Chris Ryanczak's Blog: Hiking the Freedom Trail (#302)...

Returning to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve

Yesterday, Saturday, May 11th, I made another return to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve near downtown Phoenix, AZ. This time, I hiked the 4-mile Freedom Trail (#302).

Freedom Trail (#302) (Source: All Trails)

As I have mentioned in my previous posts, the Phoenix Mountain Preserve is criss-crossed by trails. As a result, there are a lot of trails to choose from for an outing. Instead of picking an obscure trail to hike on, I decided that it was time to hike on one of the more popular trails at the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Well, sort of.

Getting to the Freedom Trail (#302)

To get to the Freedom Trail (#302), you have to go to the Piestewa Peak Park section of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. To get there, I left the house a little after 8:00 AM. I drove over to the nearby grocery store to pick up a couple of bottles water to refill my Gregory hydration system. I then drove north and then east on Highway 101 toward Phoenix from Bell Avenue. Once inside the Phoenix city limits, I then headed south on State Road 51. I made the Glendale Avenue exit and headed east along Lincoln Drive. Then, I made the left turn onto Piestewa Peak Drive. Inside the park, there are several trailheads with parking (albeit limited), bathrooms, water, and overhead cover (known locally as ramadas). In fact, this is the same area where I took an extended break when I reached the halfway point on my hike on the L.V. Yates Trail the previous week. I had arrived at Piestewa Peak Park a little after 9:00 AM. The park was crowded and busy with activity. Somehow, I was fortunate to find a parking spot near the Piestewa Peak Trailhead.

Parking at Piestewa Peak Park

Hiking the Freedom Trail (#302) Clockwise

According to other hikers over at All Trails, it was highly recommended to hike the Freedom Trail in a counter-clockwise direction. That way, when you come to the section of the Freedom Trail (#302) that merges with the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail, you are hiking downhill toward the parking lots. For my hike, I did the opposite. Since my car was parked at the Pies tewa Peak Trailhead parking lot, I made the decision to hike up the Pistewa Peak Summit Trail first. In other words, I was going to hike the Freedom Trail (#302) in a clockwise direction.

Hiking Up the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

The first thing you notice as you begin the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail is a yellow sign notifying you that the the trail has a double black diamond rating, indicating that the trail is extremeley difficult. Here is the Trails Rating Guide from the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation webpage.

City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Trails Rating Guide

As I wrote earlier, the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail was CROWDED with hikers. Hikers of all shapes, sizes, and ability levels were on the crowded trail. Families, large groups of people, and small groups of people were on the trail. There were people trying to run on the trail. Then, sprinkled along the trail, there were people like me that were hiking solo. According to All Trails, the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail has a round-trip length of 2.3 miles. This would explain why the trail is so popular. People can hike or run to the top of Piestewa Peak, get a view of the Phoenix area, and then make it back to their car in approximately two hours. Depending on your physical conditioning and how hot the temperature is, of course.

The condition of the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail itself was mixed. The beginning of the trail featured smooth concrete. The higher the trail went in elevation, the more the condition of the trail changed. There were sections of the trail that contained rocks of various sizes that were neatly placed together to resemble steps. Then there would be stretches where the trail would be worn out rock of various heights and widths. There were instances where I had to step longer or higher than one foot in length. There were also times where I had to use my hands for extra stability for my feet.

The Piestewa Peak Summit Trail rapidly changed in elevation. Before I knew it, I was pretty high. The people walking around the parking lot below looked like ants. I could actually see Camelback Mountain to the south. There were also numerous switchbacks on the trail as well. Despite the rapid change in elevation, the All Trails app on my cell phone would show that I was going up the trail at a snail-like pace. Speaking of physical conditioning, going into the hike, I thought my physical conditioning was pretty good. For the past couple of months, I lift weights, use the elliptical trainer, go swimming at my nearby gym, and go hiking on Saturdays. Before my bike broke down, I would also go on a bike ride at least once per week. It didn't help. I still had to take numerous breaks on my way up the trail. At around 9:30 AM, the temperature started to get really hot, so I also made sure to drink water.

Here are some photos that I took while hiking the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail.

Final preparations before hiking.

Panorama of Piestewa Peak Trailhead

Looking towards the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail.

Looking at Piestewa Peak.

Looking northeast across the parking lot.

Nearby mountain across the parking lot.

Looking down at the Piestewa Peak Trailhead parking lot.

Heading up the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail.

Getting higher and higher.

Looking towards downtown Phoenix.

Upward and onward.

Heading back down the trail.

A rough section of the trail.

Camelback Mountain way in the distance.

Another view of downtown Phoenix.

Another hiker on the trail.

The elevation keeps on increasing.

Another rough section of the trail.

Getting pretty steep.

A popular place for taking photos.

Almost there.

Piestewa Peak

Looking down at the parking lot.

Looking down at the Biltmore area of Phoenix.

Near the exit for the Freedom Trail.

Off the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

After an hour or so, I FINALLY made it to the Freedom Trail (#302) itself. According to the All Trails app, I had FINALLY hiked one mile. As I descended down the saddle point, there were several switchbacks on the trail. I even encountered a fellow hiker on the way up who kindly informed me that he had seen a rattlesnake near the bottom of the trail. He said that if I stayed on the trail that I should be fine, however. As a result, I quickened my pace and took fewer photos with my cell phone. At the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the houses go all the way right up to the park boundary. As I made my way north along the Freedom Trail, much of the terrain started to look very familiar from my previous hikes in the area. In fact, when I reached the second saddle point, the highest elevation of my hike, I realized I had been at this area on at two or three previous occasions at the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. After eating my peanut butter Clif bar and drinking a lot of water, I made my descent from the second saddle point. As I was walking downhill, I became a hiking machine. The landscape passed by in a rapid blur. The temperature also began to rise as well. After passing a woman and her mother on the Freedom Trail, I made it back to the Piestewa Peak Trailhead area by 1:00 PM. I found a shady area in one of the ramadas, took off my sun hat, took off my Gregory hydration pack, and then drank A LOT of water. The warm slight breeze felt really good. Moreover, my feet weren't in pain. I could actually get up, walk over to my car, open the trunk, and change into my running shoes without any problems. My feet were happy.

Without much delay, I packed up everything into the trunk of my car. I exited the park and then got back onto State Road 51 before heading north. I made my way back to Peoria. Getting an ice-cold mug of beer and a green chile cheeseburger sounded like a great idea after a great hike.

Here are some photos that I took as I hiked the loop portion of the Freedom Trail (#302).