Hiking Squaw Peak in Phoenix, Arizona

On the trip this time, I knew there was no way that Krystina and I could hike both North Mountain and Squaw Peak in the same day. But I've been a few times before, so I'll do a quick writeup now for anyone that wants to tackle this hike instead of North Mountain.

First off, as I said in a previous post, I think they've changed the name to something different but most people in the Phoenix area still call it Squaw Peak, some rich guy from up north came to Arizona to visit a few years back and was appalled at the fact that Squaw was an Indian word that was apparently derogatory so he sued the Arizona state parks to make them change the name then went back home. I've never hiked this trail during the day for some reason, it seems like every time I went there we were going at night for perfectly innocent reasons at that!

A few years back a friend and I hiked a little ways into the park and then laid down on the trail to watch a meteor shower away from the blaring street lights, another time we felt like hiking at about 2 am in the morning so we drove over with a flashlight and climbed to the top. The views of Phoenix at night from atop Squaw Peak are amazing and well worth stumbling through the dark, but remember, even though it's right in the middle of the city, this is still a hike through the wilderness and there are plenty of rattlesnakes.

If you're new to Arizona or have never been here before a word of wisdom, rattlesnakes hunt at night because it's harder for their prey to see them, and they are cold blooded and need certain temperatures to be active. If the night is in the 70-80 degree mark, you are going to have company on the trail, I recommend waiting to take this hike until the nighttime temperatures have dropped into the 60's so that the snakes are all in hiding.

If you go on a night with a full moon, you really won't need a flashlight to hike this trail, but it's always a good idea to bring one along. Once the weather cools down a bit more I'll drag Krystina up this mountain too and post some cool night shots of the city with a bit more of a detailed writeup.

Directions : From anywhere in Phoenix, head along the I-10 Freeway towards Phoenix International Airport until you reach SR-51. Take SR-51 Northbound to the Glendale/Lincoln Ave Exit and then hang a right (East). Go a mile or two and you can't miss the entrance into the park.

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