Badger Brawl-Cliff-Walk-Esplanade Loop

Badger Brawl-Cliff-Walk-Esplanade Loop

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

Mountain views on the Esplanade Trail

If the human brain has a “dangerous things archive”, an image of a roaring desert wash ought to be seared into it. 

This hike exposes the power of running water.

For Arizonans especially, the fear of running water should rank right up there with snakes and heights.  Although storm water raging through usually-dry channels solicits choirs of oohs and ahhs, the flows are definitely not something to mess with.

Creosote smells wonderful after rains.

They can go from trickle to torrent in minutes.  Driving, riding or hiking through them is extremely risky and potentially deadly. Need more evidence? Next time you’re hiking by a creek or wash, look up into the trees. Those wads of debris dangling high above mark where the water was.

Wash and creek bed crossings are key features of the hike.

That’s why it’s always smart to steer clear of trails that cross waterways until the swells subside. It only takes a day or two for the trails and crossings to dry out enough to pass through safely. Also, not using trails when they are wet and soggy helps prevent the kind of damage that ruins drainage systems, creates dangerous conditions and encourages the blazing of “work around” paths that destroy native vegetation.  

Skull Mesa framed by greenery around Apache Wash

A good place to observe the force of water in a desert landscape is in the north sector of the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Hedged between the Carefree Highway and Sonoran Desert Drive east of Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, the chunk of pristine desert holds many surprises.

The trails here offer a diverse menu of options including moderate ridgeline rambles, barrier-free strolls and easy explorations of the wily water alleys that permeate the area. 

A healthy saguaro on Badger Brawl Trail.

A hike on the easy-rated Badger Brawl-Cliff Walk-Esplanade loop on the preserve’s far east end is one of the best ways to explore the transformative powers of water.

Using trails when they are wet causes damage like this.

The circuit begins with a short walk on the Apache Wash Trail which traces a ragged drainage fringed with greenery.  Soon, the trail dips into the first of several wash crossings where signs warn not to attempt when water is running. 

Ironwood trees dot the desert plains.

The circuit is flat and easy.

Above the washes, sunny stretches of classic desert are dotted with saguaros, cholla and isolated patches of mesquite and Palo Verde trees that throw bits of shade on a flatland littered with basalt lava blobs and milky quartz.

Filaree or Stork's Bill grows along the trails.

Where the route wanders through open desert, mountain views--dominated by Skull Mesa and Black Mountain to the north--bolster the horizons.  

Heed this warning.

The  2.9-mile Cliff Walk Trail tethers the three legs of the loop with a traverse of the banks above the Cave Creek river channel. Scattered boulders, plant dregs and frazzled edges of the waterway document the ferocity of flash floods.

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve Trails are well-signed.

The return leg of the trip follows the level grade of the Esplanade Trail--an unfettered space of quiet beauty safe from the sporadic deluges of creeks and washes.

Black Mountain (right) seen from Apache Wash Trail.

LENGTH:  8.56 miles

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 1720 - 1910 feet

GETTING THERE:

Apache Wash Trailhead, 1600 E. Sonoran Desert Drive, Phoenix.

From Loop 101 in north Phoenix, take Cave Creek Road exit 28 and go 4.5 miles north to Sonoran Desert Drive. Turn left (west) and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right. The preserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset. There are restrooms but no water at the trailhead.

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the trailhead, follow Apache Wash Trail (AW) 0.5-mile to Badger Brawl Trail (BB). Continue 1.55 miles on BB to Cliff Walk (CW) and hike it 2.9 miles to where you’ll swing back on the Esplanade Trail (E).  There’s a shortcut roughly halfway up CW that cuts 2.25 miles off the big loop. Follow Esplanade 3.4 miles back to AW, veer left and hike 0.73 mile back to the trailhead.

