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I also started at the Rio Park and found it delightful. Having ridden the Arizona Canal Trail the previous day I much preferred the New River Trail. There are no road crossings at all. The surface was either paved or concrete the whole way. There was a section or two where a trike would find bumpy as the seams are not flat. My turning radius is horrible thus there were 3-4 areas where I had to back up several times to make the turn. But overall it is a great Trail.
Rode the trail this morning. I started at Rio Salado on the south side at 15th Ave. Was able to ride all the way to Dobson Rd. McClintock Rd was the only place where I was required to cross a road. If you are looking for an east-west, Phoenix to Mesa connector this is a good one.
This section is a wide paved section. I was only on the south side. I didn't ride the north side of the lake this morning. There are plenty of places to pull off and rest. Or even ride off the trail to a store or restaurant.
This trail is a work in progress. We rode about 9 miles, from North Country Club Drive East/South to where the pavement ended. The concrete is smooth and wide in most sections, but became the width of a standard sidewalk near the end.
I hope they continue to pave it, but at least 6 feet wide would be better.
There are also numerous road crossings. Most of them had lights, or where not across heavily traveled roads, but few were pretty busy with no pedestrian crossing lights because they were too close to vehicular intersections.
A terrific path. We biked it from 8th Street & Harris to Downtown Gilbert. It was quiet, not crowded and a great day!
Some busy streets to cross with no crosswalk or lights. For the most part not user friendly. Some parts of trail are very nice but crossing streets with cars going 60 miles an hour is not safe.
There were small portions of the trail starting at the northern end that were nice (Union Hills and 4th) but within a half mile it quickly became trashy. The trails end abruptly and you’re left without a clue which direction to ride. Pressing south the trails became filled with trash and debris until you hit the golf course. There things started looking better but the asphalt along the course was rough and the lawn mowers spewed the cut grass and rocks onto the trail. I’m tempted to start my ride again at the golf course heading south and see how that looks. As I told my friend - there were two things I liked about that ride: 1) the weather was nice and 2) I was in my bicycle. This ride falls to the bottom of my list of trails in this area!
Fun ride, but misleading. We got on at N 68th Street in Scottsdale, and it is neither paved or concrete. Very rough ride along the canal. Some parakeets in a tree and some other art along the way, but be advised it isn’t paved the whole way.
The trail is scattered with homeless people, shopping carts, & trash. I don't feel safe. They need to patrol the canal roads & clean them up to make them safe.
If you are rollerblading, this trail has a fair amount of gravel. If you are an intermediate skater, then it’s probably not a major problem. I can definitely see a beginner taking a few spills.
First, the map shows the east end at Alma School Rd. The east end is at Dobson Rd. I was there 2 wks ago.
The trail is paved from Dobson to the 143. There is usually some water in the river east of Tempe Town Lake. You can get on/off at Riverview Park in Mesa, Tempe Marketplace, Tempe Town Lake and all the major streets you cross.
It looks like they are going to extend the trail from the 143 to about 32nd St. If they do it will be awesome to be able to ride from 19th Ave in Phoenix to Dobson Rd in Mesa.
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.
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