Find the top rated trails in Florence, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The paved Rio Salado Pathway runs along both banks of the Salt River in Tempe. The generally dry waterway was expanded into Tempe Town Lake in 1999, and the scenic waterfront area is now a popular...
The Tempe Canal Path parallels the Tempe Canal between the cities of Tempe and Mesa. The trail consists of two disconnected segments, separated by the private Mesa Country Club. Both segments serve a...
The paved Crosscut Canal Path links Tempe and Scottsdale via a route alongside the Crosscut Canal, which dates to 1912. The trail follows the entire length of the canal thanks to a southern extension...
The Queen Creek Wash Trail has a more rural feel than other trails in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Located within the community of Queen Creek, and following the banks of Queen Creek Wash, this...
The Santa Cruz River Park Trail follows the Santa Cruz River throughout Tucson, providing access to various amenities and neighborhoods, as well as the Rillito River Park Trail, Cañada del Oro River...
This trail and its short spur pass through the communities of Paradise Park Manor and Paradise Park Trails in Scottsdale. While the trail primarily serves residences, it connects to the Central...
This trail passes through a landscaped greenway in an overhead electric utility corridor though the city of Gilbert, just outside Mesa and Phoenix. The trail runs from a junction with the Eastern...
Tucked in the southeastern corner of Phoenix, this trail serves as a connector between its namesake communities of Mountain Park Ranch and Lakewood. The paved path runs within a greenway corridor...
The Eastern Canal Path spans the entire length of its namesake waterway through Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler in suburban Phoenix. The trail, which at times has a smooth paved surface and at others a...
The Sonoqui (pronounced so-NO-kee) Wash Trail is a 5.8 mile multi-use trail through the community of Queen Creek, Arizona. The rural trail weaves through aesthetic native desert, and is open to both...
The Consolidated Canal Path runs north–south along the entire length of the Consolidated Canal, an 18-mile-long waterway dating back to 1891. The route consists of both a paved path and a...
The Arizona Canal Path is one of the longest multi-use trails in Maricopa County, running between Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community along both...
The Central Arizona Project to Arizona Canal Trail links its two namesake waterways via a winding route through the north side of Scottsdale. Along the way, the trail connects to a number of other...
The Highline Lateral Canal Path runs along its namesake waterway through the Arizona cities of Phoenix and Tempe and the smaller town of Guadalupe. Open in several disconnected segments, the trail...
The Kyrene Canal Path runs alongside the Kyrene Canal in Tempe and Chandler, providing a connection between residences, businesses, shopping destinations and the Ken McDonald Golf Course. The trail is...
This short trail carves its way along a greenway corridor through the neighborhoods of Bent Tree, Preston Hills and Casa Rica in Scottsdale. The trail provides recreational opportunities to residents...
The Western Canal Path, one of several trails adjacent to canals in the Phoenix metropolitan area, connects the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert on its more than 20 mile, east–west...
The Stadium Connector Shared Use Pathway is a short but important route in northwestern Mesa, Arizona. It links Hohokam Stadium (the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics) and Sloan Park (the...
This short trail parallels Gainey Ranch Road from Scottsdale Rotary Park to E. Mountain View Road. It offers a great family recreation opportunity to nearby residents.
The Southern Canal Path is an unpaved route along the South Canal in Maricopa County. One of several trails along the extensive canal network in the area, the Southern Canal Path links to four others:...
The paved Rio Salado Pathway runs along both banks of the Salt River in Tempe. The generally dry waterway was expanded into Tempe Town Lake in 1999, and the scenic waterfront area is now a popular...
The Kyrene Canal Path runs alongside the Kyrene Canal in Tempe and Chandler, providing a connection between residences, businesses, shopping destinations and the Ken McDonald Golf Course. The trail is...
The Consolidated Canal Path runs north–south along the entire length of the Consolidated Canal, an 18-mile-long waterway dating back to 1891. The route consists of both a paved path and a...
The Stadium Connector Shared Use Pathway is a short but important route in northwestern Mesa, Arizona. It links Hohokam Stadium (the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics) and Sloan Park (the...
