Home › Arizona › Phoenix › South Mountain Park and Preserve
South Mountain Park and Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 10,106 Google reviews · Running trail in Phoenix, Arizona · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Distance
- 100 mi
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from South Mountain Park and Preserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
16,000-acre area with many trails, wildlife & a drivable road to a lookout with sweeping city views.
What runners say about South Mountain Park and Preserve
“The scenery from the top was simply stunning, with panoramic views of lush green valleys, majestic peaks, and a clear blue sky stretching as far as the eye could see.”
“Great views safety quiet enjoy myself the natural reserve many trail I love alta trail because hills and beautiful scenic panoramic valley from the top.”
I did the annual national trail event and this was great, the whole thing was well organized and everyone was so positive. You would think with 300 people on the trail it would be crowded but it was spacious. It was a 15.
Beautiful mountain drive with many places to stop and hike! Picturesque views of Phoenix and the surrounding suburbs! Plenty of picnic spots and a very informative visitor center. There is also horse tours available close by. Totally worth the drive and completely FREE!
Lots of easy to navigate trails. Good variety of terrain and relatively crowd free. If you can't squeeze into the Mormon Trail parking lot, I highly recommend this as an alternate. Only about 3 miles away as the crow flies. 🙂
We hiked the Kiwanis Loop Trail. Its an easy to moderate trail. The first 1.5 miles were the easiest. There's a lookout tower at the 1.5 mile mark. You can see most of the valleys on both sides of South Mountain. This hike would be great for families. Take lots of water and start early in the morning.
Trail conditions & character
“The scenery from the top was simply stunning, with panoramic views of lush green valleys, majestic peaks, and a clear blue sky stretching as far as the eye could see.”
“Great views safety quiet enjoy myself the natural reserve many trail I love alta trail because hills and beautiful scenic panoramic valley from the top.”
“It was a 15.5 mile trek but I would recommend just arranging for a ride at the end of the mountain instead of the last 2 miles of the trail.”
“The new parking area and covered lookouts at the TV towers are great after making the final ascent.”
“Gentle slopes and varied terrain make the paths accessible to a range of fitness levels.”
Plan your run at South Mountain Park and Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- Distance100 mi as reported — check whether that is one way or a round trip before you commit. Long enough for a real long run.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websitephoenix.gov
- Phone(602) 495-5458
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 5 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 5 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 5 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 5 AM–7 PM |
| Friday | 5 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 5 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 5 AM–7 PM |
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