- Hikes in Arizona
- Phoenix Area and Central Arizona
- Telegraph Pass Trail (South Mountain)
Telegraph Pass Trail (South Mountain)
Location
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.
Hike details
Season
- January
- February
- March
- April
- October
- November
- December
Solitude
Difficulty
Permits
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.
