Thunderbird Park: 67th Ave & Patrick Lane

The City of Glendale website lists all the trails available at Thunderbird Park.  At the 67th Avenue and Patrick lane entrance you are greeted by a small trailhead but have access into the Western end of the park.  All of the trails are rated easy to moderate, so it's great for a leisurely hike, have a picnic, get back into the swing of hiking after an injury, or for a quick outdoor fix on your way between the East and West sides of Phoenix.

Check out the City's website for maps, trail information and other details. http://www.glendaleaz.com/PARKSANDRECREATION/parksandfacilities/thunderbirdpark.cfm

Source of Map: City of Glendale

Photos & art by Amy Bartlow

Mileage: Each trail intersects with each other, so it's likely your hike will cover sections of more than one trail.  For context looking at the map above, trail H-1 is 5 miles in entirety, while H-3 is 3 miles. However, if you take H-3 you'll end up hiking a portion of H-1 to make it a loop so you're nearing 5 miles with that custom loop.

Elevation Gain: If you're looking for elevation gain check out the topo map on the City's website. It appears that the bottom elevation at all the trailheads is around 1350'. The top of H-4 which is the nearest hump to the 67th entrance takes you up to about 1650' so about 300' over a short distance.  Over to the north on trail  H-3a you can reach 1800'. And the top of trail H-2 appears to hit 1850'.  

Experience Needed:  Nothing special. Get out and walk!

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate.

Parking:  At the stoplight of 67th Ave and Patrick Lane, a dirt trailhead parking lot sits to the east. On a busy Saturday late afternoon in March (the best time of year in AZ) there was no trouble parking even though the lot is fairly small.

Pets: Dogs, cats, and this park is also open to trail stock (aka horses)

Hours:  Sunrise to Sunset.  Gates will lock you out at sunset.

Safety: Watch for mountain bikers and dogs. I've heard of some car vandalism/theft so lock your valuables up and out of sight. Take your cell phone with you on the hike. Remember as always to carry enough water, and bring a headlamp just in case you get stuck. It's not hard to find your way, visibilty is great, and these are well traveled trails so be courteous to other hikers.  

People Meter: Lots of people, young and old, with canes, bikes, dogs, and babies.

My Experiences:

For more info and photos from the H-3 loop that's easy to access from the 59th Ave entrance, check out that post here: Thunderbird Park: 59th Ave, North of Deer Valley Road

EastWing Mountain Trail

EAST WING MOUNTAIN TRAILS

The City of Peoria, AZ website indicates there is a Beginner trail and two varying levels of Intermediate trails at East Mountain.  The Beginner trail takes you up a short hill to a bench where you have a nice view of the Park where you most likely parked your vehicle.  The Intermediate trails take you back behind the neighborhood for a very nice jaunt through the desert hills. For more information on all the hikes check out the City's website at: http://www.peoriaaz.gov/content2.aspx?ID=967

Mileage: Beginner -- 0.4 miles loop, Intermediate -- 1.8 mile loop.

Elevation gain: Beginner: 71' gain.  Intermediate: 457' gain.

Experience Needed: These hikes are good starter hikes.  Excellent for folks who live in the area and are looking for a new places to explore without the perils of being too far from home.  

Difficulty: Easy to Easy-Moderate.

Parking: The trail head for East Wing Mountain is at Sonoran Mountain Ranch Park at 7098 W. Miner Trail, Peoria, AZ 85383, which is basically far north on 67th Ave.  The park has picnic tables, a playground and restrooms.

View of Parking Lot at Sonoran Mtn Ranch Park from top of Beginner Trail (below)

View from top of Intermediate Trail (below)

Pets: I did not see any animals on my hike but the website says they are allowed as long as they are on a 6 foot or less leash, and you are vigilent about picking up the puppy poo.

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Safety: For my first adventure into this trail system in February 2010, safety seemed pretty standard. No major concerns, I could see the parking lot where my car was parked for most of the hike and it's very close to a new housing development.  So take the standard precautions -- headlamp, water, cell phone, sunscreen, good shoes, etc. 

People Meter: The trail seems fairly new so it may not have high awareness yet I ran in two young teenagers only on my hike.

My experiences: All photos via mobile in February 2010 on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I thoroughly enjoyed this hike because really as soon as you get up to the top a whole world expands with 360 degree views, if you squint hard you can even see downtown Phoenix.  It was a fairly leisurely hike, great if you don't have much time or just need to get some air.  The back side of the mountain shown below is all undeveloped land. I believe the city may be creating more trails on that side of the hills.  Makes you realize how lucky we are to still have patches of wilderness in the middle of the city that we can get away and explore.

