Marcos de Niza Trail
The Marcos de Niza Trail is a 2.9 km out and back hike in the South Mountain Preserve of Phoenix that sees heavy traffic. This hike is nice and short and it offers awesome views of the rest of the preserve and the city below. We don’t recommend it for small children because of the hands-on climbing required, but older kids and adventurous beginners should be able to enjoy it.
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Route Description for Marcos de Niza Trail
Marcos de Niza Trail is a hike in the northeastern end of the South Mountain Preserve in Phoenix. Enjoy wide-open city views and views of the rest of the preserve in front of you on this trail. The hike is short enough to complete when you’re in a time crunch, but it does include some sections that require hands-on climbing. Little kids will need help to get through these sections and hikers who won’t like scrambling may wish to skip this one altogether.
Make sure you bring water with you on this hike and try to finish your trail before the heat of the afternoon.
From the trailhead, go left onto Desert Classic Trail and then take an immediate right to hike up through a set of switchbacks onto the ridge. Traverse the ridge, which has the best views of the hike. You’ll head along the top of the ridgeline. The scrambling section has good handholds and footholds, but just take your time to be safe. Your outbound hike ends at the 4-way junction, where you’ll turn back and retrace your steps to the trailhead.
Getting to the Marcos de Niza Trail Trailhead
The trailhead for the Marcos de Niza Trail is at the end of Pima Canyon Road.
Route Information
Marcos de Niza Trail Elevation Graph
Weather Forecast
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Nearby Trails
- Pima Wash and Beverly Canyon Loop
- Beverly Canyon Trail
- Beverly Canyon Loop
- National Trail Out and Back Hike
- Desert Classic Trail
- Marcos de Niza and Pima Loop
- National to Hidden Valley to Mormon Loop
- Pima East Loop
- Midlife Crisis and National Loop
- Pima Wash Trail to West Loop
- Javelina Canyon and Ridgeline Loop
- Acer Summit via Mormon Trail