I am staying at Sheraton Wild Horse Pass resort close to Chandler, in south Phoenix area on business next week. I will have three periods of about 3 hrs each to hike. I usually hike in Sedona and have no experience w/hiking in Phoenix area. Can you recommend any nice moderate hikes of that length in that area? I will need to include drive time from that hotel to get to the hiking area. Thanks in advance.

I really enjoy hiking in South Mountain Park when I'm in the Phoenix area. It is not far from Chandler.

Here's a link to the site. It includes a map of the trails, some information about length/difficulty, and parking areas.

http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/hikesoth.html

I was also going to recommend South Mountain Park. Another place to hike is Papago Park in Phoenix, not too long of a drive. These trails might be too easy for you but you can go up to Hole In The Rock which is a moderate climb.

www.ci.phoenix.az.us/PARKS/hikepapa.html

You can also climb Camelback Mountain which is a little further away. Here is the link to the Phoenix area parks which includes Pagago Park.

www.ci.phoenix.az.us/PARKS/hikemain.html

Hi emd,

I've hiked South Mountain while staying with my daughter and her husband in Chandler. I'm not familiar enough with that area to tell you how to get there, but it's very, very nice hiking on a well maintained trail. Hopefully ms_go's website will help you find your way. There have always been enough people there while we've been there that I wouldn't have felt at all uncomfortable doing it alone, either. Hope you enjoy it. Weather should be about perfect!

Ok, South Mountain, Papago Park, and Camelback are all very good possibilities. Thanks very much to all 3 of you, and thanks for that map, ms go.

There is a trailhead on the eastern part of south mountain that would be a much quicker trip to the start than the usual entrance to SOuth Mtn park.

I really like the Christiansen trail in the north phoenix mtn preserve. I start from dreamy draw park and walk east. You are in a little valley, totally isolated from the surrounding city.

A nice walk would be to go to the Arcadia area ( park in the park at 56th st and Indian School) and then walk up 56th st to the slopes of Camelback Mtn and then back thru the nice neighborhoods in old citrus groves.