Phoenix Arizona is a big city with lots of concrete and amenities like just about every other big city. Sprawling suburbs, great food, yoga studios, art and foodie districts, professional sports, and of course looooong bumper to bumper rush hour traffic. What makes Phoenix a bit different is the close proximity to many incredible hiking trails within a few hours drive and even within the city limits! In this article we share our top 5 hikes in the Phoenix Arizona Region!

Three National Parks are easy day drives from Phoenix and the city itself along with many other close towns boast some amazing hiking trails.  I have much more to explore in the region with their endless outdoor adventures. In this article though I give you my top 5 day hikes in the Phoenix Arizona region!

Welcome to Phoenix Arizona Desert Hiking!

The Blue Mesa Badlands Trail in Petrified Forest National Park.

This trail makes you feel like you are in one of the Dakota's not Arizona.  An easy loop and meander down through the trail gives you some amazing photo opportunities and the park as a whole is a beautiful and unique place to visit.

Amitabha Peace Park Stupa in Sedona, Arizona.

This trail/park is a dream for yogi's like myself.  Come out and catch one of the adjacent hiking trails, ones that you can jog to from the town, and then end with a calming meditation in this peace park.  Sedona has miles of amazing trails and red rock views. However being a daily practitioner of yoga the combo of the peace park and an adjacent hike are my favorites.

Check out our article on our favorite hikes in Sedona Arizona HERE!

The John Norris Trail in Saguaro National Park.

This trail and park is a cacti lover, and hiking lover's, dream!  I trekked about 10 miles on this trail and could have done more but wanted to see other parts of the park.
Miles of trails in this hot region is perfect for winter hiking.  It's a small but incredible park! The park also features miles of the 800 Mile Long Arizona National Scenic Trail.

Camelback Mountain.

This trail is located within the confines of Phoenix.  In fact there are numerous amazing trails within the city which makes it a urban hiking dweller's dream! (Piestewa Peak is another one of top favorite Phoenix city hikes.
Camelback's the best though for a solid workout, just get there early because street parking fills up and it gets crowded! I did the Cholla trail with my friend Jamie and we were met with a stunning sunrise to start the day.

Bright Angel Trail or South Kaibab Grand Canyon National Park!

I wrote a full blog HERE on the Bright Angel hike. To me it's the best of the best not only in the Phoenix region but the whole country. Maybe the whole planet.
It doesn't matter how many times I go...there's nothing like hiking into the Grand Canyon!

I know there are plenty more I could have included.  However these are my favorites from the 9 or 10 times I have hiked in the area.
The bigger takeaway to me is that you can get outside and enjoy nature anywhere anytime. Even in the confines of a larger city like Phoenix Arizona.

What's your favorite hike in the region? Put your comments below!

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R and the Hashtag59 Team