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| - This trail provides a great workout in a moderate amount of time. Being only 1.2 miles one way, it's short enough that you can do the whole thing in less than 2 hours. It elevates pretty quickly so it gets your heart rate up, and there are just enough benches along the way to use as trail markers and resting points to pace yourself. It's not as difficult a hike as Echo Canyon on Camelback Mountain, but since that trail is currently closed right now, this is the next-to-best thing in the valley.
I love this trail, but it is so popular you can almost never find a parking spot without lingering in the area for at least half an hour (yes it's ridiculous, hence the 4 stars). However, there is a way around this...Some of my friends are training for the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim hike this summer, so we tried to incorporate a longer hike in along with the Summit Trail to add in some difficulty. Since the Phoenix Mountain Preserve trails connect to the Squaw Peak parking lots, we would start hiking the Quartz Ridge Trail from 40th and Shea (a MUCH less crowded spot where you can usually find parking), connect to Squaw Peak and do the Summit Trail, and then continue back on the loop Quartz Ridge Trail back to 40th and Shea. This routine will provide training for strength and distance. Just make sure you start at the crack of dawn in the summer...the heat gets to be unbearable even in the early morning!
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