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| - I love Pinnacle Peak. It has a moderate-level, one-way, 3.5-mile hiking trail located by the Troon neighborhood at the north-end of the City of Scottsdale. It's a beautiful park with some great views of it's own as well as the north-end of the McDowell Mountain Preserve. The difference in elevation from the lowest point on the trail to the highest isn't huge (just a few hundred feet; about 300 to 500 feet), but it'll easily get you're heart pumping pretty good with all the going up and down you have to do.
The trailhead consists of a parking lot with a generous number of parking spaces, but parking is also allowed along the sides of the street coming upon the park. You'll need them on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the AM. This place can get pretty packed to the point that I've seen a long line of people along the side of the mountain as you start up. Before you make you're way up on the trail, you are greeted with restrooms, an info area staffed with stewards, a veranda, and about 6 tables with benches on either side.
There are two areas on the trail with places to sit & rest or just enjoy the views. You come upon one of them pretty quickly on the trail; maybe around 3/4 of a mile from the trailhead. Pinnacle Peak is really great for families or for casual hikers just looking to be outside for a little while to enjoy the views, the sunset, and the sunrise. The second rest/viewing area is located down the end of the first peak right before the little valley that transitions into the second mountain on the trail.
I highly recommend Pinnacle Peak for trail runners or hikers looking for a quick workout. It's not a long trail so it doesn't take long to travel the entire trail and back. Trail runners should avoid avoid the peak times of Fri, Sat, & Sun in the AM. I might mention that dogs are not allowed on the trail. Furthermore, the hours of operation varies according to the season; for the most part that's from sunrise to sunset. The hours are posted at the trailhead and I'm sure it's also available on the park's website. You'll find stewards along the trail to let you know it's time to turn back when it's near closing.
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