The best views I've ever enjoyed! And the drive is so fun! Be sure to give yourself an extra 2 hours before heading to the airport and make the trip... read more

Great views of downtown Phoenix and our beautiful desert. The mountains are also great to hike. South Mountain has easy, moderate, and more advanced trails. Watch out for snakes and make sure to bring water! read more

So beautiful! Especially for college students that deal with stress, a great place to just sit and look at nature! So relaxing!

Awesome view of the valley. Great trails. So much to see. The trail heads on the north side have plenty of parking. If you go early in the morning, your trail will be covered by the shade and it'll feel cool. Once you summit, that sun will feel pretty good. read more

So this is a 2.5 star review kids. Great parking, great hike, great view, friendly people. BUT COME ON! the trail signage is pretty bad and inaccurate. My friend and I are decently experienced hikers and we got lost twice. A 3-5 mile hike turned into 7 miles. read more

This is a great place to hike in the valley! There are so many different trails here that very in length and challenge. Yesterday, a friend of mine and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went up an unmarked area of the mountain. It was pretty much straight up, and my legs still are hurting, but it was totaly worth it. I honestly don't know where exactly we were, but when we reached summit there was an awesome rock formation at the top, and an excellent view of nearly the entire valley! read more

The 5.5 mile hike up South Mountain is a great, if you can manage the mirage of getting to the top (or read the mile markers). As you go up, you keep thinking you are just about there, then you turn a corner and wind all the way back around. It really is a nice hike, (just don't forget you need to get back down!) and once you get to the top you have a great view of the city and downtown. There is a good amount of parking at the base of the mountain, but beware there are no trash cans, dog disposal bags or water along the hike. Also, the road is open to cars most of the time, so be careful. read more

Went on a small hike today. Finished the Kiwanis trail. It was a little over a mile long and wasn't very hard. Lots of place to stop and rest and easy to follow. Don't have to be in good shape to enjoy this short hike. read more

Really great views of the valley, especially stunning at sunset. Drive isnt too bad, last around 15-20 mins. Weekends can tend to get a little crowded, would recommend going on a weekday if possible. read more

Amazing views with many trails. This is a great place to get some exercise and experience the beautiful desert landscape. The trails seem to vary from easy to more difficult, so a nice variety depending upon your ability and interest. This place gets very busy on the weekends but there are quite a few different areas to find parking. There are picnic tables throughout the park as well. read more

Stunning views at sunset...it would be 5 stars if it was less crowded. Make sure you are there early to find parking.

Beautiful city park right in the middle of this desert metropolis. Tons of awesome trails for running and hiking. Very friendly for cyclists too. The San Juan road is closed to motorized vehicles, which is great for cyclists. Also, they do Silent Sundays, where the whole park is closed to motorized vehicles. The views from the summit can't be beat! read more

The grand canyon is a wonderful place. But it gets boring fast.

Hiked on the Holbert trail! It was an easy trail for our 5 yr old son to do too. Beautiful views. The trail wasn't too congested either for a Sun. afternoon. The visitors center was closed (it's closed last Sun of every mo.). Fortunately, we could pull up a map of the trails online. The Phoenix parks site isn't that great for viewing on a smart phone. It was a beautiful hike and wonderful way to spend an afternoon! read more

I like coming here when I am looking for less of a workout(camelback/peak) & more to connect with nature. Beautiful trails with many options. I like that the parking lot can be packed but you can go your whole hike only seeing a few people on your path. This is also my favorite place to mountain bike which is a great workout & so much fun! read more

Love hiking over here especially right off 24th street. Going thru the tunnel is amazing!!!

Fun time to be had bbqing, hiking or driving to the top. We have rented out ramadas here many, many times. It is always a fun time. If you have not drove to the top, please do! It is a spectacular view and you don't have to hike at all just cruise on up. read more

Great place to hike. This is the best park to visit in Phoenix. It's an oasis in the desert and we're lucky to have it.

i wanted to change up my weekly hike and went here to try out the kiwanis trail. It a was good easy trail for beginners but there are other trails that i will try soon. read more

Awesome trails!! Will definitely be back. Beautiful trails and easy enough for the whole family. Watch out for snakes

I love hiking S Mountain Park! My only wish is that people would clean up after themselves and their dogs!

It's where I call home, so I must LOVE it! Myriad trail combinations take one through valleys, up to peaks, up and down steep climbs, etc..some great lookout points no matter where you roam about! And much quieter than the touristy Camelback hikes and such. And plenty of friendly folk as well! The sights aren't what they are in Sedona or Prescott, etc...but they'll do and the flowering plants are seen in abundance about 1-2 weeks after a solid rain...so from 1-10 times a year...hehehe. I have a favorite but really need to keep it a secret...always been a fan of the Road Less Traveled. read more

I like playing around on this mountain. Nothing too difficult, but fun for a good hike with the whole family.

I hiked The National Trail in the summer of '14 and it was absolutely amazing! Love this mountain!

