RANGER TRAIL
South Mountain Park, Phoenix
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| View from the National Trail on the Gila Range of So.Mtn. |
South Mountain cuts an impressive profile in the skyline
south of downtown Phoenix.
The “mountain” isn’t a singular massif as the name implies,
but a conglomerate of three parallel ranges that sit within the park boundaries
and dovetail in a way that creates a fascinating environment of canyons, washes
and rugged pinnacles. Over 50 miles of trails explore the park’s nooks,
alcoves, high points and heritage sites.
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| The Ranger Trail crosses a scoured bajada. |
Trails range in difficulty form the
barrier-free Judith Tunell trail near the South Mountain Environmental
Education Center to the challenging routes that ascend the three ranges for
panoramic views of the Valley. As the park undergoes a major freshening-up in
advance of its 100-year anniversary in 2024, there are more reasons than ever
to take a hiking trip to this 16,000+-acre municipal park and Phoenix point of
pride. Improved facilities, more and better trails and upgraded trailheads will
undo much of the spoilage caused by nearly a century of use.
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| The Ranger Trail departs from the Five Tables picnic area |
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| Seed pods on a Foothills palo verde tree |
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| An edge-hugging section of the Ranger Trail. |
Hikers looking for a trail with a moderate level of
difficulty and enough elevation gain to get to outstanding mountaintop vistas,
will find the Ranger Trail is an excellent choice. Beginning at the Five Tables picnic
area where crowds are lighter than at many of the park’s bigger trailheads, the
moderated-rating route heads up to a scenic notch in the Gila Range, the linear
hill that rises at the cusp of the Ma Ha Tauk Range to the north and the massive
Guadalupe Range to the east.
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| The Sierra Estrella Mountains on the western horizon |
A few yards
from the trail, the route crosses a mesquite-cluttered bajada—a wash-like
geological feature where debris and sediments scoured from the surrounding
mountains have cut a deep channel through the foothills. The first 0.7-mile of
the hike is an easy walk through open desert with sporadic palo verde trees,
huge saguaros and fragrant creosote shrubs that frame views of the pointed
peaks of the Sierra Estrella Mountains on the western horizon.
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| Much of the Ranger Trail follows a rocky, edgy path |
Where the trail crosses Summit Road, the
route begins a continual climb on edge-hugging switchbacks that dodge in-and-out of stony clefts and tight
bends. On the way up, views of the
geometric layout of downtown melts into suburbs and distant wilderness
mountains. Sometimes, pop-pop sounds of target practice coming from the nearby
police academy rifle range echo off the slopes.
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| View from the top of the Gila Range in So. Mtn. Park |
The Ranger Trail ends just a few yards from the National Trail, a
15.5-mile path that’s the highest and longest in the park. The final trudge to the crest pays off with
sweeping 360-degree vistas that incorporate urban centers, farmlands and
sprawling bedroom communities.
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| Ranger Trail crosses Summit Road |
Although
this perch makes for a satisfying 3-miler turnaround point, the hike may be extended
by consulting the park map. One easy add-on option is to head hike 1.4 miles
east on the National Trail to the iconic Telegraph Pass Lookout for a 5.8-mile
trip.
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| View of the destination high point on the Ranger Trail |
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| Fragrant creosote shrubs line the lower section of the trail |
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| Steep switchbacks near the top of the Ranger Trail |
LENGTH:
3 miles round trip
RATING:
moderate
ELEVATION:
1,443 – 2,278 feet
GETTING THERE:
From
downtown Phoenix, go south on Central Avenue to the main park gate. Continue
one mile on the main park road (Steven Mather Drive) to the turn off for the
Five Tables picnic area, turn left, go 0.1-mile and turn right into the
trailhead parking area.
INFO:
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