One of the best things about living in the Phoenix metropolitan area is the beautiful view of the Sonoran Desert that comes with it. Phoenix is home to some of the most beautiful landscape in the American Southwest, which all Phoenix residents have access to any time of the year.
One of these beautiful nature reserves is White Tank Mountain Regional Park, home to the White Tank Mountains which it gets its name from. Located a few minutes outside of the city of Surprise, White Tank Mountain Park is home to a number of different hiking trails of varying difficulty.
Here, you can hike the:
- The Ford Canyon and Mesquite Canyon Trail – 10.5 miles.
- The South Train Loop – 4.9 miles
- The Black Rock Waterfall Trail – 3.9 miles
- The Sonoran Loop – 6.5 miles
- The Goat Camp Trail – 6.3 miles
And a number of other hiking trails within the park, including the 12.8-mile Maricopa Trail from Sun City Grand to the nature reserve.
But before you get on your hiking boots and trek through the White Tank Mountains, you need to first be prepared. Here are some tips to help you go along the way.
- Check the trail difficulty
Trail difficulty levels exist for a reason, so don’t go gung-ho on the biggest or most challenging trail because you think you can do it. If you’re not an active hiker, start small and go for the easy routes until you feel comfortable to graduate up to the more challenging hikes – and do the change gradually.
- Join hiking communities
Check around your city or on social media for groups for hikers so that you can ask questions or plan hikes together. They will be able to give you tips and pointers if you’re hiking on a trail for the first time, which is important if you’re planning to tackle one of the park’s difficult trails.
- Come prepared
You don’t want to overload yourself when going on a day hike, but you don’t want to show up empty handed either. You’re going to be moving through one of the country’s hottest deserts, which means that you’re going to need a backpack with sunscreen and ample water – at least two liters of water. You’ll also want to bring some food that’s lightweight and a great source of energy, like dates/date bars, nuts, and packs of crackers.
- Don’t go off the hiking trail
This is the most important of all. Stay on the trail at all times, and if you get to a point where you can’t find any trail markers, it’s better to turn back than assume where the trail is going. Getting lost in the desert isn’t only a major inconvenience, it’s also very dangerous.
If you’re interested in learning more about the natural beauty of Phoenix’s Northwest Valley, or you’d like to get help moving into a property around the area, White Tank Property’s own Carl, Melissa, and Mary are happy to answer any questions that you have and help you with the move. Give them a call today at 623-606-9354.