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Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area

4.7 (51 reviews)

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Lacy K.

The whole area is a beautiful oasis in the desert. The Dragonfly Trail is a favorite to hike with kids and dogs. It's a fairly flat 1.5 mile trek that can be done in under an hour. We love taking our time and making multiple stops along the way to play in the water or just admire the views. Now that my kids are a bit older I may have to venture more to the other side and trails

Eric B.

Jim, Erin, Gayle and I took the long drive from Buckeye to Cave Creek to hike a small portion of the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area a couple of Sundays ago. It was a partly cloudy, sunny, warm, and clear day. According to the attached map, we easily hiked a ~2.5 loop within sections of SX and MI. It was a fairly easy and pleasant morning. The part of the 2154 acre Spur Cross Ranch Conservation area that we experienced consisted of rolling hills dotted with tall Saguaro cacti of various unique shapes and form. Other parts of this area also contain numerous archaeology sites and the remnants of early mining and ranching occupation. I'm hoping that we can come back to further explore this fascinating area.

Nancy G.

Spur Cross trail to the Dragonfly trail.......STUNNING scenery, and a healthy and totally manageable 3.9 mile hike for just about anybody! Our friend took us out on this hike, located just outside of the Cave Creek main drag. I would almost say it's hidden in plain sight, as I come to Cave Creek just about every time I come to Phoenix, and I never knew about this place! The trails I mentioned have some steepish inclines and descents, but honestly, as long as you take your time, you should have no problem. There are benches placed along both trails, and there are more than a few shady spots to stop, take in the view, drink some water, and catch your breath. Both trails have you crossing river beds (both were bone dry on our hike), with the Dragonfly trail making you actually walk IN the river bed, as well as crossing it. We saw a couple of baby lizards, but that was it, even though it is possible to see bigger ones, as well as rattlesnakes, Gila Monsters, and other wildlife. Saguaros, cholla, prickly pear, and barrel cactus are everywhere along the trail, so you just have to watch where you step so you don't fall into one. It is requested that you pay $3 per person to use the trails, and it is on the honor system, with envelopes and trail maps provided. This was truly one of the best hikes I have ever been on, and I look forward to checking out the other trails! 48/2023

Ngoc H.

What a lovely gem and I can't believe I lived in AZ for decades and wasn't aware of this place. It cost $3 each to go in and there are several trails to choose from. It's a short hike, shaded areas, memorial benches to sit and enjoy if you're tired. Overall loved it and will be coming back. Ample parking as well.

Darci L.

Beautiful views all around, and options for easy to more difficult trails. I'd love to go back next time I'm in town. Not super crowded, either and lots of parking available when I was there.

Water in the desert.
Scott W.

The best part about Spur Cross is it's just a bit too far outside of the immediate Phoenix Metro area for most of the fair-weather hikers to commute to and that makes it awesome for the rest of us! Yay! UNLIKE the more popular trails in the Metro area flogged with giant piles of dog shit, soccer moms pushing double strollers & weekend warriors with their external Bluetooth speakers clipped to their packs bumpin' shitty music - you don't deal with those kind of shenanigans at Spur Cross. But *shhh!* don't tell your friends. The further you can get away from the parking lot, the better. Entrance fee is a nominal $3 per person (ca$h only). The trails are natural meaning they aren't overly groomed. Yes, it's rocky. Yes, you could twist an ankle. But it keeps the strollers & litterbugs & fair-weather hikers away from Spur Cross 'cuz they're too busy hiking in line up Piestawa or Thunderbird. #lol I love all kinds of hiking here in beautiful Arizona, but Spur Cross is my go-to. It's rugged, it's beautiful, the volunteers are kind and it's one of the nicest places in Arizona with all kinds of terrain. Pack out whatever it is you pack in. Don't litter. Be kind and have trail etiquette. Keep Spur Cross beautiful, quiet and peaceful.

Andrea W.

I did two hikes here, one was Elephant Mountain and the other was Skull Mesa. Elephant Mountain: I came here on a Tuesday weekday morning around 7AM, and after paying the $3 entrance fee, we got a map and started on the hike! The hike was quite scenic and not difficult. It also doesn't really go up to a peak of any sort which is disappointing, but the views all along the hike especially when going downward was great as the sun was shining and the mountains were in our vicinity! Took about 2.5 hours in total, and there were more cars when we got back. Skull Mesa: I came here on Black Friday, arrived around 10:15AM and the parking lot had quite a few cars but still had spaces to park. It's $3 to enter, cash only, and the people there provide a map which is nice! The trail is pretty rocky but the view is different than a lot of Arizona hikes for a change. Good hike, would recommend!

The spur cross
Jessica S.

