5 miles from Phoenix, lots of parking and amenities. Great trails, something for everyone! read more

Fantastic variety of difficulty of trails with much less traffic than some of the trails in Phoenix. Parking was a little crowded at the trailhead off of Northern this morning, but someone was pulling out as we came in. We took part of trail 100 and the 220 loop. read more

Phoenix Mountain Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Went on the south side. It was more flat, but at 100 degrees, I didn't really want to do climbing. Trail was clean and scenery was beautiful. Made me stop and just be. Very relaxing. Definitely bring a lot of water, stay on the trail and please please take your trash with you. read more

Great trail system!! The North side has lots of flat mountain bike trails. The 32nd street railhead has 4 parking spots. I would recommend going to the Dreamy Draw trailhead where there is a lot of parking. Dreamt Draw is on the east side. These trails are far prettier than the north side but steeper and rockier, so a bit harder to bike. Views are great from the top of the different hills. Trails are well marked. read more

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I love the way Phoenix has protected so many gorgeous mountains for use by the public. This is a favorite hike when I go to visit my family there. Squaw Peak is referred to as the "stair master" of hikes and it is pretty much just that. You will see runners up and down the trail, lots of dogs and families with small children. The trail is a bit rocky as well so wear sturdy shoes and be sure to bring water! Even if you are used to the desert heat, it's better to go early. Parking can be a real problem on weekends and holidays so you may have to stalk someone to get a space. read more

The entrance at 32nd St. & Lincoln is probably my favorite hiking location of all time. I don't know why I tried it first when I started hiking here 4 years ago, but it is my go-to place to hike and to (try to) introduce friends/family to hiking. Compared to Camelback which sometimes feels like A Night at the Roxbury, 32nd St. & Lincoln (as well as the adjoining Piestewa Peak) feels like the Cheers theme song when it says, "sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name." Nearly everyone you meet is friendly and polite and will make way for you or thank you for making way for them on the trail, so I never worry about whether someone would stop and render aid if I end up injuring myself there! The views of downtown Phoenix in the distance are wonderful, and you have a variety of trail distance and difficulty depending on how much time you have and how much effort you want to expend. If you follow the 8A trail, you have a comfortable hike without too much claiming for the first 3/4 mile and then a nice climb through switchbacks to a place to stop and rest on a memorial bench. (If you're feeling ambitious at that point, you can follow 8B up another 100 feet elevation to another memorial bench.) On the other hand, if you want the climby part right now or are short on time, follow 8A about 1/4 mile from the entrance until you go through the first creekbed, take a left on the 202 trail, climb to the top of the ridge and take a right, and you have your choice of trails up to two peaks of equal elevation (around 1920 feet) that will make your legs burn pretty quickly. At any rate, no matter your level of experience or fitness, I would recommend a hike at 32nd St. & Lincoln to anyone - you will have a fantastic time! :) read more

Phoenix Mountain Preserve - New trail signs with lat/long, elevation, & QR codes - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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So many ways to find a good hike here. If I only have a little bit of time there are satisfying hikes, like the Mohave Trail. On days when I have more time, I can use a variety of connections and never get bored. Please bring water even in the cooler weather. Expect to get dirty. So many other great views and trails to choose from if you don't want to brave the summit trail. read more

Finding beauty in a desert is difficult for me. Everything is brown and dusty dry. Phoenix is quite a large city and see them preserve a place like this is vital to maintain some natural sites. Trails here are rocky and steep. Many runners and hikers come here to get away from it all. I can see why. It is a very nice place. My minor gripe is that I need to see more green, but alas I'm in a desert. Having grown up most of my life on the east coast and hiking the Appalachian Trail, I'm just accustom to many trees and plants. Wear some sturdy shoes, and it might be a good idea to have a buddy system in case you have an accident. read more