The Sonoqui (pronounced so-NO-kee) Wash Trail is a 5.8 mile multi-use trail through the community of Queen Creek, Arizona. The rural trail weaves through aesthetic native desert, and is open to both...
The Highline Lateral Canal Path runs along its namesake waterway through the Arizona cities of Phoenix and Tempe and the smaller town of Guadalupe. Open in several disconnected segments, the trail...
The paved Crosscut Canal Path links Tempe and Scottsdale via a route alongside the Crosscut Canal, which dates to 1912. The trail follows the entire length of the canal thanks to a southern extension...
The Western Canal Path, one of several trails adjacent to canals in the Phoenix metropolitan area, connects the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert on its more than 20 mile, east–west...
The Santa Cruz River Park Trail follows the Santa Cruz River throughout Tucson, providing access to various amenities and neighborhoods, as well as the Rillito River Park Trail, Cañada del Oro River...
This trail and its short spur pass through the communities of Paradise Park Manor and Paradise Park Trails in Scottsdale. While the trail primarily serves residences, it connects to the Central...
The Southern Canal Path is an unpaved route along the South Canal in Maricopa County. One of several trails along the extensive canal network in the area, the Southern Canal Path links to four others:...
The Pima Road Trail consists of two disconnected segments along Pima Road in Scottsdale. The longer southern section connects to both the Arizona Canal Path and Central Arizona Project to Arizona...
The Central Arizona Project to Arizona Canal Trail links its two namesake waterways via a winding route through the north side of Scottsdale. Along the way, the trail connects to a number of other...
The Indian Bend Wash Path follows the banks of Indian Bend Wash between Scottsdale and Tempe. Along the way, the paved path connects a number of public parks, schools and businesses. A highlight of...
The Queen Creek Wash Trail has a more rural feel than other trails in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Located within the community of Queen Creek, and following the banks of Queen Creek Wash, this...
The Cañada del Oro River Park Trail follows its namesake waterway in the northern suburbs of Tucson from a junction with the longer Santa Cruz River Park Trail in Marana to Oro Valley. The recently...
The Tempe Canal Path parallels the Tempe Canal between the cities of Tempe and Mesa. The trail consists of two disconnected segments, separated by the private Mesa Country Club. Both segments serve a...
This trail passes through a landscaped greenway in an overhead electric utility corridor though the city of Gilbert, just outside Mesa and Phoenix. The trail runs from a junction with the Eastern...
This short trail carves its way along a greenway corridor through the neighborhoods of Bent Tree, Preston Hills and Casa Rica in Scottsdale. The trail provides recreational opportunities to residents...
The Eastern Canal Path spans the entire length of its namesake waterway through Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler in suburban Phoenix. The trail, which at times has a smooth paved surface and at others a...
The Tempe Canal Path parallels the Tempe Canal between the cities of Tempe and Mesa. The trail consists of two disconnected segments, separated by the private Mesa Country Club. Both segments serve a...
The paved Crosscut Canal Path links Tempe and Scottsdale via a route alongside the Crosscut Canal, which dates to 1912. The trail follows the entire length of the canal thanks to a southern extension...
This short trail carves its way along a greenway corridor through the neighborhoods of Bent Tree, Preston Hills and Casa Rica in Scottsdale. The trail provides recreational opportunities to residents...
This short trail parallels Gainey Ranch Road from Scottsdale Rotary Park to E. Mountain View Road. It offers a great family recreation opportunity to nearby residents.
This trail passes through a landscaped greenway in an overhead electric utility corridor though the city of Gilbert, just outside Mesa and Phoenix. The trail runs from a junction with the Eastern...
The Grand Canal Path is one of the longest multi-use trails in the Phoenix metropolitan area, linking the large cities of Glendale, Phoenix and Tempe. Like many of the area's trails, the Grand Canal...
The Sonoqui (pronounced so-NO-kee) Wash Trail is a 5.8 mile multi-use trail through the community of Queen Creek, Arizona. The rural trail weaves through aesthetic native desert, and is open to both...
The Queen Creek Wash Trail has a more rural feel than other trails in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Located within the community of Queen Creek, and following the banks of Queen Creek Wash, this...
The Cañada del Oro River Park Trail follows its namesake waterway in the northern suburbs of Tucson from a junction with the longer Santa Cruz River Park Trail in Marana to Oro Valley. The recently...
