Black Mountain Trail — Attraction in Cave Creek

A serious hike up, but well worth it at the top! I would not recommend this for beginner hikers or those not in good physical and cardiovascular shape. Yes, many locals probably hike this thing daily in under an 40 minutes. But if you are visiting the area, and want a great hike up a decent sized mountain with great views at the top, then this local geological gem is for you! The path is not super well marked, so I do give this 4 stars. Further, parking is almost non-existent; if the city made a designated parking lot with spots it would be better. You can also hike this at night too, some do. Just bring a good headlight with extra batteries. Hiking sticks, solid grip ankle supported boots or shoes are highly recommended. And either shorts with gaiters or thin but protective pants; as the cacti will scratch you up if you brush up against it, or fall into it 😬 The rocks on the path can be slippery from dust and gravel pebbles, not to mention a rocky terrain is an ankle rollers nightmare. So walking sticks or stick is a good idea. I’ve climbed this thing probably over 5 times now, and it’s always worth it! Share the trail, be safe, come hydrated with snacks and water, protect your skin, watch your step, and please be courteous of other hikers. If you bring binoculars, you’ll get a cool additional way to see the surroundings. Then after your hike, stop by any local cafe for a bite to eat. I...

Rated difficult for a reason! But the view is worth it. Being close to Anthem and having good views, this 2.2 mile round trip hike is a good choice to do if you don't have a lot of time to drive to the national forests, but want to do a difficult hike with good views. The elevation gain of over 1100 ft means that most of the hike is directly up. If you have bad knees, it will be very brutal on the way down. There is a free parking area on the street at the bottom of the hill, to the right I believe it was called Marsh or Mark st. The views were totally worth it! Complete 360. You can see the continental divide in the distance and the whole city beneath you. Gorgeous!...

Speaking as a visitor to the area from the Sacramento Valley in California, this was one of my more challenging hikes but well worth taking. The parking lot for the trail is tucked away off of School House Road along Mark Way. The actual trailhead is located further up the road adjacent to two private driveways. Given the steep rocky composition of the trail, I took my time getting to the summit. I encountered several other hikers along my trek who were friendly and encouraging. I am in awe of those locals who hike this trail on a regular basis for exercise. The view from the summit was quite amazing and I got to break in my new...