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PEORIA CALDERWOOD BUTTE PRESERVE
City of Peoria
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| Calderwood Butte |
The City of Peoria's long
incubated land preservation effort has spawned quadruplets. Four
beautiful mountain-centric preserves--East Wing, West Wing, Sunrise and
little sister, Calderwood Butte--have been saved from development,
built out with trails and are being nurtured for future generations
of recreational enthusiasts. All are located within burgeoning
suburban communities lodged between Interstate 17 and the Agua Fria
River. For hikers, the three "big sisters" offer excellent
routes with challenging climbs, tiered loops and easy options. On the
other hand, to those unfamiliar with it, Calderwood Butte gives the
impression of exactly what you'd expect of a stereotypical baby of
the family--a fussed over, coddled, hyper-protected spoiled soul
surrounded by toys. Its short length and the fact that it's swaddled
among manicured yards and swimming pools causes some to shrug it off
as too wussy to try. These misconceptions do not apply to the actual
hiking experience. Sure, it's a short hike and yes, the trail is
primped and trimmed; but with not one, but two high-point clambers,
walks beneath sheer cliffs and 360-degree views, this compact trek is
a satisfying journey. From the 99th Avenue trailhead, the path makes
an immediate ascent into the chiseled clefs of the oblong butte.
Flowing switchbacks wind around jagged pinnacles that hover over
mountain vistas, flood plains and the distant skyline of Downtown
Phoenix. The only thing "spoily" about this tiny trek will
be your regret for not hiking it sooner.
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| Overlooking Agua Fria River |
LENGTH: 1.2-mile loop
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 1,390' - 1,686'
GETTING THERE:
99th Avenue Trailhead:
From Interstate 17 in north
Phoenix, take the Loop 303 exit 221 and go 7.2 miles west to Lake
Pleasant Parkway exit 131. Turn left (south), drive 3.3 mile to Jomax
Road, turn right, go 0.3 mile to 99th Ave., turn right and continue
0.3 mile to the paved parking area on the right. There's a picnic
table, trash can and dog waste bag dispenser, but no other facilities.
Jomax Parkway access:
From 99th Ave. continue 0.6
mile west on Jomax Rd., veer right at Jomax Parkway and continue 0.2
mile to the trail cut. From here, it's roughly a mile to the loop.
There's limited parking along the road. No facilities.
INFO:
