Savor the silence on this local hike
One of the most striking features of Skyline Regional Park’s Pyrite Trail is its quiet atmosphere. The fresh-cut route is one of the newest trails in the 8,700acre park that’s 2 miles north of Interstate 10 in Buckeye.
This path begins 1.4 miles from the trailhead and can be harnessed into several loop hike options. Exploring the park’s western edge, the trail spins off the heavily traveled Granite FallsChuckwalla-Turnbuckle circuit and heads into a cloistered wilderness of sound-stifling mountain peaks and scoured washes.
The muffled sounds of wind, wings and scampering critters dovetail nicely with the desert solitude.
Like a great actor in an even better play, the silence here is the character that anchors the story line without disrupting the plot. The plot of this adventure is how the trail mitigates a 700-foot climb to a climactic summit by way of deceptively intimidating switchbacks.
Climbing the ragged ridgeline
Just under a mile into the trail, a set of climb-calming zig-zags takes on a ragged ridgeline of mineral-stained volcanic and metamorphic rocks. Although the switchbacks look imposing from a distance, the climbing is only a moderate slog.
On the way up the ridge, chunks of milky quartz that sometimes occurs with pyrite — an iron sulfide mineral commonly known as fool’s gold — cascade down the escarpments and settle in shiny heaps at the bases of barrel cactus and cholla.
As the trail gains elevation, views to the south feature the peaks of the Estrella Mountains and the sprawling Gila River basin. After roughly a quarter mile, the trail comes to a pass where the foothills and valleys of the southern White Tank Mountains roll out to the north. Ahead, another set of switchbacks creeps up a steeper ridge with several sheer drop-offs and scenic vista points.
Long views everywhere
This slightly more vertical and precipitous segment culminates at an airy gap overlooking the park’s trail-rich midsection (those squiggly lines below are the return routes), green farmlands to the southwest and a glimpse of the remainder of the trail as is snakes up a bluff on a scary-looking edge to the trail’s high point. Again, it’s not as bad as it looks.
At the top, the optional 0.6-mile round-trip Pyrite Summit spur trail wanders out onto a queasy lookout point for rewarding 360-degree vistas.
From the high point, the trail makes a 0.4-mile descent to connect with the Chuckwalla Trail, where heavier foot traffic and swooping bikes mark the end of the nature-insulated hush. For a 6.7mile round-trip hike, go right at the junction and follow the signs back to the trailhead or use the park maps to build a longer trek.
Pyrite Trail
Length: 6.7-mile loop (as described here). Rating: Moderate. Elevation: 1,500-2,200 feet.
Getting there: Skyline Regional Park, 2600 N. Watson Road, Buckeye. From Interstate 10, take Watson Road (Exit 117) and go 2 miles north to the park. Roads are paved. There are restrooms, campsites and picnic areas. No day-use fees. Camping is by reservation only. Trails open from sunrise to sunset daily. Gates close at 10 p.m.
Details: www.buckeyeaz.gov/ residents/skyline-regional-park.