Views and rock art on South Mountain Trail
Long before the craggy hills that comprise South Mountain were outfitted with hiking trails and picnic ramadas, the Akimel O’odham (Pima) people referred to them as Muhadag Du’ag, or Greasy Mountain.
The name comes from a Native American legend about how hot grease dripping from the mouth of Trickster Coyote as he consumed food stolen from a cremation fire gave the mountains their dark stains.
People have been carving marks in the “greasy” rock veneers of the mountain ranges south of Phoenix since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have attributed artifacts and petroglyphs (rock art) found in the area to a wide scope of peoples who lived in and around what is now South Mountain Park.
Keep an eye out for petroglyphs
Heritage sites in the park include a few rare incised symbols from huntergathers of the Archaic period (8,0002,000 years ago), thousands of Hohokam etchings (A.D. 400-1450) and the scribblings of early European settlers.
Many of these panels are visible from the more than 50 miles of hiking trails in the park. The Kiwanis trail contains several petroglyph sites with human forms, spiral patterns and animal designs tapped into stone by the area’s ancient inhabitants, as well as features of the park’s more recent history.
Established in 1924, South Mountain Park was a major work center for the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1933 and 1940. During that time, roughly 4,000 workers constructed many of the park’s trails and masonry/stone buildings.
The Kiwanis Trail is a classic example of CCC construction projects. Its handhewn cuts, native-stone steps and check dams built to slow the flow of water and minimize erosion are relics of the Depression-era program.
Views in every direction at the top
Over its 1-mile course, the trail climbs 480 feet through a furrowed canyon to Telegraph Pass Road. As the trail gains elevation, views of downtown Phoenix expand from sliver glimpses to full blown panoramas.
Moisture dropped by the recent remnants of hurricanes Rosa and Sergio coaxed the green back into the landscape. The wettest October in recorded Arizona history has enabled ocotillos to puff out, drought-starved brittle bush to sprout leaves and delicate Arizona desert thorn to bloom in fragrant clusters.
Heavy rain can cause trails to become very muddy. Although it’s advisable to avoid hiking on saturated trails to prevent damaging them, you won’t encounter mucky quagmires on the Kiwanis Trail. The path is mostly hardpacked gravel and bare rock, and was built to drain quickly and withstand wet-weather use.
At the top of the trail, the hike may be extended by crossing the road to the National Trail for a short but steep climb to the Telegraph Pass lookout. Situated on a knoll overlooking the Salt and Gila river basin, the rustic stone hut serves as a convenient turnaround point or rest stop before continuing on the 15-mile National Trail that traces ridge-line crests for the entire length of the park.
Hiking the Kiwanis Trail
Length: 2 miles round trip, or 2.6 miles round trip to Telegraph Pass Lookout.
Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 1,580-2,060 feet. Getting there: South Mountain Park, 10919 S. Central Ave., Phoenix. From the main entrance at the end of Central Avenue, continue on Stephen Mather Drive and go left at the first four-way intersection. Take another left onto Piedras Grandes Drive and continue to the trailhead.
Details: www.phoenix.gov/parks. Reference: “Landscape of the Spirits Hohokam Rock Art at South Mountain Park,” Todd W. Bostwick and Peter Krocek, University of Arizona Press, Tucson. uapress.arizona.edu.