hiking AZ trails » General

Hassayampa River Preserve Hiking on The Hassayampa River

The Hiker — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 05:02:04 +0000

Imagine looking for the Hassayampa River only to find that it has disappeared under the sand. Here is a river where the water is only visible for a small portion of its entire one hundred mile length. When it does finally rise to the surface there is a forest of cottonwood and willow trees which occur naturally along the river’s edge and many palm trees which were introduced by the owners over the years. With all the vegetation and water there are as many as 280 different species of birds that have been spotted out here and several species of animals.

The drive out to Widkenburg is easily less than an hour and it certainly is well worth your time. There is plenty for the family to enjoy at the preserve.

The old center core of the structure that is currently the visitor’s center served as a stage coach station back in the 1870’s and the owner raised cattle and fruit at the location. He also began the first carp farm in Arizona and later the property was operated as a spa because of the lush vegetation and its location next to the river.

There are approximately three miles of marked trails along the river and several overlooks are provided for your use along the rivers edge and beside Palm Lake. There is a nice picnic area with plenty of shade. If you would like more information about activities that may be available at the preserve call 928-648-2772 or email them at bmccollum@tnc.org.

Go Take A Hike In South Mountain Park

The Hiker — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:02:58 +0000

Now the weather is cooling off a bit you should start thinking about a hike in South Mountain Park. You can go it alone and there are many trails to choose from or you can take a guided hike with the Pueblo Grande Museum. The PGM which is located in Phoenix near 48th Street and Washington Avenue sponsors interpretive hikes in the mountains that are within easy driving distance of the city. These hikes usually take place on a Saturday morning and are made up of people of all ages. The price is normally around $8.00 per person and they provide a guide who is well versed in the history of the area and can give you a background on the petroglyphs that are found throughout the area.

The next scheduled hike with the Pueblo Grande Museum will be on Saturday the 19th of November, 2011. You can make plans now to take a guided hike on the Kiwanas/Ramadas trail in South Mountain Park in Phoenix. The hike will be easy to moderate and will give you lots of great photo ops. This will be a 3 hour interpretive hike and will be from 8am to 11am. Be sure to bring along plenty of water and your favorite camera. You should register in advance at the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation site and the fee will be $8.00 per person. Learn about the petroglyphs in South Mountain and the native Americans who left the oldest drawings on the rocks.

Petroglyph Discovery Hike on Javelina Trail

The Hiker — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 01:35:52 +0000

Join us on the 12^th of February for a Petroglyph Discovery hike on the Javelina Trail in Beverly Canyon. This interpretive hike will be led by an experienced guide from the Pueblo Grande Museum in Phoenix. The Javelina Trail is described as moderate and the hike will be about three miles long and will last close to three hours.

The hike will be in Phoenix in the South Mountain Park which is the largest urban park in the US.

It consists of approximately 17,000 acres and has many interesting trails and lots of petroglyphs. There will be a lot of great photo ops along the way and you may even see some wildlife along the trail. Directions for the place to join the hikers in Beverly Canyon can be found by calling the Pueblo Grande Museum or by signing up with the Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department at their web site: http://phoenix.gov/recreation/arts/museums/pueblo/calendar/index.html

The fee for joining the hike on February 12 will be $8.00 and please remember there is no water in Beverly Canyon so be sure to bring water and sun screen. Space is limited so register now and don’t miss out on this Petroglyph Discovery Hike led by an experienced guide.

Wind Cave Trail in Usery Mountain Park

The Hiker — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 06:33:23 +0000

Wind Cave Trail is located to the east of Mesa about half an hour from central Phoenix. Usery Mountain Park has many facilities available and you’ll even find a first class archery range there. There is plenty of parking at the trailhead. The trail has an elevation gain of about 800 feet and is 3.5 miles roundtrip. Click the link below to see the video I made a few days ago

Wind Cave Trail in Usery Mountain Park

Guided Hiking in South Mountain Park in Phoenix

The Hiker — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:39:57 +0000

Are you looking for a great urban hike to take the family on in Phoenix? How would you like to take a guided petroglyph discovery hike into the South Mountains? The Pueblo Grande Museum sponsors hikes into the areas surrounding Phoenix and one month may find you hiking in the South Mountain Park and the next month may find you in the White Tank Mountains over on the West Side of the valley. I have gone on several of these hikes and they are always informative and very enjoyable.

On Saturday the 9th of October there will be a guided hike into Box Canyon in South Mountain. If you are interested in this hiking opportunity contact the Pueblo Grande Museum at 602-495-0901 or go to the web site at www.pueblogrande.com. The cost is only $8.00 and you should register in advance so they will know how many people to expect. You’ll need to bring along a supply of water, sun screen, comfortable walking shoes and don’t forget your camera. The trail will cover approximately 3 miles in a three hour time span. Your guide will have information about the plants and animals in the area and will introduce you to the ancient petroglyphs that were left on the surface of the rocks along the trails where you will be hiking.
Hope to see you there.

Hiking in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park

The Hiker — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:19:39 +0000

The park has several hiking trails but none of them are much over a half mile in length. They can all be strenuous and are usualy very slippery. The scenery more than makes up for the work out you will get up and down the sides of the mountains. There will
be benches in rest areas along the way and you will be able to stop and get you heart rate back to normal. There is a waterfall where the water seeps out of the rocks located at the end of a short steep trail near the north end of the parking lot. Then at the
Tonto Natural Bridge there is a place where water flows off the top of the bridge.

