If the parking lot is crowded just drive over to N 8th Ave and park outside of Shadow Rock United…read moreChurch of Christ where there is plenty of free parking. It's a pretty easy two mile hike up to the top where the cell towers are located and you can take in the views. This is a popular hiking location so you won't be alone.

A wonderful morning hike spot with gorgeous views of the valley. Shaw Butte is a 4.0 mile loop with…read more654 feet elevation change. My favorite way to start a day is with a sunrise hike here. Other hikers are typically very friendly. Tips: - check online for trail hours. The parking lot at the trailhead is only open during these times. - dogs are allowed if leashed - visit around Christmas time too catch a little decorated tree on the trail! Such a charming tradition

I loved it here. I…read moreloved the walking trails and scenery. I loved the park, the views and the ambiance. I loved walking here and hiking. I highly recommend this spot.

Beautiful Scenery for hiking and enjoying the outdoors…read more - - - - - - - - February, 2026 Visit We visited Scottsdale / Phoenix and had a very memorable partial- and full-loop hike at McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Before leaving home for Scottsdale, we explored hikes and parks near the hotel and McDowell is one we briefly looked at. Once we arrived, McDowell was on our short list and after a work day we got here just at sunset for a Hoo before it got dark - we enjoyed the short Saguaro hike and also the Interpretive Trail, on a nice night. The next day I did not work, but had a planned day off, so we had more time for the full hike...The Gateway Trail... 4.4 mile loop from the trailhead and another half mile or so to/from the car. This Trail rating is Moderate, and that seems right. There is a wide variety of rock on the trail, from sand to pebbles to rocks and built rocks. There is 650+ feet in elevation gain; the high point is about midway, at or near the Gateway saddle (thatMs just what it looks like!) and it's up one way and down the other; depending on whether you go left or right right. Someone else recommended following the trail clockwise, so we did... it's a bit shorter to the high point... about 2 miles "hiking to the left / to the northern side and about 2.5 miles on the right / southern side. Along the way we saw some birds, which looked like quail, at the 1.0-1.5 mile mark; fauna: the Arizona landscape is different from the California that we are more familiar with... many more types of cacti - tall Saguaro, shorter barrel, and buckhorn cholla and cholla; also, blue polo verde and more Do take a lot of water; even on a mostly cloudy day in the 70s, we drank two 32oz bottles apiece and had the last sips on the walk to the car; a sunny day would have had us likely feeling a bit dry from having finished our water earlier. The elevation change may provide a challenge on your thigh muscles and to your knees. As we we headed down, we met a lady who passed us going up, and then on her return down, some 30 minutes later, and she mentioned having not yet completed the full loop before, and being impressed that we were about to finish it; that was a good motivation for us - thanks!! Thank you all at the Conservancy who created and maintain this wonderful trail.

Not sure if I should be reviewing this listing or the one for the South Mountain Activity Complex,…read morebut I'll do this one since I came here for the Holbert trail. I've been here a handful of times, but not too often since it's pretty far from home. I was planning to stop by a local coffee shop in this area, so I decided to do an early morning hike beforehand. It's pretty easy to get to this trailhead, and their hours year-round are 5am - 11pm (gates open and close). I wish they would open a bit earlier during the summer, but I got there a few minutes after 5 anyways. I'm always surprised at how few people/cars I see in the lot, I anticipate it being busier. They recently completely construction here and there's a beautiful pavilion now. Several restrooms and water fountains, which is great. Last time I came here, they had rerouted the beginning of the trail to the northernmost part of the parking lot, so that's where I thought it would be. Took me a few minutes to orient myself from the map because I didn't realize there were multiple bathrooms. Holbert trail is nice and there are a few switchbacks before connecting to Dobbins Lookout, which can be reached by car and has a parking lot. I decided to make the small detour to the lookout and spend a few minutes walking around; I like the little house they have. I really didn't like all the trash I saw lying around; I picked up a few napkins, straws and bottles. Not sure if it's flying out of the trash cans or people just being lazy, but it made me sad. I continued on the trail to the National trail, and made it a loop by connecting to the Kiwanis trail and finally Las Lomitas back to the trailhead. I ran into maybe a dozen people, tops. There are so many parking spots available here and the only time I've seen it full is when I did the Phoenix Summit Challenge in November last year. There are probably other times when it gets busy, like when there are events and such, but usually it's so empty. Maybe because it's the hottest part of the summer. This is one of the trailheads that will close from 8am - 5pm when there is an extreme heat warning from the National Weather Service, so be aware of that. I do want to explore the National trail more, so I plan to be back.

On a Saturday afternoon, I checked out Holbert Trailhead at South Mountain Park. Finding the trail…read moreisn't super easy as it's a bit hidden but here are instructions on how to get there: enter the park and follow the signs that point you to the visitor's center. After passing by the visitor's center, follow the road until you hit an area under construction. The road will make you turn left and then it will bring you into the parking lot. In the corner of the parking lot by the construction, you'll find the entrance to the trail. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get to the good stuff. Holbert Trailhead is listed as a "moderate difficulty" trail on AllTrails. By the way, if you don't use AllTrails, I highly recommend that you download the app. It keeps track of where you're at on a trail (to make sure you stay on track) and also keeps track of some cool stats for you like the amount of time you've spent on the trails, the number of miles you've hiked, the elevation, etc. Rating Holbert as a moderate trail is fair. The first half of the hike is at an incline as you're scaling the mountain. You'll come across a lot of uneven rocks so it's not easy. Make sure to bring plenty of water. You'll eventually reach a fork where one path will continue on Holbert and the other will take you to Dobbins Lookout. Take the path on the right to get to Dobbins Lookout which is one of the most spectacular nature views in Phoenix. To get to Dobbins, depending on your pace, it will take you about an hour and a half. Once you arrive, you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of Phoenix and surrounding suburbs. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you walked there instead of driving there like a bunch of other people you'll see at Dobbins. From there, you'll return along the same path to get to the beginning of the trail again. The return trip will be quicker as you're going on a decline. It will be harder on your knees and you'll have to be careful with your footing, but it will be less strenuous. All in all, it should take you anywhere between two and a half to three and a half hours depending on how long you chill at Dobbins. All in all, a top hike!

