January is a great time to hike around the Valley. The temperatures are cooler, the kids are in school and the winter rain storms have not yet been set in motion. One of the big wins of homeschooling is being able to hike during the week and only having to share parks and hiking trails with a few other people.
Jack and I headed out to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park on a Thursday and practically had the place to ourselves. There were a few older hikers, a mountain biker and some horses, but everyone else was busy with their 9 to 5’s and school. Bliss.
The park encompasses 10,200 acres in northern Pinal county. The regional park currently has 9 trails covering about 20 miles that wind through the beautiful Sonoran Desert. Within the park are Goldmine mountain and the Malpais hills and the Maricopa trail passes through as well. Jack and I decided to start our hike at the Visitor’s Center. We loved seeing the desert tortoise and the pond as well as learning about the types of animals that frequent the area at night. From there we were able to begin our hike by jumping on the Littleleaf trail which ended at the Goldmine trail. We followed the Goldmine trail to the San Tan trail and finished with the Moonlight trail. All told it was a nice 3.7 mile loop.
The Littleleaf trail crosses many deep washes, making it a fun up and down type of trail. It was good to get this part out of the way first, those steep ascent/descents are tiring, especially when you run up and down them like Jack did. Fortunately, there are plenty of benches scattered throughout the park which Jack took the opportunity to sit at each one and eat a snack. Although the washes were dry at the time, we did take the time to discuss the dangers of crossing a wash when it is raining. The rest of the trails were fairly level and very exposed. Most trails in the lower half of the state are like that, so make sure you have water, sunscreen and a hat no matter the time of year.
There is parking and restrooms at both ends of the Goldmine trail and most trails begin at the Visitor’s Center. All trails are multi-use so expect to see hikers and mountain bikers as well as horses. A word of caution: when hiking in the outlying areas of the Phoenix metropolitan area (like north Scottsdale or San Tan Valley) be aware of your surroundings especially in the early morning or evening hours. Because of the fast pace of urban sprawl in these areas, there is the chance of encountering a mountain lion. While attacks have been rare, they are increasing in frequency and little ones are especially vulnerable. Teach your kids what to do if they see a mountain lion and make sure you keep an eye on them at all times. Jack and I have never had a problem, but that does not mean I have not talked with him about how to defend himself.
All told, it was a pleasant day of hiking. If you wish to see a video version of our hike you can visit our Youtube channel Jack and Mama or click the link here.