Find the top rated walking trails in Scottsdale, whether you're looking for an easy short walking trail or a long walking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a walking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Skunk Creek Trail runs along the banks of its namesake waterway, connecting Peoria, Glendale and the eastern edge of Phoenix. The trail provides a link to residences, businesses and parks, as well...
This paved, multi-use trail runs along the banks of one of Cave Creek's tributaries and connects to the longer Cave Creek Wash Trail. The Cave Creek Tributary Trail provides access to numerous...
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...
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 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 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 Dreamy Draw Bikeway passes through the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area in Phoenix, offering ample scenery and access to the area's rustic hiking trails. The trail begins at a residential neighborhood...
This short trail parallels N. 67th Avenue in Glendale and follows the edge of the Thunderbird Conservation Park. The trail provides a connection between nearby residences and Mountain Ridge High...
This sidepath along Litchfield Road serves to connect the communities of Litchfield Park and Goodyear, just outside of Phoenix. The utilitarian-style path is not a destination, but it is valuable as a...
This trail runs parallel to Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale. The trail consists of several disconnected segments on both sides of the road. The western end has a much more suburban feel than the eastern...
This short trail serves Hillcrest Ranch and the surrounding communities in Glendale. The trail also provides easy access to the short 67th Avenue Trail and can be connected to the much longer New...
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 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 Cave Creek Wash Trail is a paved multi-use trail along the banks of Cave Creek in Phoenix. The trail consists of two disconnected segments, the longest of which is the southern section. This...
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 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 State Route 51 Trail parallels Arizona State Route 51, also known as the Piestewa Freeway, on a paved route between the Reach 11 Recreation Area and Venturoso Park. The trail provides access to...
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...
This shared use path is wide, smooth and flat and exists in disconnected segments along Jackrabbit Lane, between Litchfield and Buckeye. The trail begins just north of the the Valley Metro park and...
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 Skunk Creek Trail runs along the banks of its namesake waterway, connecting Peoria, Glendale and the eastern edge of Phoenix. The trail provides a link to residences, businesses and parks, as well...
This shared use path is wide, smooth and flat and exists in disconnected segments along Jackrabbit Lane, between Litchfield and Buckeye. The trail begins just north of the the Valley Metro park and...
This sidepath along Litchfield Road serves to connect the communities of Litchfield Park and Goodyear, just outside of Phoenix. The utilitarian-style path is not a destination, but it is valuable as a...
This trail runs parallel to Shea Boulevard in Scottsdale. The trail consists of several disconnected segments on both sides of the road. The western end has a much more suburban feel than the eastern...
The New River Trail parallels its generally dry namesake waterway through the populous Phoenix suburbs of Peoria and Glendale. The entire route is paved and uninterrupted, with undercrossings offering...
This short trail parallels N. 67th Avenue in Glendale and follows the edge of the Thunderbird Conservation Park. The trail provides a connection between nearby residences and Mountain Ridge High...
This trail (sometimes called the Paseo Pathway) is probably the easiest trail in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve's clutch of hiking and biking paths. Paved and relatively flat, the trail welcomes users...
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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...
This short trail serves Hillcrest Ranch and the surrounding communities in Glendale. The trail also provides easy access to the short 67th Avenue Trail and can be connected to the much longer New...
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 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 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 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 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...
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...
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...
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 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 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 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...
This sidepath along Litchfield Road serves to connect the communities of Litchfield Park and Goodyear, just outside of Phoenix. The utilitarian-style path is not a destination, but it is valuable as a...
This shared use path is wide, smooth and flat and exists in disconnected segments along Jackrabbit Lane, between Litchfield and Buckeye. The trail begins just north of the the Valley Metro park and...
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 Dreamy Draw Bikeway passes through the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area in Phoenix, offering ample scenery and access to the area's rustic hiking trails. The trail begins at a residential neighborhood...
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...
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 Skunk Creek Trail runs along the banks of its namesake waterway, connecting Peoria, Glendale and the eastern edge of Phoenix. The trail provides a link to residences, businesses and parks, as well...
The State Route 51 Trail parallels Arizona State Route 51, also known as the Piestewa Freeway, on a paved route between the Reach 11 Recreation Area and Venturoso Park. The trail provides access to...
The Indian Bend Wash Path—also sometimes referred to as the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt or the Scottsdale Greenbelt—follows the banks of Indian Bend Wash between Scottsdale and Tempe. Along the way,...