The Western Canal Path, one of several trails adjacent to canals in the Phoenix metropolitan area, connects the cities of Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Gilbert on its more than 20 mile, east–west...
The Stadium Connector Shared Use Pathway is a short but important route in northwestern Mesa, Arizona. It links Hohokam Stadium (the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics) and Sloan Park (the...
The Highline Lateral Canal Path runs along its namesake waterway through the Arizona cities of Phoenix and Tempe and the smaller town of Guadalupe. Open in several disconnected segments, the trail...
The Arizona Canal Path is one of the longest multi-use trails in Maricopa County, running between Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, Scottsdale and the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community along both...
The Eastern Canal Path spans the entire length of its namesake waterway through Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler in suburban Phoenix. The trail, which at times has a smooth paved surface and at others a...
The Indian Bend Wash Path follows the banks of Indian Bend Wash between Scottsdale and Tempe. Along the way, the paved path connects a number of public parks, schools and businesses. A highlight of...
The Central Arizona Project to Arizona Canal Trail links its two namesake waterways via a winding route through the north side of Scottsdale. Along the way, the trail connects to a number of other...
The Consolidated Canal Path runs north–south along the entire length of the Consolidated Canal, an 18-mile-long waterway dating back to 1891. The route consists of both a paved path and a...
The Pima Road Trail consists of two disconnected segments along Pima Road in Scottsdale. The longer southern section connects to both the Arizona Canal Path and Central Arizona Project to Arizona...
This trail and its short spur pass through the communities of Paradise Park Manor and Paradise Park Trails in Scottsdale. While the trail primarily serves residences, it connects to the Central...
The paved Rio Salado Pathway runs along both banks of the Salt River in Tempe. The generally dry waterway was expanded into Tempe Town Lake in 1999, and the scenic waterfront area is now a popular...
Easy parking at the Equestrian Center. Very nice asphalt path through the wash. Pleasant vegetation and vegetation with plenty of wildlife. The old stagecoach well was interesting and with the covered bench seating a pleasant rest stop. This is a solid short trail for a quick ride in the desert. Note this is a portion of the Maricopa County Trail system so it will be getting longer, eventually.
The trail is wide, and gently uphill. The rough surface is more suitable for mountain bikes and hybrids, not good for a road bike. Approx 1 mile is paved, presumably to keep the dust down for a nearby subdivision.
To get to the trail, turn right as you exit the Horne Rd gate. The trail begins on the other side of the road, on the left side of the canal.
You will pass an orange grove and many horse properties for the first half of the ride. Look for large carp swimming in the canal.
At the small hydro power station at E McDowell Rd, stay left to go though the underpass rather than going up a steep concrete incline.
About half way along the trail you will pass under the Red Mountain Fwy and the populated area ends abruptly.
Their are spectacular views across to the McDowell’s as you follow the Salt River (dry). It’s all desert landscape from this point to the Salt River Dam.
You may see wild horses.
It’s gently downhill as you head back along the canal to the Park of the Canals.
It’s worth wandering around the small Brinton Botanical Garden-good place to stretch your legs and rehydrate.
I was very excited to see the extension of this path to Riverview as it is near a flooded section of the Salt River, so today I walked from Tempe Marketplace to just past the last freeway overhead in Mesa.
Where I walked there was shade from the highway interchanges above, but most of the path is not shaded, so is only usable on cooler days/months and by bicycles. Walking the path with the intent of birding was not very rewarding. True, we did see a couple of Osprey's diving for fish, but the amount of trash and distance from the water itself was truly disheartening.
I hope this is just the beginning of what this pathway can become and will look forward to well advertised opportunities to at least clean up the areas below the walkway and perhaps to help in planting more native vegetation where possible.
Has been extended and is now almost 5 miles long. Also, you do not have to cross ANY roads. Underpasses have been built on all. During our ride today we saw a coyote, roadrunner and several jackrabbits. Well maintained. In fact today a trail worker was blowing sand off the asphalt! Don't see that on our Wisconsin trails.