Love doing this hike! I always take my out of state visitors here if they want to hike. The hike is…read morechallenging but doable if you go a your own pace. It does get pretty crowded but I always like to go pretty early in the morning, especially to beat the heat. The view from the top is really great

This was a really cool experience to do while I was here in Scottsdale for a conference. THIS IS…read moreNOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. I went up the opposite side of the parking lot and wish there was a sign on the other side that gave a warning but this was a rock climb versus a regular hike. The trails are marked , clean, most trash is picked up. Hikers are friendly and the views are priceless. Once you get to the top it's a great achievement with a prize of a 360 degree view of Phoenix . Bring water and go slow !

How can I not give 5 stars to a trailhead like this? I've only been a few times but my experiences…read morehave been positive. There seems to be a good amount of parking, but since I haven't driven and parked here, I can't comment much on that aspect. However, the bathrooms are great. There is one entry door with a water fountain and water fill up station inside, and a women's and men's restroom on the left and right, respectively. The bathrooms are in good condition though the women's didn't have soap this time - not a problem as I popped into the men's and washed up there. There are a few trails to choose from here and I hike to this trailhead from the Lost Dog trailhead, so it's a bit of a trek. I did the trail that goes to Sunrise Peak and finishes out on Andrew Kinsey. Didn't see too many folks which was good. Nice to have a well-maintained place to stop and take a quick break. Thanks, Fountain Hills!

Wow! There are so many trail options from this location. But whether you want a short hike or a…read morelong hike, you'll have beautiful views overlooking Fountain Hills. My parents took my husband and I here for a hike, and we were so impressed. After you've already done the major touristy hikes in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, I highly recommend coming out to Fountain Hills. The parking lot looked like it had space for about 30 cars, and there were bathrooms and a shade structure with benches for pre- and après hike. You also get to drive by an impressive Marriott hotel and many beautiful new Toll Brothers homes. Depending on the environmentalist views of your carmates, you might have to listen to a 10-minute lecture about how awful it is that folks are cutting into the mountain to make these homes. But... it's precisely the infrastructure for those homes that make it possible to create beautiful and useful trailheads like these. We loved that this trailhead was not very crowded.

Okay, honestly the landscapes are indeed blurring together a bit, but this was such a nice place!…read moreSo much fun navigating through the terrain here. There's a system of trails, and landscape is also not all flat but replete with valleys and smaller peaks. Lots of cacti of course, and other shrubs and plants too. Awesome desert nature, and would recommend for a hike!

First time checking out Hawes Trail System today! Located conveniently within the city, making it…read moreeasy to visit, even on a weekday with an early start! There is a parking lot, right across the street from the trailhead! Though down the road not too far, quick ride if you're on a bike, it seems people may park near the Walgreens - Though Walgreens does enforce a 60 min time, probably for this reason, but there is a mobile bike station at the lot next to it, which is an awesome touch, and I am sure utilized on busy weekends. The lot had ample space this morning though, so definitely check that out first! The trail has a lot of different route options, so make sure to take a picture of the map or download Alltrails or some other app to keep on track. Though there on markers on the corners, it could be easy to get on the wrong path. As some other reviews said, it is not the most beautiful hike, but does have some scenic parts. There were a lot of hikers on the route today and a lot of mountain bikers. Lots of up and downs and rocky trails. The map is marked and routes are rated accordingly, so worth checking out as you plan your route!

As a respectable hiker, I'm not going to call this a hike but it is a cool experience. I stopped by…read moreon Memorial Day in the afternoon by design. It was 95 degrees so I knew a challenging hike would be out of the question. Something like Hole-in-the-Rock though, easy peasy. While there were a decent number of people there, I had no trouble finding free parking. This natural wonder is located in Papago Park close to the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden. After you park, you'll have a five-minute walk to get to Hole-in-the-Rock. You'll have to climb an incline to get in the hole, so definitely be careful, but there are kids that do it too. And a lot of tourists that show up. So that pretty much sums it up. Once you get inside, you'll have an awesome view of the Phoenix through a literal hole in a big rock. You'll see a lot of people using it as a photo opp. That's not really my style, so instead, I took a seat and enjoyed the beauty for 10 minutes or so. It can get pretty crowded so keep that in mind if you stop by on a weekend. Hole-in-the-Rock is one of the top attractions on TripAdvisor in Phoenix. Definitely a cool (and short) adventure to cross of the bucket list. I spent 30 minutes there (which included hanging out in the rock for half the time).

A truly mystical and magical place. They close at 7:00 p.m…read more Most people try to get there later in the day to avoid the scorching 110 deg. weather and hot sun. There is a pond with tons of geese. I saw a man fly fishing.

Another great morning walk! I love to start off Pima and go up one side and loop back on the other…read moreside.

I don't take advantage of the Canal as much as I should... it's the perfect place to go running,…read morewalking, or biking when the weather is not too crazy hot. It's dog friendly (but please clean up after your pup so I don't step in anything I don't want to)... It's easy to get to, it goes for miles, and it feels pretty safe (although I probably would not run alone when it's dark out). Like Sarah said in her review., it's not terribly scenic. but it beats running in the street and I enjoy the surface much better than paved road or sidewalk too. I didn't know about the SRP website map, so I'm going to have to check that out for sure!