This easy-access hike near Phoenix has mountain and canyon views. Here's how to do it
Tethered to both a kiddie playground and a backcountry historic trail, High Desert Park in Black Canyon City doubles as an approachable community gathering space and a gateway to the rugged canyonlands of central Arizona.
Dubbed a “Desert Gem” by the High Desert Helpers Inc., the nonprofit group that manages the park and the High Desert Trail, the Yavapai County site packs a massive amount of fun into its 89.1-acre parcel.
The park is situated west of Interstate 17 among the suburbs of Black Canyon City, Rock Springs and the foothills of the Bradshaw and New River mountains.
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Swing sets, restrooms, water, picnic tables, grills, sports facilities and a community center anchor the park while 2.7 miles of trails offer unintimidating ways to get some exercise.
The High Desert Trail has two parts: The main “blue” trail is a 1.7-mile loop and the 0.3-mile “yellow” trail (also known as Joedy’s Trail) can be used for a shorter loop option.
The hike begins at a shade pavilion with maps and signs describing local wildlife. Heading west for a counterclockwise hike is the preferred plan as it takes on the climbing section of the trail early on.
Initially the trail moves through a cholla forest that’s part of the park’s 0.8-mile original nature trail that has been lassoed into the blue perimeter loop. Rustic wood signs along the route identify native plants such as jojoba, barrel cactus and saguaros.
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Right from the get go and throughout the hike, gorgeous mountain views and a tableland of flat-topped mesas peek through cholla forests and thickets of diverse desert vegetation.
The trail’s appeal is augmented with benches at scenic spots and two spectacular overlook points. A short spur trail leads to Kings Canyon Overlook, a stony edge on the far west end of the blue loop trail that hangs over the deep gorge of Black Canyon.
At the south end of the perimeter loop, the Rock Springs Overlook peers over the severe cuts of the Agua Fria River channel and the famous Rock Springs Café.
Never quite escaping the subdued rattle and hum of I-17, the loop’s east leg dips downhill to meet a connector path that leads to a popular trailhead for the Black Canyon National Recreation Trail, a long-distance, nonmotorized historic route that goes from Phoenix to the Verde Valley.
The final leg swings north through classic high desert ecozones and saguaro-lined ridges replete with a sampling of the quartz outcroppings, metamorphic stone slabs and volcanic ejecta that contribute to the area’s complex geological footprint, completing a fun and informative trek lodged between freeway and wilds.
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Hiking in Black Canyon City
Length: 2.1 miles (blue and yellow trails combined).
Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 2,024-2,153 feet.
Getting there: 19001 Jacie Lane, Black Canyon City. From I-17, take Exit 242 for Black Canyon City/Rock Springs. Turn left at the stop sign, then right at the Old Black Canyon Highway junction. Continue a short distance to Jacie Lane, turn left and follow the road into the park.
Hours: Dawn to dusk daily.
Facilities: Restrooms, water, picnic tables, grills, sports facilities, playground.
Details: Yavapai County Parks, https://yavapaiaz.gov/facilities/yavapai-county-parks. High Desert Helpers Inc., http://www.highdeserthelpers.org/park.
Read more of Mare Czinar's hikes at http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona hike: High Desert Park, Black Canyon City