Hit the Trail and Shed Those Pounds

The Hiker — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:03:16 +0000

Last year, Oro Valley dentists Drs. Bob and Debbie Oro spoke to educators at Canyon Del Oro High School about healthy living, and the Healthiest Town in America initiative.

English teacher Ann Bonar listened.

“They got me thinking about it, and about getting healthier, and for my whole family, not just for me,” Bonar said.

She and her husband Scott wanted to lose some weight. As the father and step-mom of two girls, ages 11 and 12, the couple wanted “our kids to see us leading a healthy lifestyle.”

They made a New Year’s resolution, and started following a Weight Watchers plan, counting points every day. “We were super, super strict with ourselves for those first six months,” she said.

And they’d walk, aiming for at least 10,000 steps a day.

From January through July, Ann Bonar lost 35 pounds. Scott, a professor at the University of Arizona, shed 30. They’ve kept it off, too. “Once you get all that ugly food out of your system, it makes you feel yucky when you start eating it again,” she said.

The weight loss really kicked in with daily hikes at the nearby Linda Vista Trail below Pusch Ridge. “It’s fantastic,” Ann said. “We’re both avid hikers. That really has helped us.” Hiking pushed Ann over 10,000 daily steps. And she’s stuck with it.

“I’m not super skinny by any means, but I’m fit, and I can maintain a level of activity that’s good for me,” Ann said. “I feel so much better. My knees don’t hurt as much as they did, and I have more energy throughout the day. I’m not completely exhausted by the time I teach my last class. We both feel so much better now.”

It wasn’t hard to do, she said. “It’s hard when the weather’s been bad,” as with recent rains, Ann said. “I don’t like the gym, I hate running, and machines. You can always find a place to walk, and the hiking is fantastic.” It’s important to “find something you enjoy.”

The girls have grown to “like a lot of the food we’re eating, and the kids have also gotten healthier,” Ann said.

“Ann is a great example, a great role model,” Bob Oro said. “Everybody in their own way will find their way. There’ll be a lot more.”

This article was published by ExplorerNews.com of Marana and Tucson

Learn About Hiking Clubs In Arizona

The Hiker — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 21:55:31 +0000

Arizona Outdoor and Travel Club
Arizona Outdoor and Travel Club (AOTC) is a nonprofit outdoor club based in Phoenix. The club organizes hikes, bike rides, camping and 4×4 off-road travel trips, mostly in the Phoenix area. Outdoor adventurists can join AOTC as a member for a small yearly fee or contribute a limited amount to join in on any of the open activities.

Arizona Outdoor and Travel Club
P.O. Box 5465
Scottsdale, AZ 85261
www.azotc.com

Backcountry Hiking Club
The Backcountry Hiking Club is a volunteer-run organization. Members lead groups on hikes in the Phoenix area as well as greater Arizona, typically over the weekends. Hikes generally range anywhere between five and 13 miles and have varying elevation changes and levels of difficulty. The group leaders are from all walks of life: young, old, single, married, men and women. The hikes are open to all, though not usually designed for children.

www.backcountryhikingclub.org
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Kay Hammer has been a freelance writer since 2009. She has a B.S. in Retailing and Consumer Sciences from the University of Arizona and an M.A. in Environmental Leadership from Naropa University. She has written for various publications through school such as the Turning Leaf and Demand Studios such as Golf Link.

Five Things You Need to Start Hiking

The Hiker — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:12:11 +0000

I recently found a great article about the things you will need to get started on your first hike. You will learn about the clothing you need and the must have items to include in your pack. You’ll find out where to get the information you need to pick out a good trail to start out on. This is an informative article that will be very helpful as you and your family start adding hiking trips to your list of favorite activities. http://bit.ly/cQ9nVg

Arizona Closes More State Parks

The Hiker — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:57:32 +0000

As the budget crisis in Arizona worsens, a special oversight board has determined that there is not enough money available to maintain the State’s parks system. The state legislature has cut the park’s funding by 61% and already nearly half of the state’s parks are closed. With the additional 13 that are expected to close there will be about two thirds of the parks closed to any type of recreational activity. That means no hiking, no camping, and no picnics on the state grounds.

There are efforts being made by local groups to keep parks open in their immediate vicinities. While this may help in some instances, smaller government agencies are suffering financially too and it may be just a matter of time before even these efforts will lack financial backing. Of course there is no way of knowing when or if the parks might open for business again.

So now we know that a lot of the parks will be closing
There wont be any camping in the parks
There wont be any hiking in the parks
There wont be any day use in most of the parks

The state of Arizona maybe able to save money as they eliminate jobs and cut back on expenses but can you imagine telling your family that there isn’t anyplace to go camping or that there aren’t hiking trails open. Your going to have to watch closely sites such as this one to keep up with what is open and what is not. Closings will include the following:

Tonto Natural Bridge
Red Rock State Park near Sedona
The Lost Dutchman State Park near Apache Junction
Tombstone Courthouse in Tombstone will also close.

We will report on closings as soon as we hear of them and try to inform you about the alternatives that are available.

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