Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert

Butterfield Trail to Gadsden Trail Loop – Estrella Mountain Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, desert hikes, Easy Day Hikes, estrella mountain regional park, phoenix, senoran desert

Butterfield Trail to Gadsden Trail Loop – Estrella Mountain Regional Park

Butterfield Trail

The Sierra Estrella lies southwest of Phoenix, AZ, and the Estrella Mountain Regional Park is the most popular way to access this mountain. Starting at the northern edge of the Sierra Estrella, the Estrella Mountain Regional Park has several trails that lead alongside the popular mountain. One of these trails is Butterfield Trail, which can be combined with Gadsden Trail to form a nice 7.5-mile loop. The trail starts at the Rainbow Valley trailhead and is very easy to follow.

Butterfield to Dysart Trail, an option that makes the loop less than three miles.

Leaving the Rainbow Valley trailhead, the first turn onto Butterfield appears on the left. Once you’re on the well-signed Butterfield Trail, keep hiking through the Coldwater junction and head south on Butterfield for a mile. At this point, the Gadsden Trail appears on the left heading east. You can pass Gadsden at this junction and hike on Butterfield another 1 1/2 miles to the end of Butterfield, or you can start the loop at the first Gadsden trail junction. I prefer to hike Butterfield down to the end of the trail first, as Gadsden Trail tends to be a little windier on hot days than Butterfield Trail.

Up and Down Coulees on Gadsden Trail

Moving past this first intersection and continuing along Butterfield Trail, the trail leads up and down small hills as you meander towards the Sierra Estrella. After a total of 2 1/2 miles, Butterfield Trail ends at the second junction with Gadsden Trail. Turn left (east) as Gadsden Trail leads up and down small canyons and coulees, circling counter-clockwise towards the first intersection with Butterfield Trail. This trail brings you the best chances of catching a cool breeze and offers views of nearby Phoenix, AZ. Continuing along Gadsden Trail, the Butterfield Trail junction appears straight ahead.

Rare Spot of Shade on Gadsden Trail

Turn left (north) at the intersection for Butterfield Trail, and follow Butterfield Trail the rest of the way until it ends at Toothaker Trail. Turn right here, and follow this short trail to the Rainbow Valley trailhead. Alternatively, you can also turn left when Butterfield Trail meets Coldwater Trail, and follow Coldwater Trail to the Coldwater trailhead. The Coldwater Trail option is a little bit shorter than continuing to the Rainbow Valley trailhead, but if you start and stop this trail at the Coldwater trailhead the difference adds up to saving a quarter mile of hiking.

Directions to the Coldwater/Rainbow Valley Trailhead

Enter Estrella Mountain Regional Park (14805 W Vineyard Ave, Goodyear, AZ 85338), continuing down the paved road until you see a gravel road turnout with a horse arena. Park at either the Coldwater trailhead or the Rainbow Valley trailhead on the other side of the horse arena.

Map to the Coldwater Trailhead

02 Jul 2020

Waterfall and Black Rock Loop – White Tank Mountain Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, desert hikes, phoenix, senoran desert, white tank, white tank mountains

Waterfall and Black Rock Loop – White Tank Mountain Regional Park

Waterfall at White Tank Mountain Regional Park

The trail through Waterfall Canyon in White Tank Mountain Regional Park is a short yet interesting hike. I felt that I needed a little more exercise for this hike, so I added the Black Rock Loop onto this hike. Feel free to keep the hike at the original 2 miles if you wish, but you will miss some awesome scenery and wildlife. The terrain for both trails is flat and easy to hike along. Starting at the trailhead for the Waterfall Canyon hike, head east along the well-paved trail.

Petroglyphs along Waterfall Trail

This section almost turned me completely away from this hike, and I’m glad that I didn’t turn around and hike another trail in the White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The first half mile is paved, which is a big turn-off, but at least there are petroglyphs along the northern side of the trail. Passing by the turn for Black Rock Loop (we’ll get to that later), continue hiking along until the pavement ends at half a mile before the waterfall.

Stairs Leading to Waterfall in White Tank Mountain Regional Park

This section of trail is fun, with lots of bends in the trail and wildlife all around you. My favorite critters are the ornate tree lizards, which scamper across the trail when you approach them. Waterfall Trail is the most popular trail in the park, so there may be a line of people waiting to see the waterfall. Patiently wait your time out and then scamper along a couple of boulders to the waterfall.

Pool Beneath Waterfall

First of all, I’m going to crush your expectations of a cascading waterfall. You are hiking in the desert after all, and frankly, I was surprised to see the waterfall at all once I saw the dry creek bed below. Although rain rarely occurs in the Phoenix area, when it does, it carves these interesting coulees throughout the desert due to flash flooding. This waterfall is one of those features that is formed by flash flooding, although the water does slightly trickle down when there hasn’t been heavy rain. Once you have taken in the beautiful view of the waterfall, turn around and retrace your steps toward the Black Rock Loop.

Black Rock Loop

After ½ mile, you have a choice: do you continue to the trailhead, or do you take the Black Rock Loop? The “long” Black Rock Loop only adds 1 ½ mile to your hike, making this extra side trip an obvious one. With that extra 1 ½ mile, you can view far more wildlife than just hiking to the waterfall. Turn right at the well-signed Black Rock Trail sign and then bear right at the intersection of the Black Rock Loop in a couple of hundred yards. Note that this short loop is a one-way trail, please hike in the indicated direction to avoid annoying your fellow hikers.

Petroglyph Along Black Rock Loop

Continue along this route until you reach the Black Rock trailhead, and then keep following the loop to bring you back to the junction to the Waterfall Canyon trail. Keep your eyes peeled for critters along the way; most people walk right past them without noticing them. Regardless of whether or not you are looking for wildlife, take your time and see what most people don’t as they quickly walk these short trails. You may discover more along these few miles than some hikers discover all day, as they briskly hike through the many trails that make up White Tank Mountain Regional Park.

Directions to the Waterfall Trailhead

Enter White Tank Mountain Regional Park (located at 20304 W White Tank Mountain Rd, Waddell, AZ 85355), pay your $6 entrance fee, and bear to the right to arrive at the well-signed trailhead to the waterfall.

Map to the Waterfall Trailhead

22 Jun 2020

Goldmine Trail to Dynamite Trail Loop – San Tan Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, Easy Day Hikes, phoenix, sonoran desert

Goldmine Trail to Dynamite Trail Loop – San Tan Regional Park – Phoenix, AZ

View From Dynamite Trail

The San Tan Mountain Regional Park is located an hour from downtown Phoenix, AZ and offers a good calf-stretching trail that is stunning. On this trail, it seems as if you are walking on diamonds as tiny glimmers from mica and Pyrite glisten in the sun. You can hike this loop in reverse to save yourself some exercise, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s better to hike up the 500 ft tall hill in the beginning so that you can appreciate the scenery heading downhill. For either option, start at the Goldmine Trailhead located just outside of San Tan Mountain Regional Park.

Graves on Goldmine Trail

Leaving the trailhead, you immediately have the choice to hike this loop counter-clockwise or clockwise. Clockwise is probably the easiest, but if you hike this trail counter-clockwise, you have only one big hill to hike up in the beginning. This makes the trail more interesting. As you take the counter-clockwise option, you will soon see the spur path to the graves of Marion E. Kennedy and Mansel L. Carter. These two men started in the Arizona desert in search of gold, finding a deep connection with the local flora and fauna. They are buried here in this quaint cemetery, to remind us to tread lightly and respect the unique animals and plants along the trail.

