Best Valley of the Sun Mountain Range? (Phoenix, Mesa: 2014, neighborhood)

[Prickly Pear]

Welcome to the ultimate Valley of the Sun Mountain competition! And to anyone not from here, welcome to the “whoa how many mountain ranges actually border Phoenix?” list. For the record I am only listing prominent peaks, I’m sure I’m missing some.

Vote your favorite local mountain range, whether for hiking or views (whether on the mountains or looking at them). Some of them are a part of a local park or preserve, so feel free to include that as well.

Phoenix Mountains Mummy, Camelback, Piestewa, North, Stoney, Shaw Butte, Lookout and Shadow mountains. (Phoenix/Paradise Valley)

McDowell Mountains East End, Thompson Peak, McDowell Peak, Sunrise Peak, Rock Knob Mountains (Scottsdale/Fountain Hills)

Sierra Estrella Mountains Hayes Peak, Montezuma, Butterfly, and Quartz Mountains (Avondale/Goodyear)

South Mountains Yes, “South Mountain” is it’s own range by definition. Maricopa Peak, Goat Hill, and Mount Suppoa (Phoenix)

White Tank Mountains Most prominent peak is Barry Goldwater Peak (Buckeye)

Mazatzal Mountains Mazatzal Peak, Four Peaks (Fountain Hills)

New River Mountains Benchmark, Squaw and Black Mountains (Cave Creek/Carefree/New River/Scottsdale)

Superstition Mountains Superstition, Weaver’s Needle, Mound Mountains (Apache Junction/Mesa)

Hieroglyphic Mountains Crater Benchmark, White Picacho, Hellgate, Garfias, Governors Peak (Lake Pleasant/Peoria)

Union Hills A small collection of individual mountains located near the I-17 and 101 loop headed north towards the New River mountains and northwest to the Hieroglyphic Mountains. Includes Thunderbird Conservation Park. (Phoenix/Glendale/Peoria)

[grmi66]

This is a tough one, sort of like trying to name your favorite child. Each range has it's own good points. Will have to ponder this.

Think for what sets Phoenix apart from almost any other metro area in the country are the Phoenix mountains and then the trail that links most of them together. Trail 100 starts at Shaw Butte and runs east 11 miles connecting all of the urban ranges. My first taste of trail running and hiking over 20 years ago was simply starting at my neighborhood trail and going up and down Shaw Butte a few times a week. From there I've been exploring trails all over the west ever since. I was able to live in Coronado the last three years I lived in Phoenix, but access the mountains with a quick 12 minute drive up 16th Street.

[Maroon197]

Depends on the criteria. The superstitions are the most beautiful to look at, but for casual hiking the other ranges have better accessibility.

[scully2010]

I always loved to hike in the Superstitions on the weekends, so I'm going with those. We hiked those mountains every other weekend for three years. The weekday climbs up Camelback or Squaw Peak were fun, too, but the Superstitions were just amazing.

[Valley Native]

Within the Phoenix metro area, I'd say the Superstitions are the most scenic, and Camelback Mountain is also an interesting natural attraction within the Phoenix city limits. I voted for the Mazatzals, which are really outside the metro area, but the range includes Four Peaks & Mount Ord. Both of those mountains have frequent snow cover during the winter months. Most of the other selections on the list are brown, bland, and generally low elevation ... thus, not very scenic.

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

Within the Phoenix metro area, I'd say the Superstitions are the most scenic, and Camelback Mountain is also an interesting natural attraction within the Phoenix city limits. I voted for the Mazatzals, which are really outside the metro area, but the range includes Four Peaks & Mount Ord. Both of those mountains have frequent snow cover during the winter months. Most of the other selections on the list are brown, bland, and generally low elevation ... thus, not very scenic.

Our eyes agree. I stare at them multiple hours per week.

[Prickly Pear]

Originally Posted by scully2010

I always loved to hike in the Superstitions on the weekends, so I'm going with those. We hiked those mountains every other weekend for three years. The weekday climbs up Camelback or Squaw Peak were fun, too, but the Superstitions were just amazing.

As someone who lives a couple miles from the Phoenix Mountains at best, I find them often too crowded for my enjoyment. The Superstitions are excellent though, especially with the nearby Goldfield mountains.



I voted for the Sierra Estrellas. They are highly underrated, probably because they are on the West side. Here is a picture of the Quartz Mountain peak that was posted on Reddit.


https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/comm...erra_estrella/


And here is the Wikipedia photo.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra...peak022014.JPG

[scully2010]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

As someone who lives a couple miles from the Phoenix Mountains at best, I find them often too crowded for my enjoyment. The Superstitions are excellent though, especially with the nearby Goldfield mountains.



I voted for the Sierra Estrellas. They are highly underrated, probably because they are on the West side. Here is a picture of the Quartz Mountain peak that was posted on Reddit.


https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/comm...erra_estrella/


And here is the Wikipedia photo.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra...peak022014.JPG

This is great information. If we move back to Phoenix as we hope to do, hiking will be a regular part of my life again.

[grmi66]

Originally Posted by Prickly Pear

I voted for the Sierra Estrellas. They are highly underrated, probably because they are on the West side. Here is a picture of the Quartz Mountain peak that was posted on Reddit.

The Estrellas are by far the toughest range in the Phoenix area to hike, if not the entire state. It's a very rugged range and for the most part tough to get to. Joined a friend as he attempted to hike the entire range from south to north in sections. The section I joined him on was only 3-4 miles but took us 6 hours of working our way through nasty fields of impenetrable cholla. Then just when you think you have to be the first person back there, we stumbled across an old mining camp tucked up in a small canyon.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by grmi66

The Estrellas are by far the toughest range in the Phoenix area to hike, if not the entire state. It's a very rugged range and for the most part tough to get to. Joined a friend as he attempted to hike the entire range from south to north in sections. The section I joined him on was only 3-4 miles but took us 6 hours of working our way through nasty fields of impenetrable cholla. Then just when you think you have to be the first person back there, we stumbled across an old mining camp tucked up in a small canyon.

The Estrellas are straight up rock climbing in places. But the front side where the county park is has numerous trails that are very easy with nice city views. Horses are available in winter too.