Best Trails near Phoenix, Arizona

only a decent rating due to the huge amounts of people on this trail. you would see less people at the gym. being one of the only free places to hike in Phoenix is a large cause of this. if you are looking for quiet and atual nature then keep driving East to the tonto forrest($7 pass), well worth it
just 2 miles. hard on the way up. ledges around every turn. not for nervous hikers or anyone afraid of heights. don't trust there to be signs to keep you safe. at the 4th and last hand railing make a left and climb up the rocks. the trail appears to go straight over a very thin piece of trail that leads to a cliff if you miss the turn. great view once up top.

Easy peasy, good view!

This trail would be more of a moderate hike, the elevation grows at a nice pace. There are not too many hikers and the weather was awesome, on the way down took a little detour through the wild vegetation and it was a great experience. It looked like it was the wash where the water runs during rain, still a great experience if you are ok with a little adventuring.

It was planned to be a fast paced hike and did a little trail running along with it, the elevation was fantastic, not too hard but enough to really get a great workout. The weather was perfect and the view was beautiful, all in all I would recommend this trail.

No problem. nice view

Novice hiker, but i am in decent shape. Not too tough. Trail was great. I went early in the morning to catch the sunrise at the summit. The trail isn’t intimidating until you get to the last stretch to the summit. Basically, the heli Landing spot is where it gets dicey. Just take your time. I got lost going down a couple times. That was the gnarliest part. Sunrise was great time to hike it. Tennis shoes are ok, but hiking shoes/boots would have been much better

Great feeling to finish this - I am in shape and it was hard great workout and beautiful views

Nice 30-45 min uphill climb great views

Excellent outdoor workout!

Not difficult at all enjoyable little hike

stair climbing for 1 mile straight up. I suggest not doing this if you haven't done any cardio in a while or you can take your sweet time as there were few stops even a bench half way

hiked up to the peak with my 12 yr old, nice views at the top and not too steep. Elevation at the peak before the loop is about 1959 ft, good workout for kids.

heavy traffic on the trail but nice views from both sides as you're ascending. Be prepared to walk a near mile just to get to the trail head.

Definitely not a trail running trail- Absolutely spectacular views well marked Trail very pretty. All rocks. And definitely not a trail to take If you want to move fast! extremely crowded far too many hikers on trail for my preference

Trail rated EASY, probably as in easy to get lost and slip/fall. Lots of loose gravel, trail is very steep. Thank goodness for hiking boots and casual trees you can grab onto! Do not hike with kids - not kid friendly. I did not make it to the very top, decided to turn around and ended up exiting the trail and walking through neighborhoods on the way back versus slipping and falling.

Such a beautiful hike with amazing scenery. I would say this is an easy to moderate hike not difficult at all!!

We hiked this area today and loved it! The trails intercept one another and you can decide which way to go and how long to hike. It is easy and not too rocky or challenging, just a nice outdoor walk/hike, and many local residents are around walking their dogs and biking. Not strenuous hiking at all.

This is my first time hiking camelback Mountain! I’m disabled and it was brutal! I made it 50 or so feet from the top. But didn’t feel safe scaling the rocks to the top. I’d be willing to try the echo canyon trail, I’m told it has more support. It’s definitely a challenge both physically and mentally. The energy of the mountain is definitely different! It’s super crowded! I’m still wrapping my mind around it

Great and varied views. One of the best I've done in Phoenix.

Did this hike a month ago and it was awesome!! Moderate difficulty, the hardest part is the incline in the beginning, but then it evens out for the rest of the hike. Moderate to highly trafficked at the beginning but felt the crowd thins out as you keep going. My friend and I went to the tunnel and Fat Man's pass, both were super fun to see. Got a little lost at one point trying to find the tunnel but easily found our way back. The views at the lookout points are incredible, you can see the entire valley. I would definitely say you could bring a beginner here. Most of the trail is in the sun. Also note there's a parking lot at the trailhead, but to access it, don't enter through the preserve's main entrance areas (just go directly from 24th or adjacent streets).

Did this hike today and it took about 2 hours, maybe a little more. It was a solid workout, but I didn't find it that challenging (I'm a 21 year old that doesn't usually work out, but I do hike often). Took a friend who had no hiking experience, and for that, it was a perfect level of difficulty. The trail was moderately to heavily trafficked and well-marked; you could never get lost. Dobbins Lookout has incredible views, although it is pretty crowded. Not a bad hike, but nothing to write home about either.

The views are awesome!
Good challenge, but really crowded and people don’t yield:(

Nothing special....exactly what I expected from the reviews but a decent place to go for a walk nonetheless.

Moderate trail and decent workout. Nothing extraordinary to see, mostly the same terrain but I always recommend South Mountain in late winter to see the vegetation start blooming. Makes for a pretty hike but watch out for bees.

Challenging trail, but safe. If you are looking for 45 min aerobic workout (on the way up), then this is the right trail for you

Super short hike but amazing views and the kids love it.

Steady elevation increase and switchbacks from base to summit ( lookout point ). Moderately trafficked mornings before 8 AM during Summer weekends. Traffic increases during Fall and Winter. A nice morning snack is good when sitting within lookout point area and taking in the view of Phoenix valley. Dog owners are good about having leashes and picking up after their dogs. Stay hydrated with about 1 to 1.5 liters of water / sports drink ( Gatorade, Powerade )in fall and winter, hydrate even more during summer.

Use this route for biking only. Boring, too easy for hiking

Multi-purpose trail, a lot of mountain bikers. Great trail if you have pets or kids.

As everyone described, easy, flat, scenic and a nice introduction to Arizona dessert terrace and wildlife. We saw 2 coyotes crossing the path about 200 feet in front of us and it was approaching dusk so we didn’t do the whole 3 miles.