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 Camelback Mountain - McDonald Drive and Tatum Blvd. (off Echo Canyon Parkway)
There is no mystery how Camelback Mountain got its name. Its distinctive “hump” and read sandstone attracts thousands of hikers each year to its four, short, but often steep, trails. The Summit and Cholla Trails are rated strenuous to difficult, and recommended for experienced hikers only. Bobby’s Rock and the Ramada Loop Trails are better suited for beginners. The popularity of this park makes parking, which is already in short supply, difficult, and on weekends there is often a wait for a space. A few of the mountain’s neighboring resorts offer guided hiking and biking treks up the mountain. There are no restroom or picnic facilities available.
 Squaw Peak (Piestewa Peak) - 2701 E. Squaw Peak Lane / 2421 E. Northern Avenue
The Dreamy Draw Area Park and Preserve lies beneath the shadow of Piestewa Peak’s 2,600-foot summit. Of the seven self-guided trails in the park, three are rated moderate to difficult climbs. The remaining four are easy to moderate hikes. All trails are multi-use meaning there are available for hiking, biking and horseback riding with the exception of the Summit Trail. Hikers on Summit Trail will climb more than 1,200 feet in elevation and reach the summit of Piestewa Peak. Biking and horseback riding are restricted on this trail and even Fido is required to stay away. Fido is welcome on any of the other six trails in the park though, and there are beautiful valleys and washes to enjoy along these trails. Parking, restrooms, and picnic areas are available.
 North Mountain Park - 10600 N. Seventh Street (between Peoria and Thunderbird Roads)
North Mountain Park contains 5 self-guided hiking trails; the Penny Howe, Shaw Butte, Maxin Lakin, North Mountain, and Charles M. Christiansen Memorial. These five trails range in level of difficulty from easy to difficult, traverse over 20 miles of desert terrain, and accommodate hiking, biking and horseback riding. Along these trails, North Mountain and Shaw Butte reach heights of just over 2,100 feet and provide spectacular panoramic views of Phoenix. Guided bird-watching hikes are available depending on the season. Paved parking, picnic areas, and restrooms are also available.
 South Mountain Park - 10919 S. Central Avenue (south of Dobbins Road)Phoenix’s South Mountain Park/Preserve is not only the largest of Phoenix’s parks but it is the largest urban park in the United States. It is composed of over 16,000 acres including 58 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Trails vary in difficulty from easy to difficult and reach peaks of over 2,300 feet. Mount Suppoa is nearly 2,700 feet but is not accessible via public trails. The park attracts nearly 3 million visitors each year who come to view the 300+ species of plant and animal life and explore the park’s three mountain ranges; The Ma Ha Tauk, The Gila, and The Guadalupe. Parking, picnic, horse stables, and restroom facilities are available.
 Papago Park - Van Buren Street and Galvin ParkwayWhat makes Papago Park unique is its red-rock. The red-rock (iron oxide-hematite) formed somewhere between 6 and 15 million years ago creates strange red buttes that seem otherworldly to visitors of the park. Through erosion, holes in the red-rock buttes, called tafoni, formed to make the scenery even more dramatic. At some places, the tafoni are so large that they allow visitors to sit inside and gaze out over the park from within the butte itself. The park’s easy trails meander across more than 5 miles of this unique terrain making it ideal for new hikers and families. Parking, picnic, horse stables, and restroom facilities are available.
 Pinnacle Peak - 26802 N. 102nd Way (one mile south of Dynamite Boulevard and Alma School Road)The Sierra Club rates the 150-acre Pinnacle Peak as a moderate hike with an elevation gain of approximately 1,300 feet. The trail has a very smooth tread with a number of ups and downs over the course of the 1.75 mile trail (one way). It is not a loop trail so you come back over the same trail. High point on the trail is 2,889', the lowest point is 2,366', and the elevation at the trailhead is 2,570'. Hiking, horseback riding and rock climbing will take you to spectacular views of the valley. Rock climbing, for experienced climbers with appropriate gear, is permitted in three areas of the park with a variety of routes and skill levels. The park is an ideal habitat for a variety of native plants such as Saguaros, Cholla Cactus, Creosote plants, and for creatures such as Bobcats, Gila Monsters and Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes. Hiker safety is important to us, so please read Park Rules and Safety Information.
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