Mountain Biking Phoenix, Arizona: Your Ultimate Planning Guide

When I tell people that I’m going to go mountain biking in Phoenix, Arizona, most of the time their response is “Why?”

Phoenix is known for a lot of things – hiking, the Desert Botanical Gardens, snowbird-ing, winter sunshine, etc… – but the mountain bike scene is still a bit under the radar.

I’m here to tell you that THE MOUNTAIN BIKING IN PHOENIX IS AWESOME! There are literally hundreds of miles of desert singletrack to explore and while some of that terrain is best left to the hikers and equestrians, there is still plenty of amazing mountain biking to be had.

Riders can find everything from pedaly cross-country desert riding (Brown’s Ranch) to full-on DH trails with drops, rock gardens, and high-speed flow (Hawes).

But if you’re not familiar with the trail networks in Phoenix, it can be a bit overwhelming to decide which places to ride – there are many of them – or which top trails to hit.

In this post, I’ve rounded up the best Phoenix mountain biking destinations so you can get in on the secret of this awesome winter mtb destination.

Why plan a mountain bike trip to Phoenix?

I’m not a city person, but Phoenix has grown on me. Mostly because I love the mountain biking around the outskirts of the metropolis, but also because Phoenix – and its ‘bedroom communities’ – is pretty cool.

Here are a few reasons to plan a mountain bike trip to The Valley Of Sun.

Just looking for the best of the best mountain bike trails? Here are my top singletrack trail recommendations around Phoenix.

Where To Ride & Route Recommendations

Ready to ride or plan your Phoenix mountain biking getaway? Here are the best trail networks around the city for singletrack fun.

Note: I use TrailForks for my recommended routes. It’s free on desktop or $30-something per year for the app. If you are a mountain biker and ride places outside your home trails, you should have TrailForks on your phone.

Phoenix Mountain Biking Map

1. Hawes

Hawes is hands-down my favorite place to mountain bike in Phoenix. It has the best trails, the best views, the best social vibe, and the best variety for all levels of riders.

If you have only 1-2 days to explore the singletrack around Phoenix, definitely go to Hawes.

The lower trails are great for beginners and families while the trails higher up on the ridge line will test intermediates (Red Mountain Rush is a must!). If you’re an experienced rider, Sunset Ridge and Boulderdash are amazing, but they are definitely expert-only.

Heading out to explore Hawes? Use my complete guide to mountain biking Hawes for more tips on how to make the most of your visit.

2. Brown’s Ranch

Brown’s Ranch is my second favorite place to mountain bike in Phoenix. This might be surprising to people who know me because Brown’s Ranch is very much cross-country riding.

However, even though I don’t consider myself an XC enthusiast, the trails at Brown’s Ranch are super fun. They’re fast and flowy and most of them have fun rocks and features to play on.

Plus, there are almost endless opportunities to put together a great ride. Brown’s Ranch is huge with dozens of miles of singletrack to explore. You can easily find yourself 20 miles in with another 10 to go back to the car if you’re not careful.

But don’t let that scare you off – there are plenty of opportunities to put together shorter or beginner-friendly routes. Brown’s Ranch is definitely a must.

Brown’s Ranch is a maze. Use my guide to mountain biking at Brown’s Ranch to make the most of your time there (and reduce your chances of getting lost…)

3. McDowell Mountain Regional Park

McDowell… if you’ve heard of anyone talking about Phoenix mountain biking, you’ve probably heard McDowell mentioned.

Truthfully, I don’t like it. It’s very cross-country with not a whole lot of fun or interesting (in my opinion) things going for it.

True, it’s home to some pretty famous Competitive Tracks that draw racers far and wide, but these loops are nowhere near the best loops in Phoenix.

The one thing I do like about McDowell (actually two things) is that [one] it’s a great place for beginner riders or families and [two] the camping there is awesome.

Want to check out the riding at McDowell? Read through my McDowell Mountain Biking Guide to plan your visit.

4. South Mountain

South Mountain is home to two of Phoenix’s most iconic trails: National and Desert Classic.

National is famous for its tough climb, awesome downhill, and tons of natural features like drops, chutes, rock gardens, and rollers. It’s one of my favorite trails and I ride it at least once when I’m in Phoenix.

Desert Classic is the complete opposite. It’s flat, meandering, and (mostly) buff desert singletrack. But it’s great for those who prefer most cross-country riding or those just starting out.

The other trails on South Mountain are hit-or-miss. Some are hike-a-bikes (like Telegraph Pass) and others are sand pits (like Pima Wash). Most mountain bikers who head to South Mountain stick to either the National Loop or Desert Classic.

Want to try your hand on National? Learn what to expect and tips for making your ride at South Mountain a success with my Guide to Riding National Trail.

5. Gold Canyon

The first time I rode Gold Canyon I hated it. But then it started to grow on me. The trails there are less popular and less ‘manicured’ than other trail networks in Phoenix, but they are pretty unique and worth checking out.

It’s important to note, though, that not all trails here are good for mountain biking. Some are best left for the horses and hikers.

