Hmmmmm.... Walked this with the family last weekend, it is an easy trail, the caves are really indentations - so don't get your expectations too high. Lots of people and there is was a HUGE bee hive right where the cave is at the top, keeping you from more than a cursory stop there if you have kids because it will freak them out. Nice view of the city. Too rock to run this without endangering your ankles. The reason it gets 4 stars so much is that it is very close to the East side of town so you can get to it quickly and I think they are comparing it to hiking in town itself. And people who have lived here all their lives have memories of being here with family and friends. It costs money to park. If you have kids this is the perfect length. Maybe that is why so many people love it. read more

I went to Wind Cave on a date. The climb is relatively good and the trail is well used. I went during the afternoon and there were a lot of people on the trail. So if your looking for a trail with less people this one is not for you. When my date and I reached the cave we found out that it was more of an indent in the mountain. We enjoyed the view and had a fun time but we were both hoping that the cave would have been larger. If your looking for a good hike with a good view at the end then I would suggest taking advantage of this trail. read more

Took us 1 hour round trip. Went before 10 am and had some decent shade. The trail was pretty crowded, but can't complain with the trail so close. Pretty fun, short, moderate hike. I don't think they should charge $6 just for that though... read more

See all

Hands down our favorite trail to hike in all the valley. It is a perfect combo of great exercise, elevation and trail difficulty. The views at the top are some of the best in the area. read more

Great hiking. It was more challenging than I anticipated. More rock climbing than I was used to but a great challenge. Beautiful views.

Beautiful trail and considering we are out of shape it was still doable. Family in town from Florida loved the view too. We plan on kicking our weight loss in high gear by hocking this trail until we can do it without resting. Then moving on to something harder read more

One of Phoenix's most underrated trails. The trail is smooth, the Wind Cave is a great place to rest and see animals, and there's even a bonus section if you're willing to take a little risk. Easily worth the $6 park entry fee, especially if you go early or in the middle of the week. Found a pretty good detailed break down of the trail here. http://www.fuistetravels.com/wanderings/windcavetrail read more

Nothing beats this place on a windy day. You can see the whole entire city bring binocs.. It is worth taking them up the hill. If you are brave like me you can jog down. Kids will complain but so what toughen them up for a tough life. read more

Great trail but make sure not to do it in the heat of the day. We were novice hikers and thought we were gonna pass out towards the top. Make it and you have a great view. Bring plenty of water. read more

I have gone on the Wind Cave Trail in Usery Mountain (Mesa AZ) numerous times. I have taken my wife, and mother, with me. I have had no problems finding parking, and the trail is very good. It is worth the drive East from the main Phoenix area. read more

Had a great hike to the "wind cave" which was really just a little bit of a recess in the mountain. Came with a friend of mine and all of our kids (8 total). The hike is very easy to moderate depending on your condition, but for children younger than 5 I'd say to watch them closely. Lots of cholla cactus right next to the trail can really get you pretty easy. One of the kids got a handfull of needles on the way up. We packed a lunch and ate it in the shade of the overhang, but it gets a little chilly on top once you've sat in the shade a bit and work up a sweat. In the summer I can imagine it being a welcomed gift. Overall, I enjoyed the hike and views, but there are definitely more picturesque places in the beautiful state of AZ. read more

It's a great trail, but very popular so if you want solitude don't go on the weekend. Still better than the crowds at Camelback. A good workout, especially the last bit where it is the steepest. This time we went past the cave and a little more towards the summit. Had to do a little rock wall climbing at one point. One of the better trails in the valley. read more

A nice hike in Usery Pass. Avoid holidays...this hike, like most, is better when there are no crowds. I'd rate the hike as moderate...some tough spots, but doable. Good for kids and dogs too. read more

Very safe and clean bathrooms. If you do it early in the morning, before 7, you'll stay in the shade. Lots of large steps up and over larger boulders. Wonderful view from the top. read more

This is a beautiful hike, but it it's warm (little shade). It definitely feels longer. You do have to watch out for trail runners.

Big fan of the trail! I wish I was closer. It is true that there are bees at the top. I am not quite sure what I was expecting when I reached the top...probably some amazing Disney like cinematics of blowing wind. Not to be found, but it was a great trail to run even with a run through the entire park first after refereeing rugby for a couple hours. Many runners and families. If you are awful like reading trails (like myself) you may get lost as some people following me up found. :( Luckily it's a well used trail and there are plenty of people to lead you in the right direction (just not me ;) ). $6 entrance fee to Usery mountain park. read more

One of our favorite short hikes in the east valley. I've hiked this one at least a dozen times and take anyone visiting the area here for a nice hike with great desert views and great pictures. read more

My new favorite - just strenuous enough but just short enough that it doesn't take long. It's just a few miles off the freeway so very easy to get to. We went on a Saturday morning & parking was still easy. read more

Good hike with beautiful views. This is a popular hike so you will say hello to lots of people. During the week days it's not so bad. It gets gradually steeper the closer you get to the top. Great intermediate hike. Should take about 1.5-2hrs give or take round trip at a steady pace. I would say good for kids 8 and up depending on the kid. Pretty rocky so watch your step. $6 park entry fee read more

