Visitor Center

The South Mountain Visitor Center is at 10409 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, and is open Thursday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Formerly called the South Mountain Environmental Education Center, it was renovated and reopened in 2024 with new exhibits on the park's history and significance, and it holds the park's centennial time capsule. Right outside is the Judith Tunell Accessible Trail: two paved half-mile loops with benches, drinking fountains and shaded ramadas.

Hours and Contact

• Hours: Thursday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Monday to Wednesday.
• Address: 10409 S. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85042.
• Phone: 602-495-7151.
• Email: natural.resources.pks@phoenix.gov.

The park entrance and lots keep their own hours, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Hours & Fees).

What's Inside

The City calls the Visitor Center an education resource center for the City's schoolchildren, residents and visitors. For the park's 100th anniversary the City remodeled the museum exhibit space and reopened it with a modern look and updated exhibits on the history and significance of South Mountain Park and Preserve. At the centennial celebration on November 8, 2024, visitors' Polaroid photos went into a time capsule, which now has a permanent home inside an interior wall of the building.

The building changed names with the renovation. The City says the new name better reflects its role as a hub for visitors to the park.

Judith Tunell Accessible Trail

Starting at the Visitor Center, this is one of the City's preserve-based, barrier-free trails: two half-mile loops with a hard surface and about 10 feet of elevation change, with drinking fountains, benches and covered ramadas for rest stops. Visit Phoenix describes the two loops as an Interpretive Loop with signs about native plants and animals and a Challenge Loop with a maximum grade of 8.5 percent. The City's trail map lists the Judith Tunell Challenge Trail at 0.5 miles. The City's rock-art guide includes this trail among those with petroglyphs (Petroglyphs).

Programs

The City runs ranger-led hikes and outdoor nature programs, including the free monthly Hike Right PHX group hike, booked through the City's activity registration site. School groups use the Visitor Center as an education center.

Good For / Maybe Skip If

Good for: a first stop on any visit; families; visitors using wheelchairs or strollers; anyone who wants context before seeing the petroglyphs.

Maybe skip if: it's Monday to Wednesday. The building is closed; the accessible trail and the rest of the park are not.