If you like to hike through nature and have the option to climb high or not this is a fantastic place. We did the Tortuga trail then connected to elephant trail around the big mountain which is a bit of elevation and has an optional steep peak to climb and the way back around was a nice stable level path mid height around the peak. Some rocky terrain some river bed some smooth dirt paths. Great variety of climb and low key easy walk with benches. Park does cost $3 per person cash

Julie D.

Nice hiking trail. Easy level with great nature and fauna. The cactus are amazing. Many birds and rabbits to see. $3 per person fee Cash only.

Teresa M.

Wow!!!! We have hiked so many places in our region but this one was a super fun hike!! It's so close!! Feels like just a hop, skip and a jump away from our front door! You can't beat it! Not to mention Culver's (dirty pleasures) is on the drive in! The road getting in is packed dirt and safe. We passed some sweet deer crossing and beautiful homes to get there. Once you get there you'll see a few "parking" spots but if you keep going just a tad further, the road ends and there's ample parking in on the right. Once you grab all your gear and your fur friends, you'll walk down the hill to the welcome station. They have a few little things for sale, some maps and can take your entry fee. The fee is sooooo well spent. It's $3 to get in per person. They take cask or check only so don't bring you American Express! This time it's safe to leave home without it! Once you get started, there's potties right at the entrance- use them- they're pretty clean with hand sanitizer!! Bonus! plus there's none on the trails. Once you cross the creek it's all mountains and cactus from there! Actually the terrain is pretty nice. A lot different from the trails in Phoenix. The weather today was pretty close to perfect! If you take the short drive out here from town or if you make the trip while visiting from some far off land, you'll be happy you did!! Happy Hiking!!

Julia P.

Vacationing in Cave Creek, and found this place because of All Trails. There are a number of trails at this park, and you can either get a paper map at the entrance, or download the AllTrails app. The entrance fee is 3 dollars cash per person over 16. Make sure you bring exact cash in case there's nobody there to take the money, and you have to use one of those little envelopes. The trails themselves were amazing. Well marked, and well maintained. Again, it's summer, so I figured that some places that are bone dry right now would have water flowing through during the winter. The saguaro cactuses were so majestic. I loved the landscape. What I didn't expect was all the variety in plant life. I took the spur cross trail through the cactuses, and then connected to the dragonfly trail by the creek. The dragonfly trail felt like I was in a totally different area. There were trees lining the trail (shade!), and rocks and grasses and flowers. The entire hike was filled with sounds and sights of wild life. Birds, insects, lizards, dragonflies. If I lived around here this would definitely be one of my go-to places!!

Janelle F.

One of my best hikes by far. Easy drive and signage to let you know where you're going. You'll park in s dirt lot and walk down to an entrance where you will have to pay $3 per person cash/check only so be prepared. The person helping at the pay area was wonderful. This has been our first time hiking in cave creek and he not only welcomed us and answered our questions he gave us a map where he highlighted the best route so that we could see all of the best things the park had to offer. We ended up doing about 4 miles and could have done so much more if we weren't getting hungry. There are quite a few old home foundations, remnants of a swimming pool back from the 50s, a Lilly pond with wild life and all, 200 year old cactus, and you get to do a lot of the trail (Metate) near the creek. We also saw a metate which was used by native Americans to grind grain. It was so cool and after all the rain was filled with water and looked like a heart. Quite a few creek crossovers and beautiful wild flowers. Dog friendly and if you bring a picnic lunch you can definitely enjoy a nice family day. So worth the $3. If you love the outdoors this place is awesome!

Cave Creek
Nick K.

This is one of my favorite places to hike in the valley. There are usually hardly any people on the trails, unlike South Mountain or Squaw Peak, and it doesn't feel like you're still within an hour's drive of 4 million people. There's also an interesting history to the park (there are numerous Hohokam ruins, an old dude ranch, and a few other stories) and if you ever get the opportunity to take a guided hike with a park ranger, it's worth your time. $3 per person fee to enter the park (Cave Creek residents exempt)

Saguaro Cactus

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Ask the Community - Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area

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Review Highlights - Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area

The group was testing out the newly opened Dragonfly Trail which branches off Spur Cross and heads southwest.

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Cave Creek Regional Park - The view from Slate Trail

Cave Creek Regional Park

4.7(50 reviews)
5.9 mi

The park is well maintained and there is a good bit of parking near the trailheads. With the new…read moreyear, it is $10/car to enter or you can purchase an annual pass that covers all of the Maricopa County Parks (this is a great deal if you live here and enjoy getting outdoors). It has probably been ten years since I was last at this park -- mostly because I live on the opposite end of the Valley, but I still remember hiking the Go John Trail from twice that long ago. (Back then, we didn't have Internet-based recommendation systems or online trail guides, so we relied on books or the maps provided at the ranger stations.) That trail is no joke and the climb was a bit of a surprise as it has roughly 849 ft of elevation gain with some 10-15% grades over the course of nearly 6 miles. The elevation gain means some really nice desert views. I was here this time for a trail race, which is not run by the park, but we used the facilities and trails, which were well maintained and amazing to run on. I had a family of deer run across the trail about 100 yds in front of me on the home stretch of the race. I recommend all of the Maricopa County Parks and this one is no exception: each one has its own character and they're all worth visiting.

