A Google Earth view of just some of the possibilities at Dreamy Draw.
Sometimes, real life eats up more time than it should. Work and other responsibilities nip away at my time until there’s little left over for mountain biking.
For weekend days when scooping the cat box, doing dishes and washing the laundry deprives me of some time, I still take solace in the fortress of mountain bike fortitude near my house: The Phoenix Mountain Preserve at Piestewa Peak/Dreamy Draw.
I can think of no better way to honor this prime piece of foresight than to tell you about it as part of the inaugural International Blog My Trail Day. The trailhead at the east end of Northern Avenue is about 10 minutes from my house. So when I’m short on time, I can count on Trail 100 and its many offshoots to give me a great workout and even better fun without spending too much time behind the wheel.
Typically, my ride starts with:
- a cruise through a wash
- a steep, switchbacked hill
- and a fast, slightly downhill romp through medium-radius turns (marked in purple on the map).
Here are some other highlights marked on the map. If you want a bigger version, e-mail me and it’s yours:
- Yellow trail – a little-known, slender bit of singletrack. Super-fun!
- Green trail – a long downhill stretch. You’ll love it, but watch for other people and some occasional rock ledges.
Throughout the ride, I’ll encounter everything from super-smooth ribbons of singletrack and stair-stepped rocky nightmares … and a lot of cholla cactuses.
How’bout wildlife? I’ve seen rattlesnakes, hawks and even someone on a show donkey! How crazy is that? I still have yet to see a coati, but I’m holding out some hope.
For the navigationally challenged, it’s really impossible to get lost. Though you can often forget you’re in the middle of a sprawling city, you’re never far from safety. That’s not a license to be stupid, of course!
You can easily ride 25 miles here … if that’s not long enough, you can also head west of the SR 51 freeway and easily double that. I stick to the east because I consider it the most fun – plus, bathrooms and water fountains are never far away (very important for the summer months).
It’s a fairly well-traveled area: Bikers, equestrians, hikers, runners – and all levels of each. It’s a great place to hang out with other riders, or show some courtesy to visitors looking for the best bits of trail.
A much-younger Wandering Justin (L) and his old riding buddy, Scott. Scott is a Michigander who can actually shut up about the Wings for two seconds.
There seems to be a fair bit of history here, too. Nearly everywhere you go, you can see the remains old mining claims. In fact, there are still a pair of open adits (tunnels) that you can check out.
I’d consider the Phoenix Mountain Preserve – and particularly this area – a great asset to our city. If you come for a visit, be sure to bring your biking and your riding gear. Give it a try!
Directions: Take State Route 51 north to Northern Avenue. Exit at Northern and follow it to the end. Park at the trailhead parking lot. Entry is free. There are other trailheads, but this is the easiest to find.
More From wandering_justin
- The International Blog My Trail Day Round-Up
- Check Out McDowell Mountain Night-time MTB Ride
- Jan. 8 Named International Blog My Trail Day
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Nice, I ride 100 myself and have the same time restrictions.
Very cool, Frank. Thanks for stopping in!