Happy Valley Trails

One of the criteria at the top of our list when we were searching for a house in Phoenix twelve years ago was that we would be able to hike and ride our mountain bikes in the desert without having to drive more than ten miles to the nearest trailhead. Better yet, we'd be thrilled to have trails within walking distance from our front door. We found the perfect place, confirmed after a walk in the rain into Deem Hills Recreation Area from our prospective home just north of Happy Valley Road. Perhaps we became intoxicated by the sweet smell of creosote in the air, or captivated by the rainbow arching over the saguaro-studded ridgeline. A contract was signed the next day and we've been hiking and biking out our front door nearly every day since!

Miraculously, the number of trail miles to hike and bike near our neighborhood has multiplied over the past decade. The City of Phoenix expanded the formal trail system in Deem Hills from a few miles to over eight in 2010. A year later, fourteen miles were carved into the hills of the newly designated Sonoran Preserve just east of I-17, well within our ten-mile circle. Less than a year ago, twenty more trail miles were created, along with expansive parking and restroom facilities at Apache Wash, just south of Carefree Highway. To the south and west, Glendale's Thunderbird Conservation Park and Peoria's WestWing trail system double again our options.

These city parks and preserves are just a sampling of the network of desert trails that have earned the Phoenix Metropolitan area a spot in the top ten of the world's most Biophilic Cities, a program that recognizes urban areas that have intentionally incorporated ways for people to interact with natural landscapes into daily life. Grand designs for a 242-mile Maricopa Trail that will link all nine Maricopa County regional parks and a 336-mile CAP Recreation Trail planned to extend the entire length of the Central Arizona Project canal (CAP) are also underway, which would make the Central Valley of Arizona one of the most bike-able, walk-able and equestrian friendly suburban areas in North America.

Come see…and walk, or ride...for yourself!