View From the Top of Goldmine Trail

Leaving this spur trail, you will re-connect to the main trail, which dips down into a coulee before starting the climb to the east shoulder of Goldmine Mountain. The trail climbs swiftly here, but I am still categorizing this hike as an easy hike. Yes, the next mile gains a little over 500 feet and is quite steep. However, I saw two small children and several older men and women hike this portion of the trail, so the trail can’t be that difficult. Take your time on this one big hill, and the rest of the trail is more or less downhill. Reaching the top of the hill, the view is fantastic. If you look to the north (behind you), you can see Phoenix and the Superstition Mountains. Looking south (forward), a scenic spread of hills and valleys await.

San Tan to Dynamite Trail

Once you’ve carefully descended into the valley below (this portion of the trail is marked as difficult, but it honestly is an easy section of the trail), you reach the valley floor. The next 2.8 miles are a walk in the park so to speak. The trail leads mostly downhill to the San Tan junction on your left, and following this junction quickly reaches the Dynamite Trail, where you will bear right. This portion is the easiest but the longest section of the loop. 2 ½ miles lie between you and the trailhead, but it honestly doesn’t seem that far.

As you slowly glide up and down ravines, the time passes by quickly. Take your time and look down at the trail. You will see beautiful reflections from Pyrite and mica specks that reflect the ever-present sunlight. These specks will decorate the trail for the rest of the hike. As you wind your way towards the trailhead, one last hill appears.

Horned Lizard on San Tan Trail

This hill is so much easier than the first, and if you hike this in the late morning, you will be thankful for the nice breeze at the top. After a couple of switchbacks, the trail leads downhill slowly towards the trailhead. Look out for all of the lizards darting back and forth on this section of the trail. Remembering Kennedy and Carter’s lifestyle, take the time to appreciate this unique habitat and the creatures that make this desert their home. After 2.4 miles from the San Tan junction, you will arrive back at the trailhead. Hopefully, you will have gained an appreciation for the land and animals that Kennedy and Carter fell in love with decades ago.

Directions to the Goldmine Trailhead

Take exit 167 off of I-10 to East Riggs Road. Follow East Riggs Road for 11.7 miles, turning right onto S Higley Road. Continue onto Hunt Hwy, turning right onto North Wagon Wheel Road. Follow this road as it turns into West Skyline Trail. The Goldmine Trailhead is at the end of West Skyline Trail. Pay your $8 park fee at the trailhead box.

Map to the Goldmine Trailhead

05 Jun 2020

Cave Creek Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, cave creek regional park, Easy Day Hikes, phoenix, sonoran desert

Cave Creek Regional Park

During my visit to Phoenix, AZ, I was impressed by the Maricopa County trail system. One of my favorite parks was Cave Creek Regional Park. Here, there are eight named trails that link together, allowing you to pick and choose where in the park you would like to visit. Bikes and dogs are more than welcome in this park. The park’s located in the Sonoran Desert, a beautiful region dominated by various cacti species. However, like anywhere else in the desert, you must watch for rattlesnakes along the trail. Give them plenty of room, and they’ll leave you alone. Speaking of room, the Cave Creek Regional Park offers over 2,900 acres to recreate in; here is a list of my favorite routes in this park:

Clay Mine Trail

Clay Mine Trail

This trail runs approximately 2.5 miles, offering a great view of the park and the hills and cacti surrounding the park. This is the most relaxed hike in Cave Creek Regional Park. As a bonus, there is an abandoned mine at the end of this trail. Keep outside the gate and respect the cacti along the trail, the infamous “Teddy Bear” cactus is plentiful in the Cave Creek Regional Park. One encounter with this cacti will leave lasting memories of removing the horrible pods covered in needles that attach themselves to you as you hike down the trail. My dog Kairos accidentally brushed up against one of these cacti, and it took a great deal of effort to remove the spiny pod from his foot, as well as the dozens of needles on his tongue, face, and feet.

Go John Trail

Rattlesnake on Go John Trail

The Go John Trail was one of my favorite trails in the Cave Creek Recreational Park because the wildlife seemed more abundant on this trail. This is the only trail in the park that allowed me to see deer and a rattlesnake, so hike this 6-mile loop if you want to see more of the fauna associated with the Sonoran Desert. The trail does have a few small hills, but it’s still an easy day hike.

