Hike #43 - Telegraph Pass Trail - South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ

Telegraph Pass Lookout

Paul and I hiked this trail on my birthday, October 27, 2013. Telegraph Pass Trail is a short and fairly easy hike with spectacular views of Ahwatukee and South Phoenix.  This is a popular trail so expect to pass lots of people.  The trail has an elevation gain of 500' and the distance is 2.3 miles RT. We extended the hike by continuing left on Summit Road and up to Telegraph Pass Lookout .25 miles, then continued on the Pyramid Trail another mile or so.  We hiked in late afternoon and appreciated the shade as we hiked up the East side.  The trail starts out as a wheelchair accessible paved path which continues around the neighborhood. After .4 miles there is a sign for Telegraph Pass Trail. Shortly after starting on the trail we passed Hohokam petroglyphs that are dated about 600 years old.
As with most AZ desert hikes, this trail comes alive in the Spring with wildflowers.  We saw many cacti including; cholla, saguaro, barrel cactus, hedgehog, ocotillo.
 

Saguaro

Hedgehog cactus

Cholla

Petroglyphs

Hike #42 - Alta Trail - South Mountain Park, Phoenix, AZ

South Mountain Park in Phoenix, AZ offers a variety of trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The Alta Trail is a moderate hike of approx. 4 miles RT starting off of San Juan Road.  The trail has an elevation gain of approx. 1100'.  It is best to hike in the Spring or Fall when the temperatures in Phoenix are cooler or early morning in the summer.  Paul and I hiked the first week of October during the week and there were few people. We were limited on time so we did not continue on to the Bajada Loop or National Trail but these are options we may try in the future making for a longer hike.  This hike offers impressive views of South Phoenix, downtown Phoenix and South Mountain Park.  Parking is limited to only 5 cars so it is best to go at an off peak time.