Phoenix is in the midst of a project to improve a significant portion of the canal path: http://www.grandcanalscape.com/ Work has started but it has not made a noticeable improvement yet. Most of the work is going to happen on the north side of the canal. Project descriptions indicate that there will be "improved crossings" where the canal intersects streets (which is a lot).
If you ride the Grand Canal on Saturday and Sunday the crossings at 7th Ave, 7th St and other busy roads is somewhat manageable. Just don't expect to cross safely during weekdays. You almost always need to find the nearest crosswalk. I hope the "improved crossings" promised will alleviate some of this. If they do, I'll certainly do an update of this post.
Same as a previous comment, my daughter and I got to AZ Mills heading west and it just ends at the parking lot. A map would be awesome so we could hook up to the other side. Also the crossings over Guadelupe and Baseline in particular are a bit hair raising.
This trail is concrete and crushed-packed gravel. Parking is available at the Silverado Golf Club in Scottsdale (7605 E Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250). From there you have several options. First you can go east two miles to Pima Road and join the Pima Road trail or continue on east along the canal. This part of the trail is concrete and excellent along the golf course, there is even a restroom facility about a mile east of the golf club. At Pima Road the trail changes to gravel.
Or, you can go west through Scottsdale. From the golf club the trail is concrete along the north side of the canal for two miles where there is about 200 yards of gravel leading up to Camelback Road at its intersection with Scottsdale Road. Crossing over to the southwest corner of this intersection the trail continues on the south side of the canal. It remains concrete for another two miles and then changes to crushed-packed gravel. The trail goes on for six miles as gravel and picks up as asphalt on the north side of the canal about ten miles west of the golf club. There are some underpasses along this route and some street crossing both with and without crossing buttons to push.
The golf club marks the intersection of the Indian Wash trail with the Az Central Canal Path so you can head straight south for six miles and join the Rio Salado trial. This is all concrete and excellent trail through parks and around lakes.
Rode the east end of this trail January 15, 2018 for about 12 miles. Starting at the Washington St trail end and going west. The first 1.5 miles are excellent and concrete, but the trail is totally torn up by building construction projects at Priest street and can not be ridden. Picked it up at 48th and Washington street and headed west for 9 miles. This stretch is not in good shape. It is part asphalt and part gravel. The asphalt has large cracks and holes, there are a lot of homeless along the way, the canal has a lot of trash in it, and about every 1/2 mile or so it is necessary navigate another cross street. Only one cross street had a crossing button, the rest you cross as best you can as the crossings are not at an intersection, and several are very busy. However, there is a new concrete path being laid on the north side of the canal, so in the future the trail may improve.
I would agree with the other reviewers. This is a lovely ride along the river. I started in the south just off the fwy. The trip up was head and cross winds. The weather started cool and cloudy but eventually cleared. There are many entrances to the trail. Some obvious and some not so obvious. I was not alone on this trail it is quite popular. There are a couple nice clean restrooms along the trail especially in Oro Valley Marketplace across from the Walmart. You’ll need to cross the street to get to it. Also, a couple nice pavilions along the way to rest or have a bite to eat.
Most of the Phoenix's bike paths fall into one of three categories
1) pathway right next to a busy road
2) follow a not too particularly scenic canal for miles on end
3) cycle along barren open desert for miles
This one puts you along the entirety of three long skinny golf courses, greenway the entire way. I still think the Tempe Town Lake trails "Rio Salado Paths" are the more interesting ride, but the two trails link together and you can combo the two up for the most epic pathway ride in all of Phoenix IMO.
4/5 stars because while miles and miles of golf course makes for a pretty interesting ride it's not as visually compelling as some of the more notable trails of the American Southwest.
Most of the Phoenix's bike paths fall into one of three categories
1) pathway right next to a busy road
2) follow a not too particularly scenic canal for miles on end
3) cycle along barren open desert for miles
This one is different; Tempe town lake and it's pedestrian/cycle bridge is separated from traffic, actually scenic, and a more engaging ride than anywhere else in town.
This trail links to "Indian Bend Wash" which is also exceptional (comparatively) as it follows miles of golf-course and green parks. All in all, the best route in the Phoenix area in my opinion.
4/5 stars because it still dulls in comparison to the more notable trails in the American Southwest.
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