Plan Your Visit

Plan South Mountain Park and Preserve around the heat and the hours. The entrance and parking lots are open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., trails 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the City of Phoenix lists no fee. The City's advice is to hike when it's cool, early or late, with more water than you think you need. Ramadas are open for public use, and several can be reserved through a Special Activity Request Form between 6 months and 72 hours ahead. The Judith Tunell Accessible Trail at the Visitor Center is paved.

When to Go

• Time of day: the City's hiking guidance is to go when it's cool, early in the morning or in the evening, when there's more shade.
• Heat warnings: on Extreme Heat Warning days, four popular routes are restricted 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Heat Closures).
• Sundays: Summit Road closes to cars on Sunday mornings and all day on the fourth Sunday (Silent Sunday).
• Thursday to Sunday: the days the Visitor Center is open.

What to Bring (the City's Checklist)

The City of Phoenix says more than 200 hikers are rescued from its desert and mountain parks every year. Its "Take a Hike. Do it Right." checklist:

• Water: more than you think you need. Drink before you go, and turn back before you've used it all.
• Clothing: proper shoes, a hat and sunscreen.
• Phone: carry one.
• A partner: hike with others, or tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
• Honesty about your health: asthma, heart problems, diabetes, knee or back trouble are reasons not to push.
• Stay on the trail: off-trail travel is prohibited.

Picnic Ramadas

• Public use: the ramadas in the park are available for public use.
• Reservations: several ramadas require a reservation, made with a Special Activity Request Form no more than 6 months and no less than 72 hours ahead.
• Reservation hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. After 6 p.m., every ramada is open to the public.
• Holiday weekends: no reservations, to keep ramadas available to everyone.
• Not allowed: amplified music and bounce houses.
• Questions: the Natural Resources Division office, 602-495-5458, or natural.resources.pks@phoenix.gov.

The City publishes a ramada map PDF linked from its South Mountain page.

Accessibility

The Judith Tunell Accessible Trail at the South Mountain Visitor Center, 10409 S. Central Ave., is one of the City's barrier-free preserve trails: two hard-surface half-mile loops with drinking fountains, benches and covered ramadas, and about 10 feet of elevation change. The Visitor Center itself is open Thursday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a view without a hike, you can drive Summit Road to Dobbins Lookout except during Silent Sunday closures.

Programs and Ranger-Led Hikes

The City runs outdoor nature programs and ranger-led hikes, booked through its activity registration site. Hike Right PHX is a free monthly ranger-led group hike for all experience levels.

A Simple First Visit

1. Arrive soon after the 5 a.m. opening, or late in the afternoon in the cool season.
2. Stop at the Visitor Center (Thursday to Sunday) and walk the paved loop.
3. Hike the 1-mile Kiwanis Trail, or the Holbert Trail if you're ready for 1,100 feet of climbing.
4. Drive up Summit Road to Dobbins Lookout for the view, and be back out of the gate by 7 p.m.