INFO & MAPS:

https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran-preserve/trails

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RIDGEBACK OVERLOOK-APACHE VISTA CIRCUIT

RIDGEBACK OVERLOOK-APACHE VISTA CIRCUIT

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

Ridgeback Trail

Hikers approach the Ridgeback Overlook 

There's no better time than around the holidays to take advantage of the head-clearing benefits of hiking. When overwhelmed by travel plans, entertaining guests, shopping, decorating and hyper-excited kids, sometimes you just need to break away and breath on a peaceful mountain top. You don't have to drive far, load down on heavy duty gear or spend an entire day in the wilderness to get to such a place. In fact, if all you have is a few hours to spare, you can still knock off a double header high point trek in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Beginning at the Apache Wash Trailhead, follow Sidewinder Trail 0.86 mile to the Apache Vista turnoff. This 0.51 mile spur trail circles over two minor peaks above sprawling desert arroyos where on most mornings, commercial hot air balloons float overhead.

Apache Vista Trail

Enjoy the show then descend and continue 0.3 mile on Sidewinder then turn left onto Apache Wash Trail, hike 0.4 mile an turn right on Ocotillo. From here, follow the signs to Ridgeback Overlook for a second short loop on a desert mountain peak. If you're satisfied with just this double peak circuit, hike back down to Ocotillo Trail and hoof it back to the trailhead. Otherwise, download the preserve map and make a day of it on the more than 35 miles of trails that criss-cross the preserve's northern sector.

Ridgeback Overlook Trail

LENGTH: 5.1 miles round trip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 1720' - 2002'

GETTING THERE:

Apache Wash Trailhead, 1600 E. Sonoran Desert Dr., Phoenix.

From Loop 101 in north Phoenix, take Cave Creek Road exit 28 and go 4.5 miles north to Sonoran Desert Drive. Turn left (west) and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right. The preserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset. There are restrooms but no water at the trailhead.

INFO & MAP:

https://www.phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran-preserve

APACHE WASH LOOP

APACHE WASH LOOP

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve

Apache Wash Loop Trail

In an environment where plants and animals must adapt and invent to survive, desert washes play a critical role in managing life's most precious commodity. These serpentine natural gutters corral and horde rain water in ways that create ribbon-like forests and natural underground reservoirs.

A sure-fire way to get an education about the transformative power of washes is to take a hike on the Apache Wash Loop Trail in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. The trail dodges through and around a water-scoured furrow and its companion linear oasis that coils through flatlands below a chain of minor desert peaks.

The rugged, tree-lined trench is scoured by storms that come mostly in torrential bursts accompanied by churning clouds and lightning theatrics. During these downpours, massive walls of water roll off surrounding slopes into low lying channels forming transient rivers of debris. Flowing washes are far more dangerous than they appear, so to avoid being swept away, never attempt to hike (or drive) through one while water is running. There are warning signs where the trail crosses the wash, so pay heed. Porous soils soak up the rainfall almost as quickly as it appears but the benefits are long-lasting. The fringe of green lining the wash is made up of deep-rooted trees and shrubs like mesquite, palo verde, catclaw and ironwood that tap into underground water reserves. This tightly woven community of desert adapted plants huddled among water-tumbled boulders, sandbars and super size saguaros provide pleasant shade spots along the route. Although wildlife is most active at dawn and dusk, javelina wallows, nests and burrow diggings belie a robust critter population dependent on the wash and its reliable stashes of water and food.

The easy loop trail is simple to follow and offers both shortcut options and access to an optional summit climb. Posts at every junction show your position, distance and elevation. After hiking the loop, take a side trip up to Apache Vista to get a bird's eye look at the meandering miracle of the wash.

LENGTH: 6.7 miles (including access trails)

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 1700' - 1820'

GETTING THERE:

Apache Wash Trailhead.

1600 East Sonoran Desert Drive, Phoenix.

From Loop 101 in north Phoenix, take Cave Creek Road exit 28, go 4.5 miles north to Sonoran Desert Drive, turn left (west) and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right.

