Ok, ok, if you've been here you already know about the infamous "parking situation," which leaves a bit to be desired. But even that cannot take away from the awesomeness of this serene oasis in the busy metropolis. One of my favorite aspects of this well-traveled hiking destination is the variety of trails, both in regard to level of effort or skill and distance. South Mountain offers everything from leisurely strolls to bouldering your way to the top of a ridgeline. I have hiked here several times and I'm always finding new trail combinations. The trail may be a bit more crowded than the introverts prefer but I've always found friendly faces and warm greetings from my fellow travelers. There are also permanent structure bathrooms near the parking lot that are well-maintained and always stocked with toilet paper. And as for parking, South Mountain does have a trail that leads all the way from the entrance gate of the park to the trailhead so you can just think of you parking spot on the road as the origin point for your adventure that day ;)
A word to the wise: The trailhead has fantastic information about heat safety. I cannot count the number of times I've run into people miles from the trailhead who are clearly reaching heat exhaustion and have NO WATER! Bring plenty of water with you, even if you only intend on taking a short hike. On an 80 degree day (which we know is mild here) a person needs at least 32oz of water for a 2-3 hour hike to remain properly hydrated.