Photos:

The rain drew out all the greens on the desert floor. This photo (below) was taken from early in the hike. The Intermediate trail goes up to the point in the center.

The first part of the trail is a nice wide social trail, easy for hikers to pass on either side. (below)

View of the Intermediate Trail on way back down the loop to the parking lot. Here you can see the trail narrows and is a bit rockier than on the earlier sections of trail (below)

Sunrise Mountain Loop

SUNRISE MOUNTAIN LOOP

The City of Peoria, AZ website indicates there is a Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Trail Loop.  Basically there are three loops in the system and if you do the first loop it's Beginner, if you do the first two loops it's Intermediate, and all three loops make you Advanced.  I went with the intention of completing the Advanced Trail based on the map I found on the City's website: http://www.peoriaaz.gov/content2.aspx?ID=963

Mileage: Beginner -- 1.5 mile loop,  Intermediate -- 3 mile loop.  Advanced Loop billed at 4.2 miles. (I got confused in a few places and ended up with at least an additional mile on top of that)

Elevation gain: 150' gain for the first loop, 420' feet on the second loop, and I think close to 400' again on the third loop. I ended up summiting the 3 small mtns a total of 4 times on my hike, so I think I got close to 1300' across my entire hike which took me 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Experience Needed: There's something for all levels based on the trail maps and info found on the City website.  The trail system looks pretty new as of this writing (March 13, 2010) so you do need some trail following skills as you determine which trails the park wants to block from your use vs those they want you to use.  In most places there are clear trail markers, but they may not be there when you start to question yourself.

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate depending on what you get yourself into.

Parking: WestWing Elementary School (26176 N High Desert Dr, Peoria AZ 85383) provides 10 spaces in the SW area of their parking lot (this is where I parked on a Saturday afternoon, however parking may not be available during school hours).  There is also parking at WestWing Neighborhood Park at 27100 N WestWing Parkway. That parking area offers restrooms, drinking water, and access to an additional trail system.

Pets: I did not see any on my hike but according to the entrance sign they are allowed, on a leash.

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Safety: The first loop trail is a wide social trail.  The second loop provides several inclines and the third loop is where any additional trail safety may come in to play. 

As you round the third loop the trail narrows and you have a clear drop-off view of the highway below (see photo to the right). If you are wary of heights, this section could induce anxiety. Personally I thought this loop was the best loop of the three but that might be as a result of fewer people and more interesting terrain.  Also-- this is a mountain biking trail so be on alert for riders sailing downhill.

People Meter:  The trail seems fairly new so it may not have high awareness yet but there was still quite a bit of foot traffic on the hike, most likely due to its close proximity to the WestWing Elementary School. I saw a group of kids and parents, a couple of teachers, a mountain biker, a lost confused hiker (similar to myself), and another family group.  The first two loops seem to be more well traveled than the third loop.

My experiences: All photos from March 13, 2010 (from my mobile phone no less)

View of the beginner hump. 

Gorgeous Spring Flowers

View from the 2nd hump

There's a lizard on the rock... What I didn't get a photo of was the swarm of bees that traveled right through me mid-way down the 2nd hump of the loop!

Camelback: Echo Canyon

ECHO CANYON TRAIL

One-Way Mileage: 1.2 miles

Elevation gain: 1,264 feet

Experience: Recommended for experienced hikers only

Difficulty: Strenuous

Parking: There is a trailhead to park at but I have had to wait in line for 30 minutes to get a spot.  Trailhead is at Echo Canyon Parkway just east of Tatum Blvd off of McDonald Drive.  Trailhead also offers bathrooms and a picnic area.

Pets: Yes you can bring them, but bring ample water for the poor poochies

Hours: I wouldn't want to hike this in the dark so stick to daylight hours. Trail is said to be open from sunrise to sunset.

Safety: Echo Canyon is the less exposed of the two Camelback summit trails. You mainly hike through sandstone rock formations. Lots of hand over hand work and I find that this trail has points near the top that are harder to follow the trail, so stay alert.  

November 2008

People Meter: High traffic on weekends and in good weather. I prefer to hike this on a weekday off of work when I have no other plans so I don't get frustrated at the parking situation.  Usually the bottom portion of this hike is more likely to traffic jam as tourists and less experienced hikers may drop off and turn around.  There is also a portion of the first half that is fenced in and provides a handrail, this area can get backed up and harder to navigate through as a result.

August 2007

November 2008

My experiences: My first hike of this trail was the day before my 30th birthday, I wanted to prove I was still young and capable. It was August 30th and 120 degrees outside (no joke).  I think I saw one or two others.  I was overwhelmed by heat and the intensity of the hike but I made it to the top. I think the hike took me nearly 3 hours that first time because of my lack of preparation.  On the way back down I nearly lost my track and I came face to face with a lizard as I slipped and slid down a sandstone rock.  The next day I was so sore I could barely walk.  But boy did I know I was alive!

