Lots of trails, and a primitive venue. Slow down as you approach as it can be tough to find from other directions than Deer Valley. Elevation can give spectacular sunsets. Bring your supplies; cart them out, as it's a wonderfully clean place. Lots of parking. Not a lot of restroom or other facilities, but acres and acres of hiking from easy to moderate. It's a large area funded by a low budget, but it's a great resource and most will have fun. read more

Second hike of my day was here across town. BRING WATER! Not much for shade parking was easy and free, trails are what you'd expect trails but they were clear of trash and unkept they do look like they are doing phases for upgrades to this particular area. So be mindful and if coming in on 59th you sometimes need to be tactful about that left or right turn into the park or out as cars will fly. Enjoy and hike more it was a hot one today read more

There are a bunch of trail options, some easy loops, some more vertical if you want to get your legs burning. H1 is a good short climb with views at the top, and H3 is a nice longer route if you want to string a few miles together. Watch for rattlers. Bring water. Views are solid, especially around sunset. Nothing too dramatic, but still peaceful and grounding. The signage can be kind of confusing if you're new to the park, and there's not much shade. Also, no bathrooms mid-trail, so plan ahead. read more

Has it really been six years since my last hike here? Time flies. We took advantage of the lower temps this week before it heats up. I attempted the Arrowhead trail yet again but it only confirmed this is a killer on my knees. I made it about a mile before deciding to opt for another trail. I hiked down and crossed the steer and started at the Cholla Loop. From the intersection with the light it wraps the mountain and connects near the bridge that crosses over the road. Yes still rocky and lots on incline and switchbacks, but felt more doable to me. Length on Cholla is about a mile longer than Arrowhead if you complete the entire trail. Great views and the workout was awesome as well. read more

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I love coming here to hike! Especially in the cooler weather and on cold days like today. They have varieties of trails you can explore. I think they have about 4 or 5 miles of trails that connect with one another. Children and pet friendly! read more

Thunderbird Park - Parks Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

We did the Cholla Loop and Coach Whip Trails. Excellent condition, well marked and just the right challenge for us . . . moderate to moderately challenging. It's in the middle of suburbia, but still gives you many moments of quiet solitude without having to drive a great distance. Plenty of paved parking in multiple locations around the full perimeter of the Park. There are many other trails in the Park and we'll be back to try them in the future. read more

This is a nice park for hiking. They offer a variety of trails. I believe 15 in total. Between 1.5 miles and 9.7. We used to have a lot of cross country invitationals in high school here. Fun to run. Our girls were able to enjoy many of the trails. Always watch the weather. Can be overwhelming heat even when there isn't a heat advisory. Weekends are busy. read more

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I always struggle when rating hiking trails less than 5 stars, but it's more of a personal preference than commentary on the actual hike. I visited this park on a weekday afternoon in March and parked at the 55th Ave and Pinnacle Peak lot. It was a bit busy but I found a spot and crossed the street to begin hiking. I decided to do the Cholla loop counterclockwise and connect it with Coach Whip and Arrowhead Point to create a larger loop (7.6 km/4.7 miles). I didn't run into too many people until I connected to Arrowhead, so that was pleasant. The hike I did was moderate, got some elevation but not much. I saw beautiful wildflowers blooming and the views were lovely. There's several trails to choose from and they range in length and difficulty. The Coach Whip portion was interesting as it goes parallel to the road in one section. I did like the pedestrian bridge that goes over the road. Overall it was a good workout and I'm glad I visited, I just didn't get the same vibes like I have with other trailheads. I'd probably come back and try some other trails on the west side. read more

Thunderbird Park - Wildflowers in bloom 3/2023 - Parks Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

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Thunderbird Conservation Park was the chosen location for a Scout hike. We were with younger children, so we stuck to a flat loop. This loop took us from the parking lot, to running parallel the mountain, and back around to the parking lot. At the end of February, many small wildflowers were in bloom. Flowers are so small that they do not show up in landscape photos. In person, they are beautiful. Blooms of orange, yellow, and purple poke out of the grass. Signs posted where areas are closed for conservation purposes. Check the board for information. A trail map is posted. Map indicates trails, rules, and trail difficulty levels. The other side includes warnings. Warnings about snakes and coyotes were posted. We did not see either on our hike, though we did see evidence of them. Park is dog friendly. There is a pet waste receptacle at the base of the mountain. Shade structures and picnic tables are located near the map board. Trash cans are available as well. Structures are not birthday party size. These are more to give hikers a reprieve from the sun, and to re-fule. It was perfect for our small Scout group. Ample parking at 59th and Pinnacle Peak. Park was busy during our visit. Still, the parking lot was less than half full. read more

