One of the best reasons to visit Phoenix, Arizona is for the McDowell Mountain hiking opportunities near the city.
Though the summer can be too hot and dry, the winter in Phoenix usually has perfect weather for hiking.
Since there are plenty of mountains located right in the city or on the outskirts of town, there are many convenient trails to choose from if you enjoy hiking.
When I'm in Phoenix, along with visiting family and friends, there are basically only two things I do when I'm there: eat my fill of Mexican food and go hiking.
There are many different hikes and mountains to choose from, located right in the center or on the city's outskirts.
Within central Phoenix, you'll immediately notice mountains like Camelback and Piestewa Peak (before known as Squaw Peak).
These two mountains are the most popular and iconic mountains in Phoenix to climb, and because they are so popular, they are nearly always swamped.
Positioned smack dab in the middle of the city, both Camelback and Piestewa Peak make great exercise climbs, but sometimes the foot traffic can be too heavy for it to be fun.
Nevertheless, each mountain takes about 1.5 hours roundtrip, and once you're at the top, you'll be presented with some great views of Phoenix and get a good workout too.
McDowell Mountains
If you're looking for something quieter, where you can escape the city and especially the crowds of people, you have to drive to the edges of the city (but still in the city).
A few of the best places I've been to hike in Phoenix include the McDowell Sonoran Preserve mountain conservation in Scottsdale and certain areas of South Mountain in South Phoenix.
The McDowell Sonoran Mountain Conservation is one of the nicest mountain preserves in the Phoenix area.
I think the desert has been nicely preserved, and there are many trails you can take where you'll feel like you're far removed from the city, yet you're still right on the edge.
One morning we decided to head out on a day hike in the McDowell Mountains, beginning at the main trailhead, trekking our way to Windgate Pass, and coming up the backside of the mountain towards a famous rock monument known as Tom's Thumb.
We started early in the morning to avoid the strong sun. Plus, it just feels good to wake up early and get your legs moving.
By mid-morning, we had reached Windgate Pass, a saddle within the mountains where the wind always howls as it's channeled through the mountain.
After pausing there for a moment, we continued on to Tom's Thumb, the climax of this McDowell Mountain hiking trip.
Tom's Thumb is basically a giant boulder that, from certain angles, looks sort of like a thumb.
It's often visible from freeways and roads in North Phoenix and Scottsdale.
The thumb looks small until you're right up next to it, where it's actually a giant boulder.
Many serious rock climbers make the hike up to Tom's Thumb for climbing.
The views are not quite like the Makapu'u lighthouse hike, but they are pretty nice, and the desert is well preserved.
We took a short, yet relaxing, stop at Tom's Thumb, devoured a bag full of trail mix and some fruit, and then continued on our way.
It was mostly downhill on our way back to the park headquarters where we left the car.
It's worth visiting Phoenix for McDowell Mountain hiking, especially given the great weather in winter.
Even if you're based elsewhere in Arizona, it's easy to take a bus from Tucson to Phoenix and arrive in under two hours.
Mark was raised in central Africa before migrating back to the U.S. for University. After graduating, he decided to continue traveling the world. On Migrationology, he shares the cultural side of travel from a slow-paced local perspective that often revolves around his love for eating all forms of food. Join him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @migrationology.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