INFO & MAPS: Sonoran Preserve Ranger Office: 602-262-7901

http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran/

New Phoenix Sonoran Preserve trails

APACHE VISTA & RIDGEBACK OVERLOOK CIRCUIT

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve, North

Climbing Ridgeback trail

On Saturday, November 9, 2013,  former Phoenix mayor Skip Rimza and other city officials dedicated the Apache Vista trailhead amid a crowd of eager Valley hikers, bikers and equestrians. With 21 miles of new trails, deciding where to begin exploring this northern extension of Phoenix Sonoran Preserve can be a dilemma. Suggestion---head for the hills. Ridgeback Overlook and Apache Vista are highpoints capping this cluster of Sonoran Desert trails.  A map board at the trailhead shows how to cobble together a route to climb to both hilltops.  The peaks each have short loop trails winding over the cholla-encrusted summits that give excellent 360-degree views of both the trail system layout and iconic Valley landmarks.

Looking south from Sidewinder trail

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the trailhead, hike north on Sidewinder to Apache Vista.  After ascending, hike back down and continue on Sidewinder, connect with Apache Wash, turn left  and hike to Ocotillo.  Turn right, hike Ridgeback Trail to the overlook loop. After ascending, climb back down, backtrack to the Ocotillo/Apache Wash junction and follow Ocotillo back to the trailhead.

LENGTH: 5.50 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 1720' - 2002'

HOURS: 5 a.m. to sunset or 7 p.m., whichever comes first.

FACILITIES: restrooms, shaded seating, horse staging area, map kiosk (no water)

Former Phoenix mayor Skip Rimza dedicates the site

GETTING THERE:

From Loop 101 in north Phoenix, take Cave Creek Road exit 28 and go 4.5 miles north to Sonoran Desert Drive.  Turn left (west) and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right.

INFO & MAPS: Sonoran Preserve Ranger Office: 602-262-7901

https://www.phoenix.gov/parkssite/Documents/095100.pdf

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Apache Wash trailhead opening this Saturday!

APACHE WASH TRAILHEAD GRAND OPENING
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013
Just in time for the Valley's premier hiking season, a beautiful new trailhead in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve, north, will be opened at 8 a.m this Saturday.  In addition to providing access to over 20 miles of new hiking trails, the site will include restrooms, maps and plenty of parking (no water). I've been driving by this place for months--- like a kid waiting for the candy store to open. And, although I've hiked the trails  from the Carefree Highway access points, this trailhead---located along gorgeous Sonoran Desert Drive---will be a major improvement over the amenity-lacking dirt lots.

LOCATION: 1600 E. Sonoran Desert Drive, Phoenix.

GETTING THERE:

From Loop 101 in north Phoenix, take Cave Creek Road exit 28 and go 4.5 miles north to Sonoran Desert Drive. Turn left (west) and continue 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right.

MAPS:
http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran/

Slinky desert trail with a quad-burning bite

SIDEWINDER TRAIL

Phoenix Sonoran Preserve, North

Sidewinder Trail

The newest additions to the trails of this Phoenix recreation area are an eclectic collection of wide, shared-use tracks, slim footpaths and desert mountain vista points wandering among an archipelago of low-slung peaks.  Located in a separate stretch of Sonoran desert north of the preserve's established southern maze of trails around Union Peak, the new routes add 21.4 miles of local hiking options. The paths are easy-to-moderate, interconnected and all are marked with excellent signage that includes location, elevation, mileage, GPS coordinates and QR codes for downloading maps.  At just under 7 miles, aptly named Sidewinder Trail is the longest route in the system. Its serpentine course--cut on the edge of rocky slopes--serves as a backbone connector for 6 other trails. Although the grades are not too tough, this trail’s snake in the grass is its constant ups-and-downs, which makes the hike more strenuous that it might appear.

High point of the trail

LENGTH:  6.98 miles one way

RATING:  moderately difficult

ELEVATION: 1737' - 2000'

HOURS: 6 a.m. to sunset or 7 p.m. whichever comes first

GETTING THERE:

From Phoenix, travel north on I17 to Carefree Hwy (AZ74).  Turn right (east) and continue to the stoplight at 7^th Ave.  Park in the dirt lot on the right (south) side of the road.  No facilities at this trailhead.  The Apache Wash trailhead on Sonoran Desert Blvd,  which opened on Nov. 9, 2013, is the southern access point.

INFO: City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation

http://phoenix.gov/parks/trails/locations/sonoran/ 

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