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Nice park for a relatively short hike. Plenty of parking at 10:00 a.m. on a Friday. Parking lot was about half full. There is no water or restrooms. There are a few shaded tables/benches. All trails are very exposed - basically no shade! Be prepared. You can do a loop as well. Doable for a group with kids as young as 3. Since Phoenix is pretty flat, you get some great views without going very high. read more

Plenty of parking, great trails that are well maintained. Beautiful views too. I can't wait to hike another trail. read more

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I love hiking at Thunderbird Conservation Park, especially during the cooler months. The trails are perfect for a quick morning walk, and the views from the summit are breathtaking. read more

Ok so the one good thing about this mountain is that they don't charge you. I can't remember for the other two entrances but I know for a fact the one on 59th and pinnacle peak can lock you in. Like if you're not done in time you're stuck. I haven't figured out which trail out of all the trails I have done that are a favorite so I will update my review as I figure that out. Another favorite mountain for me. There's obviously some easy and hard ones. Some of them have very beautiful views. read more

This is a beautiful park with a nice hiking trail up the hill/mountain. Note if it wasn't for Covid it would get a four star rating however there is zero supervision at this park. No one that comes here wears a mask. Today on Thanksgiving Day it was very crowded in the morning. I think the people that visited here today have been living under a rock the past eight months because they come with their families young and old without a mask. I would say 5% had them on and I was definitely in the minority. I had a park like that near my home in Florida and so many people complained that they put enforcement into effect. Now I can go there and 100% compliance as well as the walking trail is one way. Also park offers zero facilities in the way of a restrooms. So I didn't enjoy my visit here in fear of catching Covid. It is very beautiful here and you can get in a great workout but unfortunately selfish people screw it up for the rest of us. Stay Safe, Stay Home. Wash your hands and wear a mask please. Your life and those around you depends on it! read more

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I came here on an early Tuesday morning around 8am on July 10. I know you probably thinkin, "omg isn't it super hot outside?" But a monsoon hit Arizona a day before this and carried rain. So it was partly cloudy with the temperatures of 80 degrees. Definitely beats 100+ degrees with dry heat but it was extremely humid after the rain so it wasn't all fun. There is a total of three mountains with multiple trails. I drove in from the west side on 59th and Deer Valley. There wasn't any directions when you first drive through the gate. I randomly guessed and took a left turn and luckily there was a rest stop by one trail with a picture of the map. The map showed where the different trails were located and the level of difficulty. I wish they had people in the front make a stand or have a picture by the front when you first drive in because it was very confusing to me. Also I personally thought the way they outlined it was confusing because the colors didn't match. My boyfriend wanted to hike the view looking down at Arrowhead Lakes. So we went back in our car and drove closer to Pinnacle Peak Road. Again, we were still lost until I asked a lady for some directions. We hiked the arrowhead trail path. It was about a 2 mile hike. Some rigged rocks so be careful. The mountain has a steep incline. It was definitely a work out. I'm pretty out of shape so I struggled but if 2 Miles is nothing to you then I will probably be easy. When you reach the top you have a beautiful view of the arrowhead lakes and also the American flag. Definitely instagramable worthy for pictures. You can reach the top on two different sides of the mountain to get to the top. Overall, it was a good hike. Would recommend to friends if they wanted hike. Only gave three stars because they weren't really detailed on the directions and made it confusing get around. read more

Hiking anyone???? I've been trying to get motivated to stay healthy and decided to take up hiking. This location was suggested by a friend who hikes this trails regularly. Boy when I tell you; this hike isn't easy for a beginner; I was proud that I did this. The park is free to anyone and we'll kept which is a surprise. The folks you meet on the hike were friendly and dog friendly. By the time I was done ; I know i got a good cardio work work. We did the 3 1/2 mile hike and the view was the top is quite rewarding. I loved it so much I went back again and did the same joke with some other friends. They had a 9 year old and he joked with us and did awesome. Couple of suggestions would be bring water; don't wear too much clothing as it gets warm as the sun comes out and wear good hiking shoes as there are a lot of lose rocks. read more