I have lived in the valley for 60 years and I think south Mountain offers the best view of the city love driving to lookout point

Great place to go for a hike relaxing place with a lot of friends and a family that can be get you a good meal and good a must

I love South Mountain! Wish I could come here everyday! It's so beautiful and a great place to get away and be around nature! It's only a short drive from my house and I'm surrounded by mountains and trees, away from the city! People I run into are always nice and just a great place to hike and hang out! Love, love, love!!! read more

2 hikes in 2 days....yep, still working off those calories. Drive to the end of 24th Street past Baseline and there will be a small parking lot with about a dozen spaces; otherwise, park in the neighboring area. Here begins the Mormon Trailhead and the hike starts off with an incline, so get those poles ready. We keep at a steady pace until a mile and a half later we reach the National Trail. We could have veered to the right and hit Fat Man's Pass to squeeze thru the canyon, but that would have added another mile to the hike. Not willing to do that this time, so we continue the National Trail (which by the way is just a peek into the 13+ mile National Trail Trek hike that occurs in January if you're one of the lucky ones that register within the first 5 minutes when registration opens in November). Along the way we encounter the "barefoot" hiker. Yes there is one. I really wanted to stop him and ask to see the bottom of his soles, but I continued on since I can't risk interrupting my momentum in order to complete the hike. A mile later there is a stone structure to the right where other hikers are taking a rest and enjoying the views of Phoenix. We veer left to continue the bottom half of our loop which joins us back to the Mormon Loop Trail. Hubby and Daughter #2 hike ahead of me and stop every now and then to ensure I haven't slipped down a path as well as to offer some water which I don't lug around because I don't need to add to the weight I am already carrying which is just myself. With another close to 5 mile hike under my belt, I can feel the calories melting. Combined with the serenity and the scenery in the two hours away from the city, the South Mountain Preserve was an exhilarating morning getaway. read more

I live a couple of blocks away from the Javelina trailhead up by the Fire Department on 42cd place. This park is huge (South Mountain Park/Preserve is the largest municipal park in the nation, bigger than Central park in New York!) and has trails running all over it. I take my dogs for walks up in there and they blindly follow me up and down the sides of the mountains - on the trails of course that are already established - huffing and puffing away. It's awesome during the cooler months, I still hike the thing even in 110 degree heat. No, they have never had to send someone to rescue me due to being overcome with heat, I have lived in AZ most of my life. Just don't go in there, whatever time of year, without water! Just saying this is a great hiking park. I would have to second the comment about some of the bikers going through there occasionally, seemingly wanting to mow you down, though. Usually everyone - whether on shoes or on wheels - are very good about moving aside for each other, but occasionally you get the biker or the biking group that thinks they have supreme right of way. I always move aside for bikers excepting when I get a "command" from one of them to move out of their way. What, are they going to run my Great Danes over?!! Lol, I think not. Attitude given gets attitude back, at least from me. I have also noticed quite a large number of coyotes out there, especially at dusk, eyeing my dogs. I really have no fear of them, especially towing dogs that large with me, but I just recommend being wary of them. I have never heard of coyotes attacking anyone over there. Finally, there IS an element of homeless people that DO take up refuge in various places in that mountain range. Some of them are - pretty scary looking. The only thing I can say is that Arizona now allows you to carry a concealed weapon with you without any kind of permit. I don't expect to ever have to use a firearm, but there is also nothing wrong with ensuring that you come out of that mountain range in the same condition you went in: ALIVE!! read more

The best thing about South Mountain is the location. It's nice to get out and about without having to drive more than a couple minutes. There are really long hikes if you are so inclined. As well as lots of short ones that can be done without a whole lot of planning or worry. Always print out the map it's pretty easy to get turned around as there are a lot of convergent trail heads in some places. There are always people on one or all of the trails either hiking or mountain biking on the north east sides of the park. So if you are looking for a solitary lone hiking experience this is not the best place. There are several entrance and parking points so there is never really a problem parking. The 24th street / Baseline entrance has a pretty steep hike up to get to the Mormon Loop which is pretty cool. The 48th Street entrance has pretty good parking and is close by as well. There are some pretty good views of the city and surrounding areas, but you don't ever feel all that remote and on your own as you would in places farther out. I haven't tried any hikes on the far south side yet, but I'll update when I do. read more

