7 Adventurous Hikes in the Greater Phoenix Area

Winter/Spring in Arizona is the best. From January – early April, most days are sunny, mild, and not nearly as dry as you would think it’d be for a desert.  

Growing up in Colorado, the idea of hiking in 60-degree weather in February was foreign to me until I lived in Phoenix for a winter. It’s safe to say I was hooked.

The Valley of the Sun is flat, with mountains scattered throughout the middle of the city, as well as striking ranges along the outskirts. Most of the hikes are extremely easy to access, and because the mountains practically pop up out of the ground, they still serve some major elevation gain, which makes for the best kind of workout.

Here are 7 of my favorite hikes in the greater Phoenix area. From central Phoenix all these hikes can be accessed in roughly an hour – or far less!

Neighborhood Hike

My go-to hike in Arizona is the one I’m dubbing Neighborhood Hike, because it was literally 15 minutes from where I lived. This trail is an unofficial trail that diverts from a main trail in the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area I randomly discovered while hiking in the area.  I saw a small single track winding up the hillside so naturally, I decided to see where it led.

This trail became my favorite short hike, and I regularly hiked it for sunset. Another great thing about Arizona? They don’t acknowledge Daylight Savings time, so the sun went down an hour later, making sunset hikes my favorite activity.

This trail is roughly 1.5 miles with maybe 500 feet of elevation gain. Since this is an unofficial trail, I’m just guestimating here.

Here are the coordinates:

33˚34’49.3”N – 112˚01’50.2”W

When you reach the coordinates, park along the curve in the road. It’s in a neighborhood, but there are spots along the curve.

Take the single-track trail up until you reach the official trail, trail 100 (part of Dreamy Draw). Turn right, then go roughly 100 feet or so before turning left up another single track that goes up the mountain.

This is the trail. You follow it up for a short distance, usually took me 15 minutes or so, before coming to a small pass between two peaks. You can go up either one, but I usually went up to the left-hand peak, because there’s lots of space to sit.

This peak gives you up close views of North Mountain, Shaw Butte, Piestewa Peak, and even a hint of Camelback in the distance, as well as surrounding views of the entire city and the larger mountain ranges on the cusp of the city.

I rarely encountered anyone else on the trail, which is saying something since most of the inner-city hikes, such as Piestewa Peak and Camelback are usually crawling with people.

Quartz Peak

Quartz Peak is part of the Estrella Mountain Regional Park and this one is far off the beaten path.

From central Phoenix it takes about an hour and 15 minutes to reach, taking you on lots of single lane roads before switching over to a sandy track. A vehicle with a high clearance is recommended since there are lots of potholes and rocks to traverse on the way to the trail head.

This remote hike is on the backside of the mountains, giving unique views to a different valley. This part of Arizona is a lot of flat valleys with random mountain ranges popping up everywhere.

When my friend and I hiked this trail, we only encountered 3 other people who were going down. We had the entire mountain to ourselves that day, which always makes the adventure more exciting.

This hike is 5.6 miles out and back with 2401 feet of elevation gain. It is a booty burner as you wind over a spiny ridge flush with desert flora and fauna.

The reward is at the top where large boulders of quartz crown the peak, smaller broken pieces liter the ground like jewels.

The view gives a dreamy view of Phoenix in the distance and a dramatic look at the line of Sierra Estrella Mountains which the peak is part of.

Hike down at golden hour to see the valley glow.

Skyline Ridge Loop

If you live on the western side of town, this hike is for you. Skyline Regional Park is a small crop of mountains just south of the White Tank Mountains.

This loop is moderate with 4.3 miles round trip and 931 feet of elevation gain. This hike is pretty chill, with great views for minimal effort.

The trail cruises around the foothills as it gains elevation before coming to a flat saddle. From here you can take a side trail leading to a peak for stellar sunset views and optimal photos.

Continue down the loop through a small valley between the mountains. The stars out there are bright so doing this as a sunset hike is ideal.

Tom’s Thumb Trail         

Located on the northeastern side of town, and part of the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve, this 4-mile hike will give you quite the workout.

Most of the trail consists of switch-backs over 1236 feet of elevation gain through the desert foliage before leveling out to a flat plane where a massive rock structure (Tom’s Thumb) awaits you like a prize for working so hard.

Take in the city view from a different angle, and scramble over the countless boulders that make for a great playground. Just watch out for the jumping cholla, super prickly cactus that are bountiful on this trek.

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Thompson Peak

Thompson Peak is one of the highest peaks in the greater Phoenix area. The cellphone towers that crown the peak can be seen all across the city. When I first moved to Phoenix I knew I had to hike that prominent peak north of Scottsdale.

Part of the McDowell mountains, this hike is longer than most Phoenix hikes, with 9.5 miles and over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. What’s interesting is the trail weaves through small hills for almost the entirety of the trip, leaving you wondering where the elevation gain is, before handing it to you by suddenly shooting straight up onto the mountain for an intense 1 mile push.

The hike has a remote, primitive feel to it for being on the edge of a neighborhood. I was the only one on the trail that day and it was strange feeling like I was in the middle of nowhere, when I was practically in someone’s backyard.

The hike also goes up the backside of the mountain in a small valley, giving you the ultimate reward of the city views on the other side when you reach the top.

The height of the peak also enables you to see all the way to the iconic Four Peaks and the Superstitions.

This hike is rather long and super steep at the end, and I’d almost say it’s not worth it, but it was so satisfying to drive around town and say that I’d hiked that looming peak. Anyone else like that?

Lookout Mountain

Lookout was my other favorite neighborhood hike. This mountain is short, sweet but packs a punch. It’s a small, flat-top smack dab in the middle of the city and this one gives the best 360-degree views.

It’s also very popular, which is the only downside. The trail is only 0.9 miles with 470 feet of elevation gain.

You pretty much hike uphill from the start, and endure a few switchbacks, before climbing the rocky ridge to the top.

This hike is perfect for when you don’t want to overexert yourself but still want to move your body. I did this one several times as well to watch the sunset. Make sure you bring a headlamp with you to cruise down in the dark with ease.

Flatiron

Of all the hikes I did while living in Arizona, this was my favorite by far. Flatiron via Siphon Draw Trail lies east of Phoenix near Apache Junction.

Located in Lost Dutchman State Park, this hike is 5.5 miles with 2,641 feet of elevation gain and it will get your heart pumping.

This popular trail is a true workout, and everything from the unique rock structures to the views make this intense climb worth it.

The hike starts off through the flat brush-land, giving insane views of the rocky Superstition mountains, before entering a valley.

This follows one side of the canyon before abruptly ending at a red basin, grooved and formed from the rock.

The basin is steep, but it’s just the beginning. After reaching the top you’ll find yourself scrambling over rocks for about a mile. Just when it seems like you can’t go anymore, you come out on top.

Enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding farmland, the city a hazy speck in the distance. This hike is challenging and very rewarding.

There you have it, 7 adventurous hikes of the greater Phoenix area! Tell me, have you done any of these hikes?