376 scenic miles, looping the Valley
Maricopa Trail, lengthening in spurts, will eventually loop the county, creating a vast dreamscape for outdoor lovers
The first surprise as you stroll the desert trail north of Phoenix is coming upon a calm, steady stream of cool water. This stretch of Cave Creek feels isolated, its banks of mesquite and desert scrub blocking the view of mountains in the distance.
But when you cross on a makeshift footbridge of wooden planks, the path opens onto a vast vista of saguaros dotting rows of mountains. East leads to the Tonto National Forest; west to Elephant Mountain.
The Elephant Mountain route guides you out of the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area and into Cave
Creek Regional Park — a scenic, 10-mile link between two regional parks.
Within the next few years, people traveling farther west on that trail will be able to walk, jog, bike or ride horses to Lake Pleasant and, eventually, southwest to the White Tank Mountains. An offshoot between Lake Pleasant and the White Tanks will wander down to Adobe Dam Regional Park.
From the White Tanks, the trail will meander south, where it will fork: A turn west will lead into the Buckeye Hills, while trekking east will lead into the Sierra Estrella near Goodyear. From there, the trail will continue east through Phoenix’s South Mountain Park and on to the Santan Mountains at the Valley’s southeastern edge. There, it will turn north toward Usery Mountain Regional Park, continue into the McDowell Mountains and curve northwest back to Spur Cross Ranch at Cave Creek’s edge.
That 376-mile path, known as the Maricopa Trail, will loop Maricopa County, connecting the county’s 10 parks. A smaller interior loop known as the Sun Circle Trail will incorporate several of the Valley’s canal trails and Phoenix’s South Mountain Park.
The project began 10 years ago and is more than half-done. County officials aim to complete it by 2015. The trail is taking shape as segments are connected like pieces of a puzzle. The project is herculean for a county that is 132 miles wide, where getting from one end to the other feels like a road trip.
Outdoorsy residents have already discovered segments of the Maricopa Trail, with news of completed segments traveling largely by word of mouth. In addition to offering the casual outdoor enthusiast new adventures, it offers prime training opportunities for endurance horseback riders, long-distance runners and extreme hikers. Some dub it the Appalachian Trail of Maricopa County.
Once finished, the Maricopa Trail will join a growing national movement toward regional trail systems that, experts believe, promote the community, public health and the economy.
‘Kind of surreal’
On a recent spring evening, a neon pink and yellow sunset draped over the White Tank Mountains as an impromptu group of eight joggers congregated at the northern end of the West Valley mountain range.
Soon, the sky turned pitchblack, lit only by the sprinkling of stars and the joggers’ headlamps. They began their weekly run on a trail along the eastern side of the White Tanks.
This particular 6-mile route begins at the western end of Greenway Road in Surprise, runs through a bypass tunnel under Sun Valley Parkway and continues until the trail abruptly stops 3 miles in. The rest of that portion of the Maricopa Trail, connecting White Tank Mountain Regional Park to Lake Pleasant Regional Park, is still under construction.
Early last year, retiree Don Anderson was on a15-mile night run in the White Tanks. It had just rained. As runoff poured down the rocks, it sounded like he was running in a drizzle.
“I posted on Facebook that I found the experience kind of surreal,” he said. “I had a few of them respond on Facebook, ‘Sounds great.’ I commented, ‘It sounds like we need to do a night run.’ They commented, ‘Yes, when are you going to head it?’ ”
Once he began coordinating weekly night runs, he spread the word through local running groups such as Arizona Road Racers. People show up when they’re not already committed to other races.
The trail segment the group runs is narrow, about the size of a bike lane. It is mostly flat but snaking, and it’s a challenge to stay on course for those unfamiliar with its turns. Anderson set up orange flags to mark the trail because the few official Maricopa Trail signs are tough to spot in the dark.
A recent 83-degree Tuesday had cooled down by the time the group started its jog at 6:45 p.m. The runners leave nobody behind — not even a reporter who joined them that night, a running novice who inevitably slowed them down. They caught up on each others’ recent races and injuries as they jogged the winding path.
Jeff Hall, founder of Run 4 It Endurance Training, halted the group during its return from the turnaround point. He urged all to turn off their headlamps and gaze up at the heavens.
It was a cloudy night, but stars still were visible. The faint sound of cars drifted in from Sun Valley Parkway, and the glow from Sun City West was visible in the distance.
Anderson, a Minnesota snowbird and running enthusiast who winters in Sun City West, turns 70 this year. He has run more than 20 miles of the Maricopa Trail and plans to add to that.
“My goal is to live long enough to do the whole trail,” Anderson said.
Trails in other states
Connecting public lands is a growing trend in outdoor recreation, said Richard Dolesh, vice president for conservation and parks at the National Recreation and Park Association.
The East Bay Regional Park District near San Francisco, for example, has more than 150 miles of paved trails linking the district’s parks. The district holds a Trails Challenge program encouraging residents to use different segments of the system.
The Seattle area’s King County has a trail system of more than175 miles and plans to grow it to more than 300 miles. “The Circuit” in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is a 750-mile bicycle- and pedestrian-trail project designed to link paths between states.
“The vision to connect these trails is a farsighted and practical vision because of the many benefits it brings from having short, disconnected trails,” Dolesh said.
People can pick which parts of the trails to use based on personal preferences or physical condition. Multipurpose trails like the Maricopa Trail increase the variety of outdoor activities available to users.
Having a regional trail system also can be a stimulus for economic growth and development — what Dolesh calls “low- impact heritage tourism.” That means outfitters, bike shops, guide services and hospitality businesses all benefit from having a regional trail system, he said.
The Maricopa Trail project broke ground in 2003. The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department is working with Valley cities, towns, Arizona Public Service Co., Salt River Project, the county Flood Control District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to connect the 35 segments.
The effort is projected to cost the county $5 million. Roughly $2.9 million has been spent so far. The Maricopa Trail and Park Foundation, a nonprofit, helps develop and maintain the system. An Anthem developer and Peoria also have donated $2.3 million toward the project.
County Board of Supervisors Chairman Andy Kunasek has been a key proponent of the project in the past decade. He has made it a priority for his chairmanship this year.
Kunasek grew up camping in the county’s Usery Mountain Regional Park. He is often found boating at the county’s Lake Pleasant Regional Park and is an avid hunter. He said he hopes to see organized community programs like the Ironman Triathlon held on the Maricopa Trail once it is complete.
He recalled a phrase that was coined during an early trails commission meeting where the trail was mapped: “It’s like taking a bunch of jewels in the parks and making jewelry.”