Hikes, Honky-Tonks and Hangouts

HIKES, HONKY-TONKS & HANGOUTS

Check out my feature in the November-December 2023 issue of PHOENIX magazine: Hikes, Honky-Tonks & Hangouts. 'Nuf said!

On Newsstands November 2nd. PHOENIX magazine is on sale at all major grocery, pharmacy and book retailers in the Phoenix area. The current issue also may be purchased by calling the PHOENIX magazine office at 480-478-8806 or online at phoenixmag.com/shop. 

 

Granite-Keefer Hill Circuit

GRANITE-KEEFER HILL CIRCUIT

Paloma Regional Preserve

Saguaros frame mountain views on the Granite Trail

The landscape of Paloma Regional Preserve is defined by a massive, flat drainage basin punctuated with a few minor knolls of volcanic rock.

Volcanic outcroppings in Paloma Regional Preserve

New River, when it runs, spills right down the middle of it in untamed rivulets, muddy channels, and occasional torrents. 

Crested saguaro in the Keefer Hill Trail

Bounded by a crescent of desert hills, terra cotta rooftops and the Westwing and Eastwing Mountain Preserves, the large water scoured expanse interfaces seamlessly with its suburban Peoria location. Trail users may walk in from several adjacent parks and neighborhood access points where family-friendly facilities and cul-de-sacs melt easily into acres of protected Sonoran Desert.

Westwing Mountain viewed from Granite Trail

Paloma Regional Preserve’s trail offerings diverge from those of its climb-centric sister preserves. Instead of abrupt stacked loops that culminate on desert mountain summits, the sprawling flatlands are outfitted with a slew of serpentine routes that take their time rolling out the goodies.

New River basin seen from the Granite Trail

  While the preserve’s Compass Rose Trail does ascend to a minor peak, it's an anomaly in an otherwise level field.  

Granite boulders on the eponymous trail

All preserve trails are linked and connect with Eastwing and Westwing parks, so customizing loops and long treks is easy. 

"Salt & Pepper" basalt and quartz line the trails

A good way to start is to make a lollipop loop using the Multi-Use Path A, Granite, New River, and Keefer Hill trails. The hike begins at the 10-acre Sonoran Mountain Ranch Park at the preserve’s east end.

New River Dam seen from Keefer Hill Trail

The trails are accessed from the park’s paved perimeter path where a trailhead with benches and a map kiosk mark the start point.  A 0.3-mile walk on Multi-Use Path A leads to the junction with the 1.7-mile Granite Trail.  The twisty singletrack makes a mild ascent through volcanic boulders, topping out on a rocky mound overlooking the course of New River.  The mesquite-cluttered intermittent waterway appears as a ribbon of green below the ridgeline of Westwing Mountain. 

Tonto National Forest mountains seen from New River Trail

The trail then winds down passing through creosote-dominated terrain strewn with a salt-and-pepper mix of black basalt and white quartz chips.  To the north, the Cave Creek Mountains and peaks and mesas of Tonto National Forest stand out on a hazy horizon.  The circuit follows the New River Trail a few yards to the Keefer Hill Trail junction. The 0.62-mile path traces the base of a 1,650-foot isolated butte. 

View from the high point on Granite Trail

A few feet in, a crested saguaro hovers above a clutter of Palo Verde trees, its elaborate crown splayed into a contorted, spiny bouquet.

Start point for the hike

Beyond the end of the Keefer Hill Trail that rounds crumbling flanks and boulder passages, the Flood Control District of Maricopa County managed New River Dam tames the tendrils of the freeform desert waterway, intercepting its deluge of the manicured subdivisions below.

Preserve trails are well signed

LENGTH: 5.24 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  1,412 – 1,515 feet (604 feet of accumulated elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

Sonoran Mountain Ranch Park, 7098 W. Miner Trail, Peoria.

From Phoenix, go north on I-17 to Happy Valley Road exit 218. Go 5 miles west on Happy Valley Road to 67^th Avenue, turn right and drive 2.8 miles (road becomes Pyramid Peak Pkwy.) to Sonoran Mountain Ranch Road.  Veer left and go 0.5-mile to Chalfen Blvd., turn left, continue 0.1-mile to Miner Trail and follow the signs to Sonoran Mountain Ranch Park. Turn left into the parking area signed for Eastwing Mountain Trail. Hike begins at the far west end of the park’s paved perimeter trail.

HOURS: sunrise to sunset daily

FACILITIES: restrooms, picnic ramadas, playground, basketball courts. No fees.

INFO: City of Peoria

https://www.peoriaaz.gov/trails