I'll be touring in Phoenix towards the end of March and would love to fit in some hiking around the area--what are your favorite hikes? Interesting rock formations, desert, wildflower areas, etc? I'm willing to drive a ways as well. Thanks in advance!
Camelback mountain is a great hike; 360 degree views and a challenging climb toward the top. There is also Piestewa peak and South Mountain park, both located in the city. I like South mountain park. Entrance to the park is off 48th street between Baseline and Elliot Rd in Ahwatukee. There are many looping trails there, not difficult, great city views and they just re did the parking lot and added new structures and bathrooms. You won't find much beauty in the low desert until Monsoons, which is early spring to early summer when the wind and rainy season are here. The rains bring about wild flowers and new growth.
However, Just a 90 minute drive up the hill to Sedona, you are in the red rock country and around 4500 feet above sea level. The vegetation is a completely different kind of beauty than the Sonoran desert. There you will find trees, wildflowers, and water eroded rock from an aciencient ocean. There are shops and restaurants there too, so it makes a nice day trip. To come thru AZ and not see Sedona is a shame LOL. Off the main road there is a place called the bike and bean. They have maps of all the local trails and great coffee!
Thank you for all of this info--I am a complete newbie to AZ so I greatly appreciate it! Sedona sounds like a great change of scenery, I'll definitely have to make a day trip there. I love backpacking in the red rock areas (Valley of Fire especially) in NV, so if it's anything like that I'm sure I'll have a blast.
There is always a fee for developed campgrounds with amenities like bathrooms or showers. Free camping would be undeveloped natural forest land (my preference) because you can tent camp in more remote places, like on the Mogollon rim outside Payson. Developed campgrounds are not as far in and roads are paved. Check out Woods Canyon lake. There is a paved path around that lake to walk and bike on. You might see s bald eagle bathing in the morning, maybe a wild turkey, or some elk. That’s 9000 feet.
Car camping makes it easier to bring up cool stuff like propane showers and a small generator for coffee and toast. I have 5” thick foam mattresses that are queen size pushed together and carpet to line the 10 man tent. LOL. A toilet tent for a cassette toilet (yes they make those) are nice to have. You may be a better candidate for a bnb rental, or a cottage rental. You’re waking up there, so you’re minutes away from everything once you’ve showered and ate breakfast. I couldn’t imagine living in AZ and never leaving the city. I’m gone every chance I get!
For in-town, I think Camelback is your best option. Piestewa is too rocky in my opinion, and South Mountain is boring. The issue with Camelback is parking. On the Cholla side (east), you can't park at the trailhead, so you have to park all the way out on Invergordon and hike in. On the weekends the street parking on Invergordon also completely fills up. I prefer the Echo Canyon trail, but the parking lot has limited capacity. Again, on the weekend it's often impossible to find parking. Cholla is a bit less steep and longer, but Echo is steeper, a better workout, and much prettier in my opinion. There used to be a shuttle from the Paradise Valley library, but I do t know when it runs. During the week, parking is much easier. Enjoy AZ!
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