Hiking Thunderbird Park for the second time in two days my friend looked at me and said "if you lived here I bet you'd hike every single mountain...". I agreed but saw the futility of it: perhaps I'm oversimplifying, but my impression is that here in Arizona every hiking trail looks much the same: Rocks, cactus, heat, repeat and not a shade tree in sight. So I didn't mind returning to Thunderbird, especially knowing that I'd be hiking a different trail than I'd done the previous day. Day one took me on the Coach Whip Trail, a 5-mile long, mostly flat, rocky path that's good for anyone who doesn't want to climb. The web site bills this as a "moderate" hike which I imagine it would've been had we done it in it's entirety and then retraced our steps back to the beginning (Coach Whip is not a loop-trail). I found it easy and rocky. Day two I returned for a shorter hike with more elevation. A loop trail took me up to the highest peak (not very high nor difficult but there's a nice view from up top), the one marked with an American flag. Taking my time, this hike was over and done in about 1 hour and I noticed a couple of people going twice around for an extra work-out. The hikes here seem perfectly designed for exercise, not exploration. Even though there's 15 miles of trails at Thunderbird, I easily climbed to what appeared to be the highest peak so I have a hunch that the rest of the trails are equally user-friendly with one exception: there were no restrooms to be found on any part I hiked which can be a problem as there's really no privacy to be found in a cactus-laced landscape. Trails here are well-marked and well-defined, your leashed dog is welcome, and your chances of getting lost appear to be impossible. The park itself is 1,185 acres and its existence is a good reason to get you and your dog off the couch. A map of TP's trail network can be found here: https://www.glendaleaz.com/parksandrecreation/thunderbirdpark.cfm read more

Great hiking area off the 101. Lots of trails throughout the park. You can go high or stay flat! I did both! Moderate and Easy trails.Highly recommended! read more

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Love love love this place. So much to see. Huge park. This has over 7 trails and lots of scenery. Great views! You can go to several different high points to check out the city view. It's beautiful up here. This is a must! Plenty of parking and bathrooms. They have tables to sit and have lunch or just relax after or before your hike! Take your time enjoy your surroundings! read more

A 1185 acre park with 15 miles of pleasant, pet-friendly, non-strenuous trails in the Hedgpeth Hills, named after an early homesteader named Robert Hills. Coach Whip (5 miles, moderate), Flatlander (1.25, easy), Arrowhead Point (1.5, moderate-difficult), Sunrise (2, Mod-Diff), Ridgeline (.4, Moderate), Chuckwalla (1/4 mile), Desert Iguana, where you will see desert iguanas, and by desert iguanas I mean dog poop, and Cholla Loop (3, Mod to Mod Difficult, essay). Cholla Loop is my favorite because of the dark lipliner and breast tattoos. Oh wait, that's Chola Loop. Tips from the website: Tell someone where you are hiking and when you expect to return. (Yeah, Aron Ralston). Carry and drink water for you and your dog. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Don't hike alone. (loser) Use a walking stick for support and to fend off threatening wildlife, because Mountain Lions are afraid of sticks. A signalling mirror can help rescuers locate you if you are injured. And, "Carry a large comb and pliers to remove cholla cactus, esse." read more

