Mormon Trailhead — Attraction in Phoenix

It’s a beautiful area and the trail itself is well maintained. You start going up the mountainside right away and it gains elevation quickly but at a decent pace. It’s not an extreme incline compared to something like camelback. You can get great views of the rest of South Mountain and also nearly all the Phoenix metro area from the top. This trail is worth it if you can deal with a few things that I’ll mention next. I got to this trail for the first time on a Sunday morning right before sunrise and the entire parking lot was nearly full, there was maybe a single spot left to park. It’s a popular trail and unfortunately you will encounter many other people while on it. Especially on the weekends. I would highly suggest not going to do this trail on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Especially Saturday and Sunday. My first time here on a weekend day was almost miserable until I got close to the top of the mountain and started seeing less people. At the beginning of the trail there was a bunch of people blocking the path while walking dogs, a lady walked by us singing out loud and there were joggers who sprint by you without saying anything at all, not to mention the entitled mountain bikers who act like the trail was designed for them. Obviously not all of these people are going to be bad, just look out for the bad apples. We should all have equal respect for other people trying to use the trail for either walking, hiking and biking. When you get closer to the top it gets much better. There was a lot less traffic and you also meet up with several other trails and can make your own route. Some of the trails the Mormon one links up with are the national trail/maricopa trail, hidden valley trail and the Mormon loop trail which leads you towards the east and not too far down that way you can take what’s called the devastator trail back down to the valley below. Its similar to the Mormon trail except more steep in a few spots and I don’t believe it has a parking lot. It leads from the top of the mountain down to a neighborhood road. It’s not marked in person so be sure to always check your phone or have a trail map downloaded in case you lose service. I highly recommend taking the Mormon trail all the way up to the top and then continuing forward on the national/maricopa trail until you reach the hidden valley area. It’s really not far at all once you complete the Mormon trail. Here you can see a place called fatmans pass and also the hidden valley tunnel which are must see things at south mountain. The hidden valley trail is mostly a loop and it’s short and sweet compared to the other much longer trails. There is a ton of very beautiful rock formations at the top and around the hidden valley area. Look it up! My first time on the Mormon trail I did not enjoy it too much because of all the other people around and it got too hot for me so I finished the Mormon and went back down. I came back on a Tuesday morning and did the trail again and there was only 4 cars in the lot and I only passed maybe 5 people the entire time I was up there. Since I was having more fun and enjoying myself I decided to check out the hidden valley area and yeah it’s a must see. Overall this is an amazing trail and it leads to other amazing trails. Just be sure to prepare, have a map to not get lost, bring extra water and snacks and have fun. Most importantly don’t go on a...

100 stars if I could.

Alright yeah I’m biased but hear me out. This trail holds serious sentimental weight. I took my partner on our first date here and it kind of locked in a core memory. That said, even if you’ve got zero emotional attachment to it, Mormon Trail is still a legit gem on its own.

The trail is well-kept, never sketchy, and gives you options. Tons of split-offs if you’re feeling adventurous or want to crank out extra miles. The parking lot can look slammed but once you’re moving it’s weirdly peaceful. You’ll run into the occasional mountain biker and maybe a hiker or two but for the most part it’s quiet enough to feel like you’ve got the desert to yourself.

The elevation will make your legs earn their protein, especially at the start and midway through, but not in a way that makes you question your life choices. Just enough burn to know you’re alive, with solid views to reward the grind. If you take a night hike, seeing the city lit up from the higher points is a view all of its own. The lights stretch forever and it hits different when everything else is still.

And if you want to make it even better, detour over to Fat Man’s Pass. It’s a solid little bonus for the curious and makes the hike feel even more like an adventure.

Whether you're looking for reflection time, cardio, or just want to see the sun light up the rocks like some kind of real-life nature filter, this trail never misses. Special for me, but honestly, it should be on...

I highly recommend hiking Hidden Valley Trail which is a short loop that connects to Mormon Loop Trail.

The first 1.1 or 1.2 miles of Mormon Loop Trail are on the harder side of moderate difficulty for a hike. Lots of elevation gain (about 1,100 ft) and very rocky, but still easier than a trail like Tom's Thumb.

Once you get to the Hidden Valley Trail it's a relatively flat but very fun hike and unique for Phoenix. If you go clockwise around the Hidden Valley Trail loop, you travel through a short tunnel formed by rocks on either side of a canyon. Climb up some rocks and travel through a dry creek bed before coming to Fat Man's Pass which is a very narrow tunnel that is fun to slide through. Both tunnels are less than 10 feet in length so don't be discouraged if you are claustrophobic. They make for fun changes to the scenery.

Throughout the loop of you want to climb the rocks on either side of the valley you can expect nice views of South Mountain and good spots to take pictures. Definitely a lot of fun especially if you want to do a social hike with friends and family. Not what I would call a particularly demanding hike once you make it past...