Slate Trail to Go John Trail Loop

The Dreaded Teddy Bear Cholla

If you only have a couple of hours and want to see the diversity that Cave Creek Regional Park offers, hike this trail. It’s only 4 miles long, leading you through some of the more remote trails in the park. There are fossils to be seen in the slate outcroppings, beautiful quartz crystals shining in the mid-day sun, and an interesting guide to the flora of the Sonoran Desert. Among those is the most infamous– the teddy bear cholla.

29 May 2020

Slate Trail to Go John Trail Loop – Cave Creek Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, cave creek regional park, Easy Day Hikes, phoenix, sonoran desert

Slate Trail to Go John Trail Loop – Cave Creek Regional Park

Slate Trail to Go John Trail

Cave Creek Regional Park has plenty of trails that can combine into a myriad of options. One popular loop that isn’t as long as the nearby Go John Trail is the Slate Trail to Go John Trail Loop. This hike is only 3.8 miles long and offers beautiful views of northern Phoenix as well as the Superstition Mountains. A side benefit to hiking this trail is that if you’re not from Arizona and don’t have all of the cactus names memorized (other than the famous saguaro, of course) this trail has informative plaques near the major types of cacti in the park. Leaving the parking lot via the west trail marked Slate Trail, this quick loop begins.

Slate on Slate Trail

This trail has a few hills, but nothing more than a couple of hundred feet of elevation. You can easily see why this is named Slate Trail– large pieces of jagged slate stick out of the ground at random spots on the trail. Other than the geology, you’ll feel the difference hiking up closer to the top of the hills where you can feel the cool wind, and then roasting in the valleys below. The first turn on this loop is Quartz Trail, at .8 miles. Turn left (north) at the well-signed intersection.

Slate Trail to Go John Trail Intersection

Quartz Trail brings more hills to this hike. Slate Trail is pretty flat, but Quartz Trail makes the hike interesting. Look at the sides of the trail as you walk by to see fossils preserved in slate, shiny quartz, and the occasional piece of petrified wood. Don’t disturb these specimens, though; it is specifically forbidden to remove any rocks, plants, or historical artifacts from the park. Hiking up to the highest point on the Quartz Trail, you will see an intersection onto Go John Trail. Turn left (east) at this junction.

Saguaro Cacti are Tall!

Taking Go John Trail down this last leg will go by quicker than you’d think. Although the section is nearly a mile long, the downhill course of the trail speeds up your pace. Take the time to stop and enjoy the view at least a couple more times along this trail. After .9 miles from Quartz Trail, Jasper Trail appears on the left. Turn left (south) at this well-signed intersection.

The Dreaded Teddy Bear Cholla

Jasper Trail is the shortest trail in the park at a quarter-mile. I can’t help but wonder why this trail even has a name. In any event, Jasper Trail runs back to the Slate Trail, where you will turn right (west). After another short quarter of a mile, you will see the parking lot where you started. This is the second shortest hike that I’ve traveled on in the Cave Creek Regional Park, but it’s still neat. The scenery is amazing, and this section of the park isn’t nearly as busy as the Clay Mine or Go John trails.

Directions to the Slate Trail Trailhead

Enter Cave Creek Regional Park (37019 N Lava Ln, Cave Creek, AZ 85331), pay your $8 entrance fee, and drive past the horse stables to the well-signed Slate Trail Trailhead.

Map to the Slate Trail Trailhead

27 May 2020

Go John Trail – Cave Creek Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, cave creek regional park, Easy Day Hikes, Go John Trail, Phoeniz, sonoran desert

Go John Trail – Cave Creek Regional Park – Phoenix, AZ

Go John Trail

The Go John Trail was my favorite trail in Cave Creek Regional Park. This trail is 6 miles long, giving you a decent bit of exercise (unlike the flatter Clay Mine and Slate/Quartz trails). My favorite part about this trail is the wildlife, though. This trail receives less traffic than the others in the park, so you’re more likely to see a rattlesnake or two. During my quick hike through Go John Trail, I was able to see deer as well, having otherwise eluded me over the previous three days. This hike starts at the north trailhead because the grade is easier; if you’re looking for a more strenuous workout, try hiking this trail in reverse.

