Best Places To Hike In The Phoenix Area - By: Rick Valence

Hiking in Arizona is like being in your own little piece of "Hiking Heaven". The changes in the terrain from arid desert to steep mountains make for a beautiful and invigorating excursion. Phoenix has literally thousands of acres of preserve land in both the desert and mountains that provide variety for even the most inexperienced hikers. The summit climbs are the most popular and they are generally very busy routes. You can also choose to ramble along quiet scenic valleys. The South Mountain Park Preserve has 16000 Acres of land to traverse and they also have trails designed for all comers from the beginner to the expert hiker. You may enjoy this preserve from 5:00am - 7:00pm seven, days a week.

If you are looking to enjoy some of Mother Natures' natural beauty you will definitely like to go hiking at Camelback Mountain. The red sandstone cliffs are attractive and the odd camel hump shape draws thousands of hikers each year. The beauty of the sun glistening off the cliff face is best at either sunrise or sunset. On the other end of this spectrum we have the Papago Park. This terrain looks like something out of a science fiction movie. You can so imagine Mr.Spock taking his final outdoorsman exam in an area as beautiful as this. Its very alienness makes the hiking here a vastly surreal experience. This is one of the most beautiful trails in Phoenix and, because of the low elevation, is great for families. Children tend to get breathless when going up into the greater altitudes.

All attempts to present you with a trail that is not run by the state of Arizona have failed. It looks like for those you will have to speak with the locals. All hikers like the thrill of walking the lanes less traveled and to find those takes a bit of footwork. The Mogollon Rim is as close to being off the beaten path as you can get. It is rife with a sense of History. You can see all the way to the peaks at the top of the Rim. There are four Reservations in the Arizona area and all have great hiking trails for the enthusiast who likes a bit of adventure on their hike.

Finally the Black Mesa Loop located in the Superstitious Mountains is a must see for every hiking fan. The beauty of the trails is at once breath taking and challenging. This one is best seen during the month of February to get the full effect. This is when Mother Nature has on her finest garb and all the rivers and streams are at full power. You will be able to get stunning views of the Four Peaks as well as Weavers' Needle rock formation. Hey, how often does one get to see a desert dressed in green anyway? This is a hiking trail that will take all day so when you go don't make dinner reservations.

About the Author

Rick Valence is a specialist at C.R.I.S. Camera Services, a Phoenix camera repair facility. Along with being a camera and photography enthusiast, in his spare time Rick enjoys blogging about camera repairs on the his company's blog and traveling around the world to find exotic regions and experiences to photograph.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Rick-Valence/108383

Additional Articles From - Home | Recreation & sport | Hiking