Arizona was made for Outdoor Adventures
Arizonans love the outdoors. And why shouldn’t they. With over 300 sunny days a year and winter temperatures averaging over 20C, the Valley of the Sun is the perfect spot for hiking, biking, horseback riding… and the trails are everywhere.
In late 2013, a new series of trails were opened in northern Phoenix in the city's Sonoran Preserve. Easily accessible, just a few miles west of I-17 on Dove Valley Road (where it becomes Sonoran Desert Drive), the Apache Wash Trailhead has over 20 miles of trails, restroom facilities, a covered picnic area, hitching area for horses and a large parking lot with a capacity of 200 vehicles.
Something for Everyone
There are trails here for everyone – all ages and skill levels. Each time we have been there we have shared the trails with other cyclists, hikers and horseback riders. We ride our bikes and our kids love it. The views are spectacular and the trails are well marked.
At the foot of the trailhead is a large map detailing the difficulty and distance for each trail. For the slightly less adventurous, there is a 5 mile paved, multipurpose path which borders the southern edge of preserve. This pathway is dedicated to the former mayor of Phoenix, Skip Rimsza, who was a driving force behind the creation of these desert sanctuaries.
Preservation for the Future
The City of Phoenix has a mandate to preserve natural areas to ensure that outdoor adventures remain possible for future generations. The Sonoran Preserve is more than 16,000 acres in area, second in size only to South Mountain. Currently Phoenix’s desert preserves protect more than 33,000 acres of the Sonoran desert.