One of the Many Saguaro Cacti Along Go John Trail

Once you leave the north trailhead at the parking lot, it’s easy to stay on the Go John Trail. Starting up the trail, bear right to follow the inside curve of the trail. It’s practically impossible to get lost since every intersection is well marked. Loop hikes tend to give me a little bit of anxiety since you can add 10+ miles to your hike if you miss a turn. This happened to me on The Beartooth Recreational Trail ended up being an extra ten miles when I missed a turn south of Sawtooth Lake. Thankfully, Go John Trail won’t get you lost. You should still hike this trail at a slower pace than normal. Not only is the scenery worth slowing down to appreciate, the wildlife isn’t as shy when you slow down.

Rattlesnake on Go John Trail

Keeping conversations and trail noise to a minimum will pay off on this trail. I hiked this trail solo after noisier groups, and the wildlife noticeably hides at the warning of these hikers. Frankly, I think that everyone should hike a trail in this manner, but to each their own. The profile of this trail is straightforward if hiked clockwise– there is a small hill in the beginning and middle, with a larger hill at the end. Many guides have categorized this trail as a “moderate” trail, but I cannot agree with them. Although one hill turns into a set of stairs, all of the hills on this trail are less than 300 feet high. Compared to the other hikes I have written, Go John is definitely an easy trail and changes less elevation than most. Bring plenty of water on this hike (I hiked this in February and ran through a liter of water), and take your time. The best part of this trail is the chance to see wildlife. Speak softly, step lightly, and maybe you’ll see a critter or two.

Deer on Go John Trail

Directions to the Go John Trailhead

Enter Cave Creek Regional Park (37019 N Lava Ln, Cave Creek, AZ 85331), pay your $8 entrance fee and drive to the end of a loop. You can’t miss the Go John Trailhead.

Map to the Go John Trailhead

20 May 2020

Clay Mine Trail – Cave Creek Regional Park

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: az, cave creek regional park, clay mine trail, phoenix, sonoran desert

Clay Mine Trail – Cave Creek Regional Park – Phoenix, AZ

Clay Mine Trail

The Clay Mine Trail is a short and easy hike that is part of the larger Cave Creek Regional Park. It is the easiest hike in the park, but you shouldn’t pass up the trail because of this. At the end of the trail lies the Clay Mine, an interesting way to end the hike, and an opportunity to catch a much needed cool breeze from the cave. Leaving the nature center parking lot, head north following the sign for Overton Trail.

Clay Mine Trail Intersection with Overton Trail

Approximately 100 feet down the trail, another turn appears. Turn left (east) here, following the Overton Trail until it meets the Go John Trailhead. You could have just started at the Go John Trailhead, but most hikers start this quick trail from the nature center. Keep walking east, and you will see the sign for the Go John Trail. The trail leads uphill at this point, but it’s an easy grade. Follow this trail for a short quarter of a mile where you will see another intersection, Cave Creek Trail.

Clay Mine

Follow this trail the short 1 ½ miles through one more intersection. Approximately 100 yards from the end of the trail is an interesting abandoned mine. This mine was owned and operated by Leila Irish, and whereas the mine contained no gold, it did contain something else– clay. Seeing a business opportunity, Irish bottled and sold the clay as a “cure-all”. Although the clay was useless for most ailments, it did supposedly work well for dysentery. If only this elixir were available on The Oregon Trail game, less of my characters would have died from dysentery.

