NEW TIMES 2023 BOWL GUIDE SPECIAL RETAIL SECTION Dec 21st–Dec 27th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES 30 is immediate, but it’s less than half a mile to the saddle, where there’s an incredible view of downtown Phoenix. From here, you hit a steep section of the trail, which will flatten out around the one- mile mark. Shortly, you’ll come to the inter- section with Mormon Loop and you’ll want to go straight, staying on Mormon Trail all the way until you run into the National Trail. From here, take a right, where you’ll be heading toward Fat Man’s Pass to enter the Hidden Valley Trail. Enjoy the scenery and exit through the second rock tunnel to head back out through Mormon Trail. Boyce Thompson Arboretum Distance: 3 miles Level of Difficulty: Easy Average Time: 2.5 hours Located at the base of Picketpost Mountain next to Queen Creek, Boyce Thompson Arboretum houses an expansive variety of desert plants from all over the world. This hike, more of an educational stroll actually, is a fantastic opportunity to begin recog- nizing what vegetation you’ve seen on the trails — or for beginning hikers, what you will commonly happen upon depending on the region of the Valley you are trekking through. Upon arrival, take the Main Trail all the way through as it connects to the arbore- tum’s notable features and alluring detours. For a taste of what you might encounter on hikes near Phoenix, make sure to hit up the Sonoran Desert Trail before returning back to the Main Trail. From there, you’ll find opportunities to visit the Hummingbird Gardens and the Smith Interpretive Center, a historic framework repurposed to hold two green- houses, showcasing succulents and cacti from around the world. As you keep traveling on, you will soon find yourself at Ayers Lake, a man-made reservoir providing water to the entire grounds and doubling as a bird sanctuary. Beyond this, you will be trekking through a riparian area, an interactive herb garden, a thicket of palms and the Eucalyptus Forest. Your journey will be complete with a walk across the Outback Bridge, ending on the walkabout trail through the Australian Desert Exhibit. Peralta Trail to Fremont Saddle Distance: 4.9 miles Level of Difficulty: Moderate Average Time: 3 to 4 hours There is a lot of history and mystery asso- ciated with the Superstition Wilderness Area, bringing hikers and historians by the thousands to the old mining grounds storied to be haunted by prospectors of old. Whether you believe the lore, the Peralta Trail is a great introduction to the majesty and mystery of this breathtaking area — and it heads to one of the best views of its famous landmark: the 1,220-foot-tall Weaver’s Needle. This trail is named for a family from Sonora, Mexico, who mined the area before a great massacre, leaving behind stories of a lost map, hidden gold and hauntings. It starts with a left at the trailhead. From here, enjoy the soaring mountains around you before crossing Peralta Creek at the quarter-mile marker, where you begin your ascension. At just under a mile, you will come across a fork in the trail; keep to the right and continue through a series of switchbacks upward. At a mile and a half, looking across the canyon, Geronimo’s Cave comes into view. The trail will cross the creek bed again before sending you upward and onto some colorful volcanic terrain. Shortly, you’ll pass a cave entrance. Then it’s less than one-half mile to Freemont Saddle for an amazing view of Weaver’s Needle. Top: Boyce Thompson Arboretum. Right: Fat Man’s Pass on Hidden Valley Trail. (Photos by Arizona State Parks and cogdogblog/ Flickr/CC) Hit the Trail from p 29