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This is my third time doing the Thunderbird Three Summits Loop and everytime I've been here - it's a complete nightmare. It's always amateur hour at Thunderbird. No one knows nor understands the concept of trail etiquette. To make matters worse, if their crappy music isn't blaring out of their crappy Bluetooth speaker at reference level volume for everyone on the trail to enjoy, then they're wearing fully enclosed headphones. In other words, no one can hear you desperately trying to pass them. "Hello, could I squeeze by you?" Nope. Tried that. You know those losers who camp out in the fast lane going 64 mph in a 65 mph zone on the 101? ...yeah, that's what it's like hiking any of the trails at Thunderbird. Except worse. They've got that mentality: Well, this is my speed and good luck to everyone who wants to get around me. May the odds be ever in your favor. I was at the trailhead before sun up and it was no better. This time of year especially, there's too many fair-weather hikers who have told all their friends on Facebook 'they're going to do more hiking this year'. LOL. I suspect part of the problem is there a TON of neighborhoods surrounding every trail at Thunderbird. You're battling the teenagers whose Mom told them to go outside and play. You're battling the senior citizen hiking groups that signed up at the local YMCA. You're battling the stay at home trophy wives who are desperately trying to keep their girlish figures and the designer yoga pants they just got from Amazon that are just way too cute. Weekday. Weekend. Morning. Afternoon. Night. Summer. Spring. Winter. Fall. It's always a clusterfuck chock full of ignorance at Thunderbird. I just kept my head down and plowed ahead this morning because if you can't beat 'em, join' em, right? If you still want to give Thunderbird a whirl just so you can cross it off your list of COMPLETED HIKES, you'll also have to contend with the massive piles of dog crap scattered throughout the trails. Evidently, everyone in the vicinity owns a Great Dane / Rottweiler / Bull Mastiff mix because the turds on these trails are typically the size of a dinner plate. Fresh, hot, steamy and just waiting to be stepped in. Facilities are also in poor condition. Trails are also not well marked and in some instances not marked at all so keep your Garmin on. Sounds like a wonderful hiking experience, doesn't it? If I never visit these trails ever again in my life, it will be too soon. There are way too many other awesome trails in the area. Good luck. read more

Thunderbird Park - Cholla @ Thunderbird. - Parks Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

Nice wildflowers in this park that was fairly crowded on a Covid Sunday. They closed the bathrooms which was annoying. Otherwise, lots of picnic tables and walking trails, but not exactly isolated. Big parking lot, but if you can go on a less crowded day that would be better. read more

Thunderbird Park - Parks Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

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Fantastic hiking park! Miles and miles of trails that are maintained in great condition. There are lots of picnic tables that are under pavilions and in tge open. Easy to difficult levels with amazing views. There's also game watching blinds. read more

Great location for hiking and photo opps. Lots of trail to hike. My wife and I enjoyed our time here. read more

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Clean those disgusting bathrooms. Park is nice, but alot of people leave their trash laying about. read more

Short. Sweet. Safe. Great little hike. Animals are on leashes which I liked and I even got to see two horses and a ninja in the parking lot.

This is a beautiful park with over 15 miles of trails. The view is beautiful and the trail maps are marked pretty clearly with the levels of difficulty. There aren't restrooms at the top of the park at the trail heads off of Pinnacle Peak Road, so plan ahead! However, there are small restrooms in the bottom half of the park at the main entrance. The Flatlander (1.25 miles, easy) is my favorite for a relaxed walk and chat with friends, however there are several more challenging trails for those that are looking for a full workout. read more

Plenty of free parking. Great for a quick get away to get your hiking fix. Round trip should only take 30-45 minutes (depending on your health and what shape you're in). I rate the difficulty moderate. Dog friendly, the trail is basically an uphill climb for the most part. No bathrooms. Great views. Take water and good hiking boots. There are actually multiple trails here and two mountains that are separated by 59th ave. The mountain with the American flag at the peak is the southern most mountain. Both offer great views. read more

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Updated Review: After living in this neighborhood for a year and going several more times, I am more impressed with the park. I did find bathrooms off of the 59th Ave entrance and this is a great free activity for everyone in the region. I still think it's not as nice a park as the other nearby trails but it's conveniently located and an asset to the area. read more

Amazing place to take your puppies and watch the sunset. It's open from sunrise to sunset. Short, easy hike to the top of the hill with a panoramic view of Glendale, AZ. read more

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I grew up in this area so I have been to Thunderbird Conservation Park several times. There are several hiking trails with different types of difficulties. My favorite trail is the Sunrise trail. It is a quick hike with awesome views, my German Shepherd loves it too! The park also has several different types of amenities like picnic areas and a wildlife lookout area that not many people know about. I recommend downloading the Avem app, it will help you discover and find all the different park amenities offered at Thunderbird Conservation Park. Happy Hiking! read more

Thunderbird Park - A view from the Avem app looking from Coach Whip trail south towards Arrowhead Point trail. Photo taken in March, peak wildflower season! - Parks Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

