Cholla Loop

CHOLLA LOOP

View from near the summit of Cholla Loop

No stranger to hikers in search of a summit, the Arrowhead Point Trail in Glendale’s Thunderbird Conservation Park gets plenty of love.

An edge-hugging section of Cholla Loop

The 1.5-mile route crushes its way up to a familiar mountaintop cairn and American flag by way of compressed switchbacks.

Brittlebush bloom profusely in the park

It’s a great way to get a quick workout and enjoy the company of other hikers. But for those who prefer a longer, slightly less strenuous, and crowded alternative--there’s a flip side. 

A gentle descent on the trail's western leg

The Cholla Loop is located across 55^th Avenue which bisects the 1,185-acre park in the Hedgpeth Hills.  One of 8 paths that make up the park’s 15-mile non-motorized trail system Cholla Loop may be accessed two ways from the Pinnacle Peak Road  trailhead. 

New River Mesa on the horizon

For direct access and to get most of the steep climbing done early in the hike, walk a few yards west from the parking area, cross 55^th Ave and follow the trail signs. After a short warmup section, the trail takes on the hill in zig-zag format, climbing steadily among volcanic boulder fields, rockslides, and acres of blooming brittlebush.

Scorpionweed is a bright early bloomer

Several level spots on the way up  afford excellent views of the north Valley, surrounding suburbs, distant mountain ranges and parade of hikers scaling Arrowhead Point. The saguaro-ringed high point is attained about a mile in. 

Use Coach Whip trail to tie up the loop

Here, vistas extend to include the skyline of Downtown Phoenix and the long profile of New River Mesa. 

View of Arrowhead Point from Cholla Loop

Shaded only by an occasional Palo Verde tree, the trail departs the highpoint on a series of edge-hugging, but less severe switchbacks, swinging along the hill’s northeast face in an in an undulating style that adds to the hike's over 700 feet of accumulated elevation change.

Thunderbird Park is an island of natural space.

A quick slingshot turn takes the trail over to the west face for its final descent where it meets a pedestrian bridge where hikers can pick up the Coach Whip Trail for return leg of the trip.

Looking west from Cholla Loop

LENGTH: 3.9 miles

RATING:  moderate - difficult

ELEVATION: 1,353 – 1,812 feet (771 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

Pinnacle Peak Road trailhead:

From Interstate 17 in Phoenix, take the Pinnacle Peak Road exit 217 and follow Pinnacle Peak Road 3.7 miles west to the park entrance on the left just before the traffic light at 55^th Ave.

FACILITIES: picnic ramadas, wildlife observation areas

HOURS: sunrise to sunset daily

INFO & MAP:

City of Glendale

https://www.glendaleaz.com/live/amenities/parks_facilities_trails/regional_parks/thunderbird_conservation_park