Slate Trail is a really enjoyable hike with classic Sonoran Desert scenery--towering saguaros,…read morerocky hillsides, and wide open views that make it feel peaceful without being remote. Parking was easy, and I appreciated the clean, convenient restrooms at the trailhead. That said, I do think the trail is slightly misrated. While it's listed as easy, the rocky footing and a few stretches with noticeable incline push it more into easy-moderate territory. It's absolutely doable, but hikers should be prepared for uneven terrain and some effort, especially if they're expecting a flat stroll. I brought my walking stick, and I'm glad I did. Overall, this is a beautiful, well-kept trail and a great way to experience Cave Creek Regional Park. With a more accurate difficulty rating, it would be a near-perfect hike.

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Cave Creek Regional Park
Cave Creek Regional Park - Sunset

Sunset

Cave Creek Regional Park

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Anthem Community Park - playground without wood chips

Anthem Community Park

4.4(78 reviews)
10.7 mi

Anthem Community Park is honestly a beautiful, well-maintained park. The ambience is great, it's…read moreclean, and there's a huge variety of equipment and sports areas. I'd give the cleanliness and overall park quality a 10/10. There's something for all ages, and it's easy to spend a whole afternoon there. The train is definitely cute and fun for kids, but it's a bit overpriced at $5 per ticket, even for a one-year-old. Unfortunately, our experience with the train staff really took away from it. The woman taking tickets was extremely rude and didn't speak to us at all -- no hello, no eye contact, no thank you, nothing. It honestly felt like she didn't want to be there or interact with families. I was trying to make it a fun moment for my child by having them hand over the ticket, but they actually got scared and hid behind me. The woman selling the tickets, on the other hand, was very kind and welcoming. The park itself can also get very crowded, and we noticed older kids sometimes take over the younger kids' play areas, which can make it hard for little ones when there's roughhousing or inappropriate language. That's not really the park's fault, but it's something to be aware of if you have small children. Overall, it's definitely worth visiting at least once because it's a beautiful space with tons to do. I personally prefer smaller neighborhood parks for a calmer experience, but Anthem Community Park is great in terms of facilities. The biggest areas for improvement would be crowd management in the play areas and better, more family-friendly staffing for the train.

Was in the area today and had seen an insta post about this park so we visited it! It is so nice…read more They have nice ponds, a little veterans memorial, huge playground, and a cool little splash pad! We've had some bad experiences with wasp infested splash pads lately but this one was not bad at all, I think I saw one flying around. Definitely a good amount of shading here, making it nice for the summer. My son had a lot of fun and this park was super clean and not overly crowded. Would definitely recommend and will come back again,

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Anthem Community Park
Anthem Community Park - Curious Ducks

Curious Ducks

Anthem Community Park - Anthem Park

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Anthem Park

Cashman Park - Beautiful day at the park

Cashman Park

4.4(12 reviews)
13.8 mi

On Labor Day, I had the day off from work and rather than laying by the pool, I wanted to get a…read moreworkout in. Cashman Park is a short drive from my place, so I made my way over for an afternoon walk. Upon arriving, I parked in their complimentary lot. I narrowly arrived a little bit before football practice was starting for a kid's team, and I'm lucky I did, because the parking lot was full when I left. Cashman has a walking trail around the exterior of the park that takes about 15 minutes to get through. Outside of the walking trail, there's a lot of grass for sports, basketball hoops, and a playground. There are also several benches and picnic-style seating. I was impressed with the playground, seems like it would be a lot of fun if you're a kid. The basketball court, not so impressive. Some of the hoops were either missing nets, had a metal net, and there was even one rim missing entirely. One of the garbage cans was overflowing with garbage. Seems like upkeep is a bit of a problem here. The walking route was too short for my liking and not picturesque. The nice thing is there's an opening where you can leave the park and get on a walking trail around the neighborhood. This trail is longer and offers more scenic views. Which is what I ended up doing for a portion of my walk.

Trying to keep my early riser son entertained this summer by visiting just so many parks. Had been…read moreto cashman here and there over the years but this was my first time visiting as a mom! Enjoyed walking along the sidewalk loop. Very well kept and fun stuff to do! They have bathrooms which is a plus, didn't go in so idk how clean! Plenty of parking when I got there and real easy to find. Great park if you're in the desert ridge area!

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Cashman Park
Cashman Park - Lots to climb.

Lots to climb.

Cashman Park - Playground

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Playground

Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area - parks - Updated May 2026

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