What a great place to enjoy some outdoor hiking/biking/walking! Situated just next to Piestewa Peak, the 32nd and Lincoln trailhead is easily accessible (although popular, so you might have to park across the street), and excellently maintained. The difficulty level depends on which trail you take, and how far you go. It starts of as a gentle slope, but the further you go, the steeper it gets. I have no idea of the distance we travelled, but we hiked for a total of 1.5 hours (ish), and there were a few parts that were pretty strenuous. Excellent workout, beautiful scenery, and 75 degree weather (in January) made for a lovely hike! read more

Such a nice hike for me and my puppy! There are quite a few people that hike this, but they are all friendly! Make sure to bring water because there are no drinking fountains once you are on the trails! Very pretty and one of my favorite hikes. You read more

Phoenix Mountain Preserve - Hiking Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This is such a beautiful area to hike especially in the fall and spring when the weather is nice. There are many different trails to hike for all different levels that one is after in their workout. The trails are clean and well maintained too. Piestewa Peak is very nice to hike on the main trail, however, during the week is the best time to hike the main trail since the weekend you are stuck with TONS of people on this trail. I am a native of Phoenix and this is one of the nicest places to hike within the city. read more

The best place to hike in PHX! Ample, well-groomed trails for the most part, good parking off 40th Street (can be busy during snowbird season, though), and easy to venture off to escape the crowds for some solitude. You can hike straight up Twobit Peak (formerly Dixie Peak) right off the 40th St trailhead, which is nice. My only beefs are no park enforcement on hand. There are too many idiots who let their dogs wander unleashed (park violation) and too many idiots using external speakers while hiking. Sorry, no one wants to hear your stupid, childish pop music. We go hiking to enjoy the peace and quiet, and to have it shattered with brainless Miley Cyrus songs is just maddening! My last beef is the parking on Tatum on the East side of the park is a horrible joke. Be wary of rattlesnakes, too. I see more at this park than all others, including the McDowells, strangely enough. read more

I love hiking all around here. There are tons of trails and plenty of different access points. You can go from all the way from Scottsdale to Sunnyslope. read more

The hike can be tough so make sure you go early and take lots of water. There were a lot of people on the trail but I never felt crowded. At the beginning it seems as if the hike is not going to have any good views but it is great at the top. Saw several people jogging the trail on the way down, also saw 2 people bite it pretty bad on the way down... please be careful! read more

Looking for a trail run of medium difficulty - look no further. Easy parking at Shea and 40th street, trail 100 is the perfect "quick 30" minute run. Lovely undulating hills and only a few mountain bikers to dodge, this is my "go to" running trail in the cooler months. Hint: Do not go off the trail...the cholla bite :) read more

Great hiking. It's good because every man and their dog are not on most of the trails. Peaceful and so much to explore!

another great mtn bike ride. not too packed as it is already hot by 8m, and the parking lot is empty by the time i finish my ride. i think after the latest bouts of rain, the trail is a bit washed out....it seemed more full of loose rock and gravel this morning out...or maybe i'm just getting old.... read more

Christmas week takes it's toll on me, calorically speaking. Not only are we celebrating Christmas but 2 days later, there's a birthday and then 3 days later there's a wedding anniversary. To work some of that off, the family decided to hike the Phoenix Preserve. There are so many trails and forks leading to other trails that you can customize your hike on the go. We like to park at the 32nd Street trailhead, but depending on if you can catch the first wave of hikers returning and then driving out, it usually saves time to just park at the strip mall on the southwest corner of 32nd and Lincoln and start the hike from there. Stretch your legs and you can be all warmed up by the time you're at the trailhead. We usually take 8A to 8B and then go up 8 and back down 8A. It's about a 4.5 mile loop with some ascents that never seem to end, but as long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other and don't look up, you'll get there before you know it. Take some water and some hiking poles and you're in for a peaceful yet energetic 2 hours. Take in the views and check out the desert surroundings. You may run into a mountain biker and some trail runners, family groups, girlfriends, seniors, tourists, but these are the friendliest hikers around. This time we encountered a group of goldendoodle owners and their brood of a half dozen. Stay on the trails and yield to those going up. A great activity to begin the New Year! read more