Type: Hiking & Mountain Biking Trail
Location: South Mountain
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
Distance: 5.5 Miles
Rating: Good
Last Hiked On: April 7, 2013
Map: Runtastic : Google Maps : City of Phoenix PDF Map

Trail Overview

This is a good trail, but not a great one. There are no sweeping vistas of the valley. Beverly Canyon is fairly nondescript and is most noted for following under the power lines. Javelina Canyon Trail does have some beautiful hills and valleys to wander through and it feels down right remote at times. I’ve found Javelina to have less traffic that Beverly as well.

The trail is fairly well marked. If you are not sure of which way to go, look further down the trail for a marker. But like so many trails in Phoenix, there are lots of criss-crossing trails that are easy to be diverted by. This is way it’s always a good idea to have a map.

Hiking

It’s a bit long for an “easy” trail, but there isn’t much elevation gain and the trail is fairly mild. It’s only the length of the trail that pushes it closer to a moderate trail.

Mountain Biking

It’s more challenging for biking and both novice and intermediate level riders will find several places where they will dismount. Or crash.

Trail Head

The parking area at East Pima Canyon Road is large and stretches on for quite a ways. Even so, weekend mornings during the cooler months brings throngs of people to this spot and parking can become a challenge. Finding East Pima Canyon Road is a chore all by itself. I’ve been told that the entrance was specifically designed to be hard to find so as to keep out all but the locals and I believe it. The map below pinpoints the trail head. Search Google Maps for “Pima Canyon Entrance” will also bring up the trail head. Searching for “E Pima Canyon Rd” in Apple Maps will also find the road.

Once your at the trail head, head up the dirt road until you come to the Beverly Canyon trail marker and follow it the right and generally towards the power lines.

Alternatively, there is also a parking area at 46th Street that puts you right on Javelina and Beverly. This shortens the trail by about half a mile, but that half mile is the most boring part.

Pictures Below Taken in the Spring – Pretty Flowers