Telegraph Pass Trail (South Mountain)

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Views from the top of Telegraph pass trail
Petroglyphs along the Telegraph pass trail
hikers on the Telegraph pass trail
Map: Telegraph pass trail
Elevation plot: Telegraph pass trail

Location

How to Get There
This hike is located near Phoenix, AZ.

To get to the trailhead: From the Phoenix area, take I-10 south to Chandler Blvd. Turn right (West) on Chandler Boulevard and continue going West until you reach the intersection with Ray Road. Turn left here at the stop sign to stay on Chandler Boulevard and drive 1.7 miles to the signed intersection with Desert Foothills Parkway. Turn right here and drive 1.3 miles to the unsigned parking area and trailhead on your right. There is water here and a porta-potty. This is a popular area and even though there is a generous amount of parking spaces they may still be full. Please do not park in the neighborhoods, but wait for a spot to open up at the trailhead parking area. Since the hike is a short one, it shouldn't take long for a parking spot to open up.
city
phoenix
state
az
Region
Phoenix Area and Central Arizona

Hike details

Distance
2.30 [Miles] Total
Hike Distance- Details
The hike is 2.3 miles to the top and back.
Time
1.00 [Hours]
Time-details
This hike took about 1 hour.
Elevation Change
500 Total gain/loss [Feet]
Elevation Details
About 500 ft elevation gain.
Hike Trail Type
Out and Back
Special Features
Wild Flowers
Rating details
March is also nice for wildflower season.

Season

Best Season
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • October
  • November
  • December
Date Hike completed
October 13, 2012

Solitude

Solitude
Low
Solitude Details
You won't experience any solitude on this hike. Expect to share this trail with 100-200 other hikers.

Difficulty

Difficulty Rating
Easy
difficulty detail
This is a short, easy hike to some nice views.

Permits

Be Aware of
crowds, mountain bikers

Hike Telegraph pass trail in South Mountain park in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Telegraph Pass trail is a good hike if you're looking for a short but enjoyable desert hike in the Phoenix area. From the parking area, start hiking along the paved trail towards South Mountain park. After 0.4 miles, the pavement turns to dirt and you reach a signed trail junction (JCT 1L on the map). Turn left here and stay on the Telegraph Pass Trail. Pretty soon you'll see some petroglyphs on your right with an interpretive sign. These petroglyphs are dated at around 600 years old, so please treat them with the reverence they deserve. From this point, the trail gets steeper and more rocky, but is still easy to follow. After about 400 ft of climbing, you reach the Telegraph Pass road in South mountain and the turnaround point for this short but enjoyable hike.

 

Map

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