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Weekend Warriors Arizona Hiking Guide
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PASS MOUNTAIN TRAIL (USERY MOUNTAIN PARK)
If a long loop hike through the desert located near the Phoenix area interests you, this is your hike. This hike is located near Mesa, AZ. From the Phoenix area, take US-60 East to the Ellsworth Road Exit. Go North on Ellsworth Road. After passing McKellips Road, Ellsworth Road turns into Usery Pass Road. Follow this road about two miles to the entrance of the Usery Mountain Recreation Area. Turn right to enter the park. After you have paid your entrance fee, follow Usery Park Road to Wind Cave Drive. Parking can get crowded on weekends. Be Aware of: Crowds, small fee to enter the park ($5 as of Nov 2005) 30 yr old Recommendation: I enjoyed this hike more than I thought I would. It is much less crowded than the nearby Wind Cave hike and gives you more of a feeling of desert solitude. The backside of this hike is particularly nice. This is a moderate hike. Elevation change: about 600 ft gain. Distance: 7.1 miles for the loop Time: It took us 3 hours for the loop. Time of year: All year (hike early in the day during the summer). Particularly nice in the winter. Good potential to see wildflowers here after a rain. Solitude: Much better here than expected. Most of the hikers are headed up the Wind cave hike. Expect to meet 10-20 other hikers. This trail is well marked and just North of the East Valley. These two facts make it a very popular area on weekends. Parking close to the trailhead could be a problem, but what does an extra few feet mean for a hiker anyway? There are two trails at this area. The Pass Mountain trail circles the mountain, while the Wind Cave trail hikes up it's face. Most people here are headed for the Wind Cave trail route. This loop describes the Pass Mountain Trail. The well marked and well signed trail heads away from the parking area and leaves most of the crowds behind quickly. This section of trail has some short up and down bits through washes but is mostly flat walking. The Saguaro's are pretty dense in this area. The trail loops around Pass Mountain first to the east, then back south. As the trail turns from east to south, good views are found to the surrounding areas. The trail climbs slowly here and begins to hug the side of Pass Mountain. It is easy to forget that you are close to a desert metropolis here, as there are no signs of civilization. This is without question the most enjoyable part of this hike. The climbing tops out at a pass where you can see north Mesa ahead of you and the untouched desert behind. From here, the trail descends rather quickly and continues to hug the mountain while winding back to the trailhead. Views of pricy Mesa houses come into view, signaling you are nearing the end of the hike. Be aware of mountain bikers on this last stretch. The entirety of this trail is open to mountain bikers, but I wouldn't want to try it. There are a number of spur trails in this section. If you stay right (close to Pass Mountain) you'll be fine.
Miles of pristine desert as seen from the backside of Pass Mountain Trail
We took this hike in November of 2005
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