Thunderbird mountain is my favorite place to hike. There is so many different levels and types of hikes here so it's good for beginners and more experienced. It does get busy though so expect to see people. The view is beautiful esp on the south of pinnacle peak mountain because it over looks the beautiful homes over the lakes. They have cute rock benches you can sit on at the top to rest before going back down. The mountain is a good mix of steps and flat where you can run. I get a great exercise and it take me about 45min-1hr to walk that first/main mountain by dirt parking lot. It also has a pretty bridge you can cross to additional hiking trails. Great place to hike with friends, significant other, and even families. I always see kids and dogs on this mountain which is fun. Highly recommend for hiking (: read more

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I'm sure the hiking trails probably gives a good view ... but arriving and seeing the desolate landscape from the parking lot, we didn't see anything in this park to tempt us to go on. Sorry... just the view of the Mormon church and the Waterpark. read more

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Been coming here for years now, run it every time with a little bit of waking. Trails are awesome and you have a few options for trails to hike. There is straight up trail, long pretty even trail or a trail that's a mixture of both. Can't go wrong at this mountain just be careful staying once the sun goes down one of the park security guys are very rude. But I will continue to come back :) read more

Lots of trails, convenient location, and pretty kid friendly. My kids love hiking up to the flag. However, it also tends to be pretty crowded and there's lot of dog poop. read more

This is officially known as Thunderbird Conservation Park (to distinguish it from Thunderbird Paseo Park, which is also in the same city) and is Glendale's only mountain preserve. I find this to be a good place for hikers who want gentle, well-marked trails and do not want to deal with more strenuous, steeper climbs such as would be found in Camelback or Piestewa Peak. There are ample parking spaces, scenic views, and several large, clean picnic ramadas are available near the parking areas. read more

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What an adorable place to hike, so quick and easy, in and out. It took me 45 minutes to hike up the most prominent hill and loop around back towards the parking lot. I usually hike South Mountain and once I start I can't stop, I want to be out there all day exploring new trails. Luckily, Thunderbird doesn't have that many options; apparently it has 15 miles worth of trails but it seems small. This is also the cleanest place I've hiked, I didn't see once speck of trash. If I lived in the area I would be out on these hills every morning. The trails here are super easy and I would recommend it to beginners. read more

Thunderbird Park - Sunrise hike after pulling an all nighter...it's not for amateurs. - Parks Near Me - Glendale, Arizona

Reasons why this is my favorite place to hike: 1. Free parking - plenty to go around. No entry fee. Note: it gets pretty busy on the weekends. 2. Pet friendly. Get exercise with your dog/cat. They must be on leashes. 3. The trails are kept very tidy. The majority of people pick up after their pets. If you forget your waste bags, there are some located at the base of the mountain for your convenience. 4. The paths are clear of nearby cacti that your children or pets might run in to. Phew! 5. There is an amphitheater with wide steps, which is a fantastic place to either walk/jog up and down the stairs to work out that bootay. 6. The hikes are relatively easy, making it great for families with children to go on a mini hike. Nothing too strenuous that requires rock climbing. 7. Once you're at the top, the view of the city is amazing. You can catch some hot air balloon launches that happen quite often. 8. At the end of the day, hiking is good for your heart. Do it! My favorite is the sunrise trail, a 2-mile hike that starts near the amphitheater. The sign states moderate difficulty, but it was pretty easy in my opinion. There are no steep inclines. The trail will take you to one side of the mountain, and you can descend on the opposite side of the mountain for a change of scenery. Just be careful since there are a lot of rocks that can cause slipping. I highly recommend going on the sunrise trail for a quick hike with a rewarding view at the top. Remember to apply plenty of sunscreen and bring water. Hike on! read more

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I came to Thunderbird Conservation Park about two to three times a week for a workout when I lived in the area. The trails are clean and offer a variety of hikes, there is plenty of parking, and wonderful views of the valley. It does not get very crowded, even on the weekends, which makes it a better choice than Camelback or Piestewa for me. Even though it is not as difficult as the other mountains, it definitely gets your heart pumping if you push yourself! Bring plenty of water and a good pair of hiking shoes. You may find this a regular spot if you live close by! read more

The location of this park is great. The condition of this park is not that good. If you like unmaintained trails, and antiquated facilities, this place is a throwback to the 1960's when it was developed. The bathrooms are ancient. The pavement in the parking lot is crumbling and is not in good condition. As for the trails, I don't believe the city of Glendale does any maintenance or preservation on them. A lot of loose rock everywhere with bad footing. I like to go to another local set of trails that aren't used much when I can. read more