This hike is a 6.4-mile out-and-back trail in the hills of Phoenix's South Mountain Preserve…read more Corona de Loma is a challenging trail that is located just east of Eagle Pass and will take a few hours to complete. The beginning of the trail connects with the Thash Kavid Loop Trail or Warpaint Loop Trail. It is usually called the Warpaint Loop because it is off Warpaint Drive. I came here with a friend and we did the loop trail portion of the hike. The Warpaint Loop trail is around 2-miles and easy to hike because there is no elevation. It is a popular area for hiking, mountain biking and running. Because it is in a desert region, proper precautions should be taken while hiking it during the warmer seasons. Dogs must be on a leash. The Corona de Loma Trail takes you through a diverse terrain with a combination of flat sections. Parking is on the side of the road.

Great South Mountain trailhead, commonly called Warpaint trailhead due to entrance on Warpaint Dr…read morein Awahtukee. There's a decent number of trails with varying degrees of difficulty for hikers and bikers. Most of the trails are fairly flat// little elevation change, so if you're a local and want to try hiking, this is a great start. Also good for visitors/tourists. Most popular trails are Desert Classic and Warpaint Loops. If you want climbing, try the Guadalupe Perimeter. Most of the trails can connect you to other trail systems in the park. Because of the fairly-flat nature of this trailhead system, it's great for star-gazing & observing sunrise/sunset. Fair warning though, some of the bigger desert critters (coyotes) will come out at night... I've heard them! The only downside of this trailhead are limited street parking and no bathrooms. Happy trails!

Located in an industrial area. Not very well maintained. Signs in parking lot advise you to make…read moresure doors are locked! No one to assist you or even tell you what there is to see. They need help! Small gravel trail not maintained..branches with thorns all over. It's too bad as they have a nice water feature and would be a great place for school groups. They need donations to keep this place open in my opinion.

While I've enjoyed the wealth of desert mountain trails with beautiful Sonoran desert vistas here…read morein Phoenix, I'm also glad that I found a nature trail area where trees and other vegetation are in abundance. Of course, in our arid region this could only mean a riparian area (interface between land and a stream). A lush riparian plant community used to thrive along the Rio Salado (Salt River) until the building of dams and even a dump site changed much of that. But five miles of the Rio Salado just south of downtown Phoenix was set aside by the City of Phoenix for the restoration of the riparian community, and the ongoing success of the project is visible to anyone driving along Central Avenue as it crosses the Rio Salado (see the pics). You can hike, bike, or jog through the Habitat Restoration Area's trails, which are also wheelchair-accessible. It is a great place for viewing wildlife, including more than 200 bird species that have found the area to be a suitable habitat. Bring your binoculars - it'll make your visit even more enjoyable! Walking tours, nature festivals, and other programs and activities are offered by park rangers, staff, and volunteers. The area is a work in progress, and there's more to be done. But do come and enjoy this lush oasis ... or rather, riparian area. It's free, and it's a good opportunity to experience the varied wildlife of the Salt River as it once was and is now becoming again.

A difficult hike with amazing views! I loved this hike. It's a long way back to the trailhead from…read morethe road and there are places where having 4x4 or higher clearance would be nice, but I saw a Prius at the trailhead. There are workarounds. It's a long and steady climb, definitely one of the more challenging hikes in the west valley. The last little bit there's some scrambling to get to the peak. The views are amazing and the giant slabs of quartz are beautiful.

For years, I had stared out at the Sierra Estrella mountains wondering if I'd ever get the chance…read moreto hike to the top of Quartz Peak. I'm a Civic owner, so as soon as I heard about the sand roads and necessity of a high clearance/4x4 vehicle, I thought the day would never come (there's no way I'm buying a gas guzzling Jeep with a 30-mi each way work commute lol). That is, until I met some other awesome hikers from the Valley and coordinated an epic carpool! We met up in downtown Phoenix and headed out in the Jeeps to Goodyear. After getting off the 10 and heading down Estrella/Rainbow Ranch roads for what seemed like a good while, along came the sand/dirt roads. And man did they live up to their reputation! Some super fun off-roading action ensued, and let's just say I was so glad I wasn't in my own little car. One of the hiking buddies advised that he once tried to get to the trailhead in his Dodge Caravan but got stuck in the sand and wrecked the transmission. Yikes! Once we got to the trailhead (obviously an adventure in and of itself), it was a steady 5-6 mile uphill climb to the summit. There are definitely some false Peaks to conquer along the way that are grueling physically and mentally; however, once you get to the last half mile or so, it's a fairly short scramble and totally doable. Once you get to the top, you are greeted by a fantastic view of West Valley, South Mountain, Four Peaks, the Supes, East Valley, and the vast desert to the southwest. The way down is easier on the cardio but harder on the knees due to loose rocks so watch your step and don't rush it. Your legs will probably be sore for the next day or two but it'll be accompanied by the feeling of accomplishment! I also recommend going with a group as I did. Strength and support in numbers people! Plus, you may meet someone new and make friends along the way! I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to hike Quartz Peak again, but now every time I look out to the west at it, the memories will never fade!