Another hike up this side in the middle of summer another year, I was pitted in the middle of a bird fight.  (July 2008)

 
Here's a look of the start of the trail.. (August 2007)

 
On rainy days be more cautious as the trail is slippery and more dangerous.  (November 2007)
 

Camelback: Cholla Trail

CHOLLA TRAIL


One-Way Mileage: 1.5 miles

Elevation gain: 1,200 feet

Experience:  Recommended for experienced hikers only

Difficulty: Strenuous

Parking:  Not Great
Street parking is available on a limited basis on Invergordon near Cholla Lane. Park on Invergordon and walk up the south side of Cholla Lane. Dropping off hikers on Cholla Lane is prohibited.

Pets: Yes you can bring them, but bring ample water for the poor poochies

Hours:  I wouldn't want to hike this in the dark so stick to daylight hours. From Oct. 1 to April 30, the Cholla Trailhead is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. From May 1 to Sept. 30, the hours are 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.


Safety:  Cholla Trail is the more exposed of the two Camelback summit trails. There are steep, rocky sections with drop-offs on both sides. Loose and slippery rock can cause precarious situations in human traffic jams. No real wildlife to watch out for and it's highly travelled by other hikers so main safety is concern for your vehicle and for your balance.

People Meter:  High traffic on weekends and in good weather. I prefer to hike this on a weekday off of work when I have no other plans so I don't get frustrated at the parking situation.

My experiences:  December 2006 was my first time on Camelback Mtn. We only made it 1/2 way because we were using a holiday gift that involved a guide from the Phoenician and our time ran out before we made it past the halfway point. But by that time I already knew I was hooked and had to go back!

Here you can see some of the terrain. This is before it gets hairy with hand over hand action.  (August 2008)

I find that New's Year Day is a great day to go hiking and set your year off to a great start... (2009)

Be quick or you'll get stuck in the dark... but the sunsets & moon rises can be awesome (taken from old school camera phone Oct 2008)

Camelback: Overview

According to http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikcmgud.html there are actually 4 trails at Camelback. Two of them are so short and easy that I will not discuss.  The two that are of main concern and of public interest are the Summit Trail (Echo Canyon) and Cholla Trail.   Each of these two trails has its own blog post related to the specifics of its hike and photos from trips up the trails.

Camelback is billed as one of the most strenuous city hikes in the Valley of the Sun.  There are meetup.com groups that specifically congregate around this particular city mountain.  If you want to try to climb 1200 feet over 1.2 miles in less than 30 minutes or even 25 minutes give these people a chance. 

http://www.meetup.com/Camelback-Mountain-30-Minute-Under-Club/  http://www.meetup.com/Hardcore-Camelback-Mountain-Hikers-Under-25-Minutes/

Personally I prefer to hike at my own pace and without competition. And in doing so I typically summit in 45-55 minutes depending on which side I'm hiking, how many people are also hiking, and what the day's temperature happens to be. 

If you intend to hike on a Saturday or Sunday in the Winter or Spring, good luck. Parking is very limited and the trails are packed with hikers of all levels, you are bound to hit a traffic jam of both automobile and human origin. 

The hike is open to your furry footed friends of the canine type (aka dogs), I have seen bulldogs, boxers, and Jack Russels tear up the Echo Canyon side of the mountain.

You will need to use your hands to get up half the mountain, so I don't recommend hiking poles unless you have a backpack you can stuff them into.   Also, it would do you good to have grippy shoes as some of the rocks can be slippery for footholds-- it's not advised to hike in the rain.

Water is a necessity. This is a tough workout and you're in the desert. I don't care what you say, you need at least 2 quarts and if you're going in the summer you need more.

Also bring a headlamp and a cell phone. It might be a city hike but you need to be prepared. Seriously don't end up like these people:

 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/01/03/20100103mtnrescue0103-ON.html

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpp/news/local/phoenix/fallen-camelback-hiker-2-16-2010

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/01/17/20100117rockrescue0117-ON.html

So you might be wondering which trail you should decide to hike up.  A few key points are:  Cholla does not have a trailhead to park at, you have to find street parking off Invergorden. The Cholla trail is also more exposed, so if you or your hiking buddy are afraid of heights take this into consideration.  Both trails are 3 miles or less in total mileage and although Cholla is technically the longer trail they both take about the same amount of time to hike up.  Don't plan to hike up one side and down the other unless you want to walk another 3-5 miles along the street back to your car.  Go up and down the same trail both ways.

No matter how many warnings I can give you, the hike is completely worth it and you'll want to go back once you've seen the views from the top from your own eyes.