As a Phoenician I sometimes forget that we're lucky to have nature trails in the midst of the urban sprawl of this desert city. We may not have a memorable downtown skyline but something Phoenix does have a lot of are mountains that serve as a backdrop of gorgeous scenery. We are blessed to have many mountains with trails in each "park" like North Mountain, the Mcdowell's, the Estrella's, Camelback, and the Grand Dame of Phoenix, South Mountain. This range or urban park which is considered the world's largest serves as a visual landmark to many. During the day, coming from downtown and head down Central Ave, South Mountain towers majestically over this metropolis and at night, the glimmering red lights of the tv/radio towers that sit at its summit just sparkle. It provides direction, and this natural backdrop can also lay claim to being a memorable Phoenix landmark. But apart from its visual beauty this urban park provides an active recreation outlet to residents of metro Phoenix for it has many different trailheads at various points from Ahwatukee to Laveen. I liken South Mountain to be like Runyon Canyon in Hollywood, but here we have far more trails and it ranges from the easy to the difficult. And like Runyon Canyon you can drive up South Mountain and look below and see the grand expanse of sprawl glowing under the night sky and just take it all in. Yes, we are lucky to have this, literally in our backyard. read more

i love this mtn because sometimes its so green out there and looks different from other mountains

I don't do a whole lot of hiking but I'm trying to get into it more since it's something I can do that is great exercise but also really fun. Phoenix has so many options but of course once the summer comes you have to go in the early morning. Well, I am not a morning person at all so I naturally will choose the location with the shortest driving distance to me so I can sleep a little longer and that happens to be the Ahwatukee side of South Mountain. Specifically, Telegraph Pass Trail. I really enjoy this hike because there is a pretty decent elevation increase (approx. 500 ft) but it is very, very gradual. I am sure most hikers would consider it an easy hike but for me it is right at my level so I still break a sweat. It's 1.5 miles going up and then you come back down for a total 3 miles which is perfect. The trail is well maintained and the first half a mile is even paved. There are a lot of joggers but there is plenty of space so it is not a problem. You'll also see plenty of mountain bikes and occasionally a horse but they usually veer off to the right onto Desert Classic Trail. I would not recommend that trail unless you are going to do some serious distance since the first couple miles closest to the Ahwatukee Desert Parkway trailhead just wraps around the housing development and so you are just looking at people's backyards. Telegraph Pass has much better scenery so if you are looking for a place to get started hiking give it a try! read more

Nice place, horse corral cool also. My problem is too many sketchy people hanging around blasting rap. Put a ranger up there to put a stop to that and i could give it 5 stars read more

Gorgeous - even in the hottest part of a summer's day. If you enter by around 7pm, you can stay in the park for a few more hours (after the front gates close) and beat the crowds. The winding drive to the main lookout affords views of Phoenix and the valley south of the mountain, and is the best view of the area on a clear day. Very secluded, and full of saguaros, barrel cactus, whole fields of cholla, and prickly pears bursting with fruit. Few services, but great trails - bring water! read more

this place has amazing views of the city. there are also places where you can have a great picnic with a great background. the best part is it's free!!! the park is open until 11 or 12 but the drive-in gates do close at 7pm so get there before then! read more

Nice views, easy hike, not as crowded as camelback. I saw horses nearby. When it cools down, I'll go back for some horse back riding.

I've always enjoyed this mountain because of all the different trails and sights. You can hear coyotes in the distance if you come in the late afternoon before sunset. On your way to some of the farther trails, check out Scorpion Gulch that used to be owned by "grandpa". Some say it is haunted, and I kind of agree with them. It is a little spooky when it is darker out... After that be sure to say hello to the horses next door. After taking my car with a friend past these starting points- we arrived at the kiwanis or gila trail.. I honestly can't remember the name of it. It was pretty cool to cut through the big rocks and rest on flat land, and go up higher through the big rocks. it can be a bit steep in some spots, and if you are not a stair master, you might get tired. In the summer there are lots of bees, but in the fall and winter it is pretty mild as far as wildlife. Maybe you'll spot an owl or a javalina in the distance? read more

Great for hiking but if you want seclusion or a picnic area this is not the place.

I've been walking the municipal parks in metro Phoenix this winter and they are all very good with their individual quirks. I'm staying near S Mt Park so I've spent the majority of my time there. It is well marked and I've never gotten lost, unlike in Piestewa/Dreamy Draw. The gov website map is very sketchy but not as misleading as some I've seen. I should have invested in topo maps and hiking boots but I had no idea how much I would get into this. I've compromised by taking pictures of the topo maps posted by trails. I have learned to avoid people like Shannon C. who look down on those who are different from them, the super athletes who would push you off the mountain but it would slow them down, and the road bikers who ditto. I've met a lot of very nice hikers and trail bikers who were friendly and helpful. I don't know why anyone would prefer walking up the road when they can walk along a quiet trail. I don't know why anyone would prefer the bustle of a big weekend when they can come at an off time and see the wildlife. But I'm all for it because it gives the rest of us more park when they stay together in a clump. I like being able to hear a chipmunk in a pile of rocks in a major US city. To me, the miracle of these parks is the peace and quiet. You really can be alone. You really can get away from it all. For free! Near where you live! Amazing. And, knock on wood, with no muggers. It is the one and only thing I will miss when I leave here but I will miss it very much. I haven't been able to find a good description online of National Trail from Ranger Trail on west, or of Alta Trail. Someone should post that. The trail bike websites do a great job with topo maps and important details but those aren't their areas. read more