Sunday Drive: Family Hiking in Phoenix

This week in Phoenix it has been in the mid to high 80’s. In my opinion, the next few weeks are the perfect time to be outside and active! One of my favorite things to do is hike the mountains of the Valley. No matter where you are at in Phoenix, you are never more than 45 minutes away from a good hiking trail. No matter your skill level, each mountain has something for you!

My family has a few favorite trails in the valley that are easy to make. Each trail is different and I love that the views are each unique.

Our favorite Family Hikes in Phoenix include:

• Waterfall Trail at White Tank Mountains (West Phoenix)
• Sunrise and Coach Whip at Thunderbird Conservation Park (Northwest Phoenix)
• South Mountain, there are quite a few easy trails here (South Phoenix)
• Hole in the Rock Trail at Papago Mountain (Central Phoenix, near Phoenix Zoo, short and sweet)

There are plenty of other family friendly trails in AZ. Look up the mountain you want to hike before you go and plan out your hike!

Tips for family hiking in Phoenix:

• Always tell others where you are hiking.
• If the mountain your are visiting is free to enter, be sure to write on a piece of paper the number of people in your group and the time you are leaving for your hike. This helps rangers know if anyone leaves a vehicle longer than they should, if they should be concerned. If you enter a paid park to hike, more than likely they will give you a ticket to put on your dash.
• Bring water, no exceptions. Even during the colder seasons it’s easy to think you won’t need water. Never start a trail without a sufficient amount of water.
• Be sure everyone in your adventure has appropriate shoes. I remember hiking when I was younger in Keds (yeah I know) and I fell and it knocked the wind out of me. I vividly remember that as the day that I would ALWAYS wear shoes with tread on them during a hike.
• Bring a backpack and pack granola bars, nuts or other small snacks. Also pack things like sunscreen, hats etc.
• Stay on trail, it’s important to make note of where your trail is leading. Be sure to take note of your surroundings and where you have been. Some people decide to backtrack on trails and often times trails connect and it could be easy to get turned around.
• Take photos of things you find on your adventures like the different cacti on the mountains. Then when you get home you can research the things you found!
• Remember to keep a first aid kit with you that includes bandaids, tweezers etc. You can purchase a hiking one on Amazon for only $10!
• Take your trash WITH you! It’s disappointing to see so much trash on our trails. In fact we started bringing grocery bags with us and make it a competition to see who can collect the most trash.

Looking for more trails? Check out http://www.everytrail.com/best/hiking-phoenix-arizona

What are your favorite trails in the Valley?