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 trail is convenient to get on with lots of access points. Most of the portion I rode was paved and smooth trail. The north end was pretty ruff. My biggest complaint is that you have to stop every half mile to cross a major road and many didnt have crosswalks. Didnt like having to dart quickly across 4 lanes of traffic. Lots of goatheads as well. Every time I rode this path I seemed to pick up 2 or 3 in the tires
the main trailhead or trails are not handicapped/disabled accessible. this limited mapped area is mostly adjacent to the roadway, only a small section and rarely used. tons of high speed traffic on this roadway. also the sidewalk is only on one side of the road...so you have to go back/forth on the same side. not recommended. // the actual trailhead is loaded with mountain bikers most of the time. //. these trailheads really need to do a better job of grooming some of the paths
We connected this with the parallel Sono. Trail jut south to make a nice ~14 mile loop, parking at the Chapman Horse Arena. This was DELIGHTFUL, especially compared to other trails in the NW Valley where we live and a stark contrast to the canal trails in Phoenix that have broken glass, trash and are dotted with belongings of transient/homeless. Busy early on a Saturday morning but people were friendly! Primarily residential and foresee that Queen Creek may well extend this as the population continues to explode. VERY NICE and kudos to the city for this amazing amenity!
Paved trail that parallels the 101 freeway. There is a park with bathrooms and one porta-potty along the trail. Was not too crowded when I rode it. I would ride it again
Wow....what a perfect trail for all age groups and abilities. On a Saturday morning in May, My fiancé and I had a great experience riding from the very north end of the trail on Happy Valley from our house in Terramar and rode all the way to have lunch at Westgate and then headed back home. There are a few interruptions of the trail close to Happy Valley Road but we still stuck to the path. We can’t wait to take the New River Trail again soon.
Took my road bike here and got a good 32 mile in. Nice underpasses to avoid crossing roads. Lots of sun. Next time I’ll start about 730am. Friendly riders and happy people along the route. ¿
We started the Arizona Canal Trail at N Arcadia Street, where we found parking in the small lot beside the trail. We rode behind residences for a few miles, some stop-n-go to cross intersections, then we began a stretch of really beautiful properties with flowering bushes and trees. We rode thru the Biltmore District, past the Wrigley Mansion, which was gorgeous! The intersections included mostly underground tunnels making it a steady ride with no traffic. Nice 3 hour, 22 mile ride. Ended up at Cave Creek Park, then headed back. Plenty of park restrooms along the path, as well.
Flat for the most part, just long enough at 10 miles round trip! Some nice views too.
EAST of I-10, this is a nice, mostly-paved trail, and you will enjoy the company of may cyclists and joggers. I especially enjoyed the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch. It's a great little detour off the path, with its own network of rideable dirt paths, families, and lots of birds. This section of the path also goes right through the commercial heart of Gilbert, with many nice restaurants. It also connects to the very nice Consolidated Canal paved path, running north-south. This is a nice path for any kind of bicycle, as well as for walking and running. Every road crossing of any size has a dedicated crosswalk and signal.
WEST of I-10 is the rough dirt/gravel path along the canal. It's a somewhat depressed area of Phoenix. It doesn't connect to other paths, and there are few amenities. Not a good path for a road bike of any kind. Most crossings have no markings or signals. On a recent nice-weather day, I saw no other bikers (but plenty of wanderers that I gave a wide berth).
For the WESTERN stretch, there is a partially-paved alternative east-west path about a mile to the south (south of Baseline Road). The asphalt (in early 2021) is not in a good state of repair, but you will have the company of a few cyclists and joggers.
IN BETWEEN the EAST and WEST is the freeway crossing at Baseline Road. This is a very busy intersection at all times, with lots of turning traffic. Dangerous.
I'd stick with the EASTERN stretch of the "Western" Canal Path.
Nice and easy with good underpass elevation changes and a decent amount of curves. Glad it was March 19 and already very warm. Can’t imagine what dead of summer would be like.
We absolutely love biking this trail visiting it frequently during our January thru March stay in the Phoenix area. The trail is clean, paved/cemented, and wide. The trail's landscaping is beautiful--especially when the flowers are in bloom. The trail offers lots of options, allowing you to easily customize the distance you would like to travel. Riders and walkers are polite and friendly. This is a must-visit trail for any level of rider.
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