Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Sonoran Preserve Trail in North Phoenix

I know many of my friends enjoy hiking and running, so I wanted to share a great little trail that you might not know about yet. The Sonoran Preserve Trail was just recently completed in the spring of this year.
At the north end, there is a mostly flat one mile connector trail to Sonoran Parkway. On the south end, the other connector leads to a trailhead with a nice large parking area. (The trailhead can be a little tricky to find. See the zoomed in map below.)

Joel and I have both enjoyed running this trail as we train for our upcoming half marathon. I start at the trailhead and do the 4.6-mile loop. Joel's a bit farther ahead in his training, so he just starts from our house and runs to the connector trail on the north end to get to the loop. The trail has some pretty good inclines, but as you can see from the contours, much of the trail is gradually sloped and perfect for running. We also see a few mountain bikers enjoying the trail. (Note: I've seen a significant uptick in javalina and coyote activity in the area lately. Be aware of your surroundings on the trail, and take extra caution at dusk!)

I really enjoy the scenery on the trail. There is an abundance of cholla scattered on the slopes, and the trail meanders through lots of sandy desert washes. One of the deeper washbeds is home to an old Ford Explorer that was left behind to rust and rot in the sun.

If you live in the north valley, be sure to take advantage of this little treasure of a trail! And if you're ever looking for a hiking or running buddy, leave me a comment or send me an e-mail!


3 comments:

D.L. White said...

Fun! When I was growing up, my family used to go out to the various parks on the edges of the city and go walking/hiking on the trails. That's something I think I'd like to work back into my life. (Add it to the long list of things I'd like to do. If only I didn't have this pesky job, taking up 8 hours of my day...)

Oh, and I just have to say, that first photo you posted is just breathtaking! Who says the desert can't be beautiful? :)

Ryan and Alicia said...

What a beautiful spot. Next time we're down there I'll have to take Ryan and the kids for a hike.

Kristi said...

Ditto with Davina on the photo--gorgeous!

And, this reminds me that we need to get back into hiking. This week?