Such a gorgeous and interesting place. Feels like an escape. Trail is not hard…read more -parking on the street -wear pants you are okay with sliding down a granite rock with -bring grippy shoes if you want to climb rocks -mostly just a long walk -be aware of mountain bikers

The hike up to Fatman's Pass via Mormon Loop Trail is not very difficult. Completed the hike and…read morejust over two hours with ample stops. I am a moderate hiker, not novice but not advanced by any means and thought this trail was fairly easy even after a long summer of not hiking outside in the brutal Phoenix heat. The trail is very rocky and requires a close eye on your footing to not trip. The trail is mostly clearly marked. However, there were a few instances where I had to pull out my AllTrails map just to verify that I didn't veer off the trail down a wash or an unofficial pathway that other hikers has created. Fatman's Pass should be actually be called Not-Fatman's as the opening between the two rocks is very narrow. I could barely fit with my Camelback on my back and my hat on my head. Others have reported there is no shade along the trail; however, I did find a few shady spots around noon on a November day. There's also ample shade at the pass itself. I chose to take the loop counterclockwise and glad I did! My original theory was that it looked to be a sharper incline going uphill and I prefer to do that versus a steep decline. But to my surprise after the pass, there were very slippery, smooth granite rocks that we were sliding across even with proper footwear. I decided to use five points of contact and slide down on my bottom, just to make sure that I didn't slip and fall. I saw a number of hikers with their dogs and think this trail would be okay in the cooler months with plenty of water. But I would feel very nervous about taking my own dog on those slippery granite rocks. Maybe I'd hold my dog in my lap and slide down and pretend I was on a playground with a friend at the bottom to catch us. lol! I saw several chipmunks, dragonflies, and even a small snake (not a rattlesnake) on the trail. Not very buggy and pretty clean minus a couple not-picked up dog poops. There is a small parking lot at the trailhead and plenty of street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. There is no bathroom or water station so make sure to use the bathroom and fill up your water before hitting the trailhead!

Wanted to love it more. As a cyclist it got old running into a car intersection every five…read moreminutes. I only did a third of the 20 mile plus path. A stroll might be a better way to enjoy it. I recommend the section in Grandview starting at 7th St. and ending a little after 15th Ave. to enjoy the murals. Other sections have homeless camps. Sadly the canal has significant garbage.

I don't mind a restaurant being too busy for early walk ins. Good for them. It is very good food…read more I do mind a dismissive attitude at the reception desk. You're going to spend $100+ easily here. I'd expect a warmer welcome. When they first opened it was a hallmark of their image. Be nice to get that back. It'll be a while before we give them another try

Excellent trail on this chilly morning and I'm very proud of how all the kiddos did. The telegraph…read morepass trail has some incline to it, we went to the old rock "house" structure at the top. Great views. The parking lot here is big and there's a restroom and water fountain. We got started at 8am and it wasn't super busy yet. As day went on more people seemed to be on the trail. It's dog friendly which is great since my boy Flynn loves to hike. Great hike with my peoples.

This review is for Telegraph Pass Trail. It is an easy to moderate 2.3-mile out-and-back trail in…read morethe Ahwatukee foothills area near the AZ-202. The facilities at the start of the trailhead are pretty nice and clean. I love doing this hike in the evening because you get gorgeous views of the Valley at night. Once you get to the top next to Summit Rd (the road is paved), there is bench that you can rest on. There you can get some great panoramic pictures of the Valley with Sky Harbor airport and Camelback Mountain in the background. Once at the top, you have the option of heading back or accessing one of a few trails that connect to it. There is a little stone house to the west and the transmitter towers that blink red at night on South Mountain to the east. We once brought up s'mores to the stone house at night and had some campfire fun over a mini propane stove. If you continue on with the Kiwanis trail from here, you can see some Hohokam rock art. Telegraph Pass is one of my favorite Valley trails and makes for a fun quick hike.

Great Place for pictures! This is the second time I have come here to get pictures. Last year and…read morethis year, our children opted to come to Manistee Ranch for Homecoming pictures with their friends. Tip: The evening light is gorgeous. The ranch offers great places for photographs with the backdrop of greenery, a rarity in the desert landscape of Phoenix. There are arboretums, trellis with gorgeous vines, park benches, quaint historical buildings that suit a photoshoot. Parking is nearby albeit it is hidden. Turn south on 51st from Northern. Watch carefully for the sign next to the Walgreens parking lot that says in fine print: Manistee Ranch Parking. For those in heels and finery, the grounds are small so there isn't a long walk to the great photo spots!

I almost hate to put this place on the Yelp! map because of wanting to keep this "secret" garden…read moreall to myself :) But seeing as I do love a good park amidst the city scene it is worth a mention. Note: you have to walk to it since there is no dedicated parking for this park, but it is definitely worth it!

Nice river walk. Start at the casino. Out and back trail. No maps! See photos-only map I found.read more

if you're staying at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa this trail is located right on the…read moreresort. if you're not there are plenty of ways to get on this trail as well. as it looked like there were a lot of open spaces where folks can just walk on at any time. you'll be walking through the resort golf course. it's a dirt path. there's no incline and is flat all the way which makes it a super easy trail. there are times when you'll have to cross the street so do take caution and look both ways before crossing the street. i loved that there were signs that informed you of which plants were which or even information providing history of certain things. so it was a very educational hike. there wasn't any shades on this hike so do wear a hat, put on sunscreen, and bring some water as it is arizona and it can get pretty hot.