Cacti on Clay Mine Trail

Once you’ve reached the end of the trail and have exited to the campground, you can turn back around and retrace your steps or just walk down to the main road and walk to the nature center. You can’t park anywhere at the campground, and a shuttle for a trip this short would be weird, so take your time and walk back to your vehicle. If you have just a short couple of hours to spend in the Cave Creek Regional Park, this is an excellent and easy hike that anyone can hike on. Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen, and if you have some extra time in your day, check out some of the other trails in this park. Otherwise, spending $7 to access the park is too expensive for such a quick hike.

Directions to the Overton Trailhead

Enter Cave Creek Regional Park (37019 N Lava Ln, Cave Creek, AZ 85331), pay your $8 entrance fee and drive past the horse stables to the well-signed Overton Trailhead. Alternatively, you can also begin this hike at the next trailhead down, Go John Trailhead.

Map to the Overton Trailhead

12 May 2020

Fat Man’s Pass – South Mountains

Author: chris | Category: Easy Day Hikes, Hiking Trails in the Sonoran Desert | Tags: arizona, fat man's pass, mormon trail, phoenix, sonoran desert, south mountain, south mountains

Fat Man’s Pass – South Mountains Phoenix, AZ

View From Mormon Trail

Fat Man’s Pass is one of the most popular hikes near Phoenix, AZ. Two large boulders force you to squeeze through them to the other side of the trail; a fat man cannot squeeze through this gap (to be honest, it’s a tight squeeze), but I would argue that a fat man can’t get to the pass to begin with. This is one of those trails that leads uphill from the start, and while I’ve listed this trail as an easy trail, it was with much deliberation. From the parking lot at the Mormon Trailhead, the trail immediately leads uphill. You will begin to appreciate why some hikers consider this a moderate or difficult trail.

Mormon Trail Intersection

This is one of those hikes you want to do in the early morning. Moving your way to the top of the first hill only rewards you with another couple of hills to hike up. These “false summits” are a little annoying. That being said, this is a trail that most people can hike on without too much difficulty. Take your time, take a few breaks, and you’ll be fine. After 1 ½ mile, the trail slows its steady incline as you reach the first intersection.

This hike, as described, is a straight shot to Fat Man’s Pass, and a straight shot back. You can alternatively make this a loop as a part of the Mormon Trail Loop, or you can add a loop at the Hidden Valley trail, following Fat Man’s Pass through and continuing on the trail to add another half mile to the trail. My dog was tired (and overheated in early March), so pace yourself on this trail. The trail is hot and miserable even when the temperature is only seventy degrees.

Turn Left Here

The directions for this hike are simple: stay on the main Mormon Trail (which later turns into the Hidden Valley Trail) until a half mile past the first intersection at the top of the hill. Stay on the main trail, and you will eventually (2 ¼ miles from the trailhead) reach the turn for Fat Man’s Pass. Turn left and head a hundred yards downhill to compare your gut against the two boulders. Remember to take short breaths, to drop your pack or hold it over your head, and to take your time squeezing through the two boulders. It would be embarrassing to call for help because you were stuck at Fat Man’s Pass.

Squeezing Through Fat Mans Pass

Once you’ve made it through Fat Man’s pass (hopefully with pictures as proof), you can turn around and trace your steps back to the trailhead. If you’re willing to hike another half-mile, you can see the natural tunnel on Hidden Valley Trail. These are busy trails on weekdays and insanely busy trails on the weekends, be sure not to leave any litter behind, and to stay on the designated path. There are a few signs of overuse and even graffiti along this trail, try to set an example to others by reversing some of that damage.

Directions to the Mormon Trailhead

Located south of Phoenix, AZ in a well-signed neighborhood, drive to 8610 S 24th St, Phoenix, AZ 85042. Any GPS, map, or phone app will be able to get you to the right place. Phoenix is so big it’s hard to give general directions that are accurate. This is a busy trailhead, and all the locals know where it is. Stopping at a gas station if you lose your way will allow you to get better directions.

Map to the Mormon Trailhead

07 May 2020