The best thing about South Mountain is the location. It's nice to get out and about without having to drive more than a couple minutes. There are really long hikes if you are so inclined. As well as lots of short ones that can be done without a whole lot of planning or worry. Always print out the map it's pretty easy to get turned around as there are a lot of convergent trail heads in some places. There are always people on one or all of the trails either hiking or mountain biking on the north east sides of the park. So if you are looking for a solitary lone hiking experience this is not the best place. There are several entrance and parking points so there is never really a problem parking. The 24th street / Baseline entrance has a pretty steep hike up to get to the Mormon Loop which is pretty cool. The 48th Street entrance has pretty good parking and is close by as well. There are some pretty good views of the city and surrounding areas, but you don't ever feel all that remote and on your own as you would in places farther out. I haven't tried any hikes on the far south side yet, but I'll update when I do.