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Shaw Butte Recreation Area
- Good for Kids:
- No
11 reviews for Shaw Butte Recreation Area
11 reviews in English
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Review from Robert M.
2/20/2012 2 photos
Our hike up to the towers began at the trail just south of the visitor center. This portion of the trail, about a mile or so, was mostly flat through the desert and allowed us to get in a great jog before reaching the base. Trail markers are not clear and there are a few options up to the towers, some easy and some difficult. We had to ask a few hikers along the way if we were on the right path heading in the right direction. We were pointed in the direction of the difficult hike which of course we took. So up we went steady, resting and short bursting all the way up to the towers. We reached the towers, rested for a bit, took in the view and began our descent on the opposite side of the mountain. The north potion of the slope led us back to the flat-lands and yet another sprint/jog to the visitor center were we came upon a group people in a T'ai Chi session. That was nice.
Tip: This is a great hike if you want to include some sprint/jog activity.
Hike Length: 5 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderately strenuous
Facilities: Water, restrooms and a very nice visitor center with staff.Listed in: "Seven Summits" of Phoenix
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Review from J.D. L.
Phoenix, AZ
12/30/2011 15 photos
Just finished a long hike. Felt pretty good.
Today instead of hiking up the butte I took trails that travel west and circle around. The Sonoran Desert fauna today was a little scarce but I did hear an owl, saw a coyote, a rabbit and a variety of small birds.
The flora was exceptionally green especially with the grasses up, which actually look like winter rye from peoples yards. One qt of water was more than good. The air temp was a little chilly but I really enjoy days like today. -
Review from Thomas I.
Henderson, NV
4/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
This hike is good if your looking for a place to jog with a small incline. Other thank that, the scenery is not that great and the views at the top are just okay. People here are friendly and it is not too crowded. I would hike again, but i would probably try to run the whole way.
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Review from Oshnnsun I.
Phoenix, AZ
This is a quick trail that will get your heart pumping. No services so take enough water but great view from atop Shaw Butte! If you are lucky, you'll get to see parasailors hovering above you.
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Review from John Q.
Phoenix, AZ
Shaw Butte has is a nice ~2 mile one-way hike. It has wide, well-worn paths, but also many loose rocky areas. A small portion of the journey is rather steep. At the top of the Butte, there is a huge collection of metal towers and satellite dishes, making it not the best place for a photographic view. Instead, try taking one of the lesser worn paths near the top of the mountain. There are a few clear 360 views of Phoenix from different areas on the Butte. This trail is plenty large enough, but expect to see a lot of friendly people going up and down. If you're looking for a serene, secluded location, this is not the place. However, if you are working out or patient with others moving about, you are in good company.
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Review from Phil H.
Harvard, IL
4/7/2010
Fun place to hike up, no climbing needed, not recommend for serious hikers since I had an easy time with this. It is easy to get to the path.
I will have the say this path can put some fear into your ankles and knees, one slip on the way down on a loose rock, or the patchy pavement, and you can be hurt.
The view at the top is great, it is even better if you like electronics. If you don't, well sorry. -
Review from Nick K.
Tempe, AZ
2/10/2008
Well, I took a little walk up this hill this morning and thought "this would be a great one to Yelp!", but I don't think I can say anything that wasn't already said (better) in Mr. K's review.
In a nutshell: this is a good hike both for a workout and wonderful views, take the trail on the backside if you want a more private experience, and uh, yeah it's a pretty good hike.
The only thing I might add is that you can also park at the North Mountain visitor center and walk it from there if you want to lengthen your hike by a mile. -
Review from Brett B.
4/19/2009 2 photos
This is a 5 mile roundtrip which crosses some desert, and then up a road to some antennas and satellite dishes. It's a pretty easy hike, just annoyingly uphill for what seems to be a long ass time.
Took a couple of wrong turns on the way back. Try to remember where you came from.
Total time up and back was 01:31:11. This was my second of four mountains, one Saturday in April. -
Review from Kolacka D.