K-Trail is ‘the’ trail to do. It weaves in and out of a wash kind of like a slalom course. It’s unique. My favorite trail here, though, is Phantom with its tricky rock tech – my fave!

If you’re a very experienced rider, head up to Hoo Doo and Cajones for some technical climbing and rock slabs.

Not all trails are created equal at Gold Canyon. Use my guide to Gold Canyon Mountain Biking to make sure you don’t end up on the horse tracks.

6. Fantasy Island North Singletrack (FINS)

Fantasy Island North is kind of like the red-headed stepchild of Phoenix Mountain Biking.

It’s definitely a local network that probably started out as bootleg mountain bike trails and slowly got more and more established. I believe now it has been adopted by Estrella Regional Park.

I really like the trails at FINS. They’re quirky, hard to navigate, interesting, very challenging in places, and also (mostly) fun.

Trying to follow a pre-planned route is nearly impossible, but it’s not a huge place, so you can cover ground quickly and ride most of the trails in one day.

It’s hard to follow a pre-planned route at FINS, so get all the info you need to set out with my Mountain Bikers Guide to Fantasy Island North.

7. Cave Creek Regional Park

I spent a surprisingly awesome day mountain biking at Cave Creek Regional Park. This park has a small network of trails compared to the other networks nearby (like Brown’s), but the classic route is a 20-ish-mile loop that I really enjoyed.

Spur Cross Trail (which is actually in Spur Cross Conservation Area) is really beautiful with huge saguaro cacti and a backcountry feel.

The trails closer to Cave Creek are also pretty fun, especially the descent down Overton and the unique terrain on Slate.

While I wouldn’t say Cave Creek has the best riding in Phoenix, I do recommend the Cave Creek Classic Route for anyone looking for a big day out on the bike.

Cave Creek may not have the best riding in Phoenix, but I did enjoy my day there. Check out my guide to Mountain Biking at Cave Creek to see if it would be a good fit for you.

Other trail Networks

There are several other mountain bike trail networks I didn’t mention because I haven’t ridden them yet:

• Estrella Mountain Regional Park
• Pirate Trails
• Phoenix Mountain Preserve

As I continue my exploration of Phoenix mountain biking, I’ll keep updating this post. In the meantime, if you have any insights on the riding at any of these places, leave a comment and let us know how they are!

Planning Tips & Resources

Planning a mountain biking trip to Phoenix? Here are a few tips and resources to help you make the most of your Arizona getaway.

Trail Fees

The Maricopa County Parks require a small fee to ride. The fees are $7/vehicle or $2 to bike-in.

These fees can be paid at the booth when you drive into the parks. Fees are waived if you’re camping at the parks.

Best time to visit

The best time to plan a mountain biking trip to Phoenix, Arizona is during the cooler winter months of November through March or April.

Summer temps are brutally hot with average day temps that top 100°. It can be dangerous to head out for a ride during the day in the summer. Don’t do it.

Phoenix also has a monsoon season that typically falls between June and September. This is when Phoenix sees about 30% of its annual rainfall which can result in flash floods.

So yeah, plan your trip between November and March.

But… that being said, it can get cold! I’m actually writing this right now from Phoenix and I’m bundled up in a jacket under my covers in my van in January. Daytime temps are in the 50s-70s, but nighttime temps can get chilly.

First time riding in the desert? Check out my tips for surviving your first mountain bike trip to the desert.

Where to stay or camp

Phoenix is huge. It can take you an hour or more to get from one side of town to the other.

Personally, I prefer staying on the east side of Phoenix for a few reasons: [one] the desert is prettier somehow, [two] it has better riding, and [three] it has better options for dispersed camping.

Camping

One of the reasons I love Phoenix so much is its network of Maricopa Parks. This park system includes a handful of really awesome conservation areas that have great campgrounds complete with hot showers, hookups, nature centers (go see the snakes!), and easy access to trails.

Here are the parks in the Maricopa Park system:

• Usery Regional Park (close to Hawes and Gold Canyon)
• McDowell Mountain Regional Park (close to McDowell and Brown’s Ranch)
• Cave Creek Regional Park (close to Cave Creek trails)
• White Tank Regional Park (close to White Tank trails)
• Estrella Mountain Regional Park (close to Estrella, which I haven’t ridden yet, FINS, and the Pirate Trails)

These parks are great and relatively affordable ($23-32/night). Learn more and book a site on the Maricopa Parks website.

Another paid option for camping is Lost Dutchman State Park, which is beautiful, but not really near any great riding.

For free, dispersed camping, there is some, mostly on the east side of Phoenix. I recommend the apps AllStays and Campendium for finding free campsites.

Hotels

As you would expect for a sprawling metropolis, there are a ton of hotel options in Phoenix. I recommend staying close to the trail networks you want to ride. If you book a hotel in the city center, you’ll be spending a lot of time driving.

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I hope this post helps you plan an awesome mountain bike trip to Arizona.

Phoenix has so much to offer when it comes to mountain biking and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Have you done any mountain biking in Phoenix? What is your favorite network to ride and what are your favorite trails? Leave a comment below!