A view along the Go John Trail in Cave Creek Regional Park near Phoenix, Ariz. (Compass Points Media / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointsmedia/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
Phoenix, Ariz., jams about 1.5 million people into this Sonoran oasis, but it must be one of the best cities in the world for outdoor recreation. The place teems with parks inside city limits and just along the urban boundary. What strikes me anytime I visit is how quickly you can escape into the remote backcountry and still be within an hour’s drive of downtown.
Cave Creek Regional Park, a mere 35 miles from downtown Phoenix, serves as an ideal introduction to hiking in the Sonoran Desert. On this 5.8-mile loop along the Go John Trail, you’ll encounter desert mountains, outstretched saguaro cacti, and rocky pathways with constant views of Tonto National Forest reaching toward the bare horizon.
An up close look at the needled ridges of a saguaro. (Compass Points Media / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointsmedia/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
DIRECTIONS: Take I-17 to exit 223A for the Carefree Highway (can hear Gordon Lightfoot now). Go east on the Carefree Highway for nearly 7 miles and turn left onto North 32nd Street. Enter the park and turn left at the second trailhead sign. Park and look for the Go John Trail sign. Park fee is $6 per vehicle.
HIKE ON: You’ll pass across a saddle in the ridge after just a quarter mile, and quickly this trail leaves civilization behind. The trail passes over a series of saddles as it rounds an area west of the 2,557-foot Go John Mountain, but the path only changes 300 feet in elevation, making for an easy-going but rugged half-day hike. After 1.3 miles, stay right at a junction with the Overton Trail as the Go John Trail bears right, taking you further into the desert. Stay right during the next two miles as you meet a pair of trail junctions, and keep your eyes open for barrel, prickly pear and cholla cacti. The trail will now begin to bend back to your car over the next 2.5 miles, bringing you a fantastic western view and an inspired sunset photo should you be hiking this during the evening.
Keep in mind for all of this desert beauty there are still some precautions to take, like carrying plenty of water and being aware of the potential for dangerous wildlife like diamondback rattlesnakes. But these risks can be mitigated and should not deter you from checking out Cave Creek.
A long saguaro stands on a ridge in Cave Creek Regional Park, Phoenix, Ariz. (Compass Points Media / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointsmedia/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