Phoenix, AZ
10/7/2008
We go every morning when the weather is good. Be prepared to have your butt kicked without the chance of falling down and hurting yourself. You might be tempted to turn around half way your first time but the hardest part is at the begining. Awesome Urban Hike!
(Your kids will probably make it half way unless theyre experienced hikers. My 5 lb chihuahua made it about that far before needing water) -
Review from Mr K.
Phoenix, AZ
Something has to be said about the little guys of Phoenix's hiking universe. In a land where people switch from hiking Camelback to Piestewa Peak and then back to Camelback, the big cluster of trails that sprawl over north Phoenix can easily be overlooked. But I think it's great to take a break from the norm and explore new places once in a while - and also to step back and hike for hiking's sake and not think about "this climb is going to burn x calories at y heart rate in order to leave me with -z% body fat."
A bunch of these said trails in north Phoenix fall within the Shaw Butte Recreation Area, which I initially hiked back in spring and have been returning to since then, and I will say that I completely underestimated the experience because let's face it, Shaw Butte is ugly. At least from afar. If you're driving north on I-17 and look to the east, you'll see this nondescript brown hill topped with an antenna farm paired with it's just as ugly sister, North Mountain. Doesn't really attract you, does it.
But it's a great hike nevertheless. You park at a small lot in a residential neighborhood on Central Ave just south of Thunderbird and head into the Shaw Butte area. From here, you have two options - you can head up counterclockwise to the summit by taking the service road (which 99% of the people do - including families with kids, older folks taking leisurely walks, avid joggers, etc.) or, if you're like me, by following Trail 306/100 clockwise along the floor for about 1.5 miles until you start ascending Shaw Butte from the south side. I actually enjoyed walking on a flat surface for such a distance - I really appreciated the desert landscape a lot more as well as the view of the downtown skyline as the trail made its curve. The ascent itself has some parts which are reminiscent of Piestewa's stairmasterism, but they don't go on for nearly as long and level off time and time again for you to enjoy the views.
As you're getting closer to the summit, you'll come across the foundations of Cloud 9, a fine dining restaurant with a sweeping view of the Valley which was only accessible by a 4x4 on the aforementioned service road. It burned down in the 60's and was never rebuilt. Now a graffiti-ridden ghost, it's cool to stand here and imagine what a restaurant here would have been like, especially back in the early 60's when Phoenix was a fraction of its current size.
Then you can continue back onto Trail 306 and head up to the summit, where you're in antennae city. Oddly enough, most people who take the service road up from the north side don't walk around and hang out here. I'm usually just hanging out here by myself. Actually, let me correct that. I'm usually just hanging out here with a couple of iguanas who're sunning themselves on the rocks adjacent to the one I'm sitting on. I sit here for about 10 minutes, taking in the view looking south (usually), eating a snack, chilling with the iguanas, and then continuing in my clockwise direction by heading down the service road and back to my car.
For me, this loop is usually a 2 hour excursion. As I said, most people usually just stick to the service road to go up and down, so you have a good chance of having the whole trail on the south side of Shaw Butte all to yourself. No jostling with other people. No stepping to the side to let someone who's doing their third consecutive ascent whiz right past you. Just you. At whichever pace you want to go.
This is by no means minimizing Camelback or Piestewa Peak, because they're awesome hikes in their own right, but Shaw Butte and other north Phoenix trails bring me back to appreciating hiking and exploring again. At least in the city. Sure, they're nowhere near as tall, intense, eyecatching or crowded as the big guys, but they're still sitting there as part of the Phoenix Mountain Reserve, so why not hit 'em once in a while? It pays to mix it up now and then.
4 stars. -
Review from Bridget H.
Glendale, AZ
4/6/2010
Great hike.. only complaint is the loose gravel and rocks can catch up with you on the way down. Be careful if you are jogging down.. I've almost bruised my bum a couple of times. You can bring dogs up this hill, so that's a big plus for me. I've probably been up this butte more than any of the other hills in the area, mostly for convenience.
Listed in: hitting the trails