Great Hike! My friend and I started around 9am and parking is easy to find. The only downside is that there are many bugs up the hike! Make sure to bring your bug spray! This hike is 1.6 miles up and 1.6 miles down for a grand total of 3.2 miles. It's a great hike for anyone and is on the moderate trail. I did find out there are usually many bees on the top of the hike and at times rattle snakes along the beaten path. For those that live in Mesa, it is a great close by hike to get to. There are many other hikes near the area so there are many options for those that would like to do multiple hikes! read more

Good hike that gets straight to the point. Went on a holiday so it was pretty crowded. As others have mentioned, this is strenuous and I dont know that a younger child could make it all the way up. My 5 year old made it half the way up before we had to turn back. All in all, still worthwhile. read more

Great hike. Narrow in places and if you get stuck behind slow folks can be frustrating because u can't pass in spots. Same trail up as down.

Super fun trail to head up for a nice workout. Was $6 to get my car in the park but worth the cost for a nice hike. Headed up as fast as I could go, stopping once or twice to enjoy the views and drink some water. A slightly difficult climb with switchbacks, loose rocks and a steady climb all the way. View was nice at the end of the trail but still below the summit so take that in mind. Good trail for a brisk workout if you want a hike. read more

Super easy hike but way too many people on the trail. It was pretty insane and annoying. This is a trail for beginners.

I'm not suggesting a place to hike, I'm recommending a place to hike where friends, family, and any daring pets can go while having a great time with an amazing view. I'm talking about the Wind Cave Trail, located at Usery Mountain Regional Park. You'll need to enter the park and pay a small fee of $6 per car at the entrance in order to get to the trail (along with other activities: camp, picnics, and other activities). The trail itself is roughly a 3.2 mile hike round trip (including the side trail, next to the Wind Caves) and takes about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to complete, plus or minus half an hour. The trail is simply beautiful, but the best time to hike the Wind Caves is about a week after the first rain storm of the year or go between February and March. The weather would be cool enough to enjoy all the wonders of the trail and to see all the wild flowers of the mountain bloom. I know this because I've hiked the Wind Cave Trail for many years now and just recently hiked the trail with my mother. On Saturday April 16, 2011, my mother and I went hiking on the trail at round 10:00am. The first part of the trail was easy enough to hike, but the trail slowly became more inclined the further we went. At certain spots on the trail, you'll have to climb up and down on some good sized rocks that are only a few feet high. Along the winding trail, we didn't see any wild flower, but we did see some flowers on top of certain cacti. The flowers were a pretty red and added some beauty to the trail. Also, we heard the echo's of guns being shot at a shooting range located near the park. You can see the shooting range from the trail, along with a gigantic sign pointing towards Phoenix in large letters. Every so often, I would stop to catch my breath and get a chance to look at the scenery from some different heights. Cars, plants, people, and houses became smaller the higher we go and we could see farther across the valley as well. We saw some small lizards and birds on the way up, but not much else in the order of wild life that I could see. Once we reached the Wind Caves, I had a sense of accomplishment and pride. The cave looked about the same as last time I came here, but the view of the valley was still amazing. There were lots of people sitting around, catching their breath, taking pictures, and some were getting ready to hike the hardest part of the trail to the top of the mountain. I knew that there was a bees nest in the rocks of the Wind Cave, but I didn't see them flying around today, or at least not far from their hive. In addition to the bees, the cave was full of life with chipmunks, squirrels, and some birds flying about not too far from the cave. After my breath has caught up to me from the trail and captured some moments, we hiked back down the trail. We saw many of the same sights and terrain while greeting some passing hikers on their way to the caves. The trail, going down, was much easier and faster to do. When we reached the end of the trail, it was about 12:00pm and the day started to get warm. For me and my mother, it was about a 2 hour hike. Well, more me than my mother since she was way more active than I was. Other than that, we had a great time on the trail. My mother loves to hike the Wind Cave Trail and is always ready to go if someone is willing to go with her. Because of her, I became extremely fond of this trail and is one of my favorite places to go hiking. So if anyone is looking to go, then hike the Wind Cave Trail with your friends, family, or pets to the beautiful view and to experience some great culture. But if you don't like crowds, try to hike on the weekdays. Other than that, have a great time. read more

$6 park entry fee - flush toilets at trailhead (yay!) - parking pretty tight unless you get there early in the morning. GREAT hike, but also pretty crowded. Most everyone was friendly and courteous (some of the runners just have no manners!). Beautiful views. Would recommend. Would do again if visiting the Mesa area again! read more

Eff this hike...It takes longer than all these hykopaths say. About 2 hours each way to be exact. Other hikers are unfriendly but the upside to this hike is that if you get tired, there is PLENTY of benches...for the first hundred feet at least . Check the weather report beforehand, unless you enjoy hiking, I mean swimming...in rivers and lakes and pools. I wouldn't recommend taking your children or loved ones. The rain and creosote trees...let's just say, oooooh the aroma! Bring six big ones so you can park your car! We'll do it again sometime soon?? Wethinks not...Great views every once in a while, EXCEPT when the Harry Potter fog rolls in. But Hey! Don't let this stop you from enjoying this hike! You've been warned suckaaaaas! read more