Heading to Pheonix area in January

[wigg006]

Hey everyone my girlfriend and I are heaed to the Pheonix area for a week to mtb. We are looking for suggestions for places to ride, we are bringing the travel trailer and gonna stay at McDowell regional park but we can throw the bikes in the truck and drive places too. Any help would be great!

Thanks,
Tony

[NDTransplant]

Hi Tony-

You have certainly picked the right place and the right time of year for some amazing mountain biking! I am probably a little biased, though. 😃

When you tire of the McDowell Mountains, there are some other popular trail areas that you might find enjoyable. To the southwest of where you’ll be camped is the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, which has a popular trail known as the #100.

To the south and a little bit east is the Usery Mountain Regional Park. Usery Pass/Pass Mountain is a popular loop that offers some stunning scenery (well, if you like cactus, that is) and some challenging sections. I believe there is a $6.00 entry fee to get into the park, but there is another entrance accessible on the south side of the park (202 East Mountain Freeway/McKellips Rd, go east on McKellips until road curves directly south; park on shoulder of road) for a $2.00 fee, payable on the honor system.

You may also enjoy an area on the far south side of Phoenix, known as South Mountain, which has a variety of trails in all different challenge levels. No entrance fees to access South Mountain.

Those are just three of the more ‘popular’ areas, and there are many, many others.

If you can pick up a copy of Cosmic Ray’s Fat Tire Tales & Trails book (circa early 2000’s, but still a very popular book for finding MTB trails in different parts of AZ) it may be of help to you in planning some rides. Many of the local bike shops would have this book.

Enjoy your time! Hope this helps you out a bit. Others may chime in with more detailed/better info… 😃

The Hawes Trail system, a couple miles north of East McDowell Rd/Power Rd intersection is another one worth riding.

[wigg006]

Awesome, thanks for all the info I’m sure it will help alot. Can’t wait to get to ride, got another 4" of snow tonight so far 😠 where I’m at in Colorado. I think we’re gonna hit flag/sedona area for a day or two also.

[abegold]

East of Phoenix are 2 great trails. Gold Canyon’s K-Trail network may be most fun network in the state. Just south of the Superstitions in a saguaro forest. Lots of whoops!
Farther east, just before Florence is Picket Post Mountain and the Arizona Trail. This one is for serious climbers, tough but highly scenic and can be shuttled thru Ripsey Ridge of a 35 mile ride.
Flagstaff (6900′) will be pretty cold but Sedona has so many trails (4500′) you could spend the month. Black Canyon Trail is right off I-17 in places.

[Mark Larson]

Definitely make a trip east to Usery Mtn Park. The Pass Mtn trail from east to west is a fav, and ends at the Blevins loop. Be sure to wear knee pads, any OFF on the granite out here is guaranteed to need stitches.

[ckeeler11]

If you do end up in the East Valley you will have to hit up Hawes. great scenery and some challenging stuff but not kill ya stuff.

HAve not been out to Gold Canyon but have read alot of great stuff about the trails there. you could spend a day there with all the different loptions.

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