The East Valley has some of the best hikes in the Phoenix Metro area. Continue reading to find out 5 of our top hikes and why we like them so much.

1. Flatiron Via Siphon Draw Trail #53 – Tonto National Forest

Length: 6 Miles Roundtrip
Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging
Season: Spring, Winter
Time: 4-6 Hours Hours

This hikes gives you views of not only the entire East Valley but the Phoenix Metro area as well. This hike is the most strenuous on the list but starts off with a beautiful walk through a meadow. I really enjoy this hike in the Spring when the wild flowers are showing. Takes an amazing hike and turns it into an even more amazing and rewarding experience. You can turn this hike into an all day adventure if you want to summit 5057 peak (Highest Point in the Superstition Mountains). Additionally, you can turn this into a loop or car shuttle hike by coming out at the Hieroglyphics trail listed below. Start early to avoid the Sun as there is not much shade once you start climbing on this hike. Utilize Hikeaz.com for more info and crowd sourced trip reports.

2. Wave Cave Trail – Tonto National Forest

Length: 3.2 Miles Roundtrip
Difficulty: Moderate
Season:
Time: 2-3 Hours

The only surfing you can do in Arizona. The Wave Cave trail is another popular hike in the Tonto National Forest. This is a trail that has been exploding in popularity over the last 10 years. The trail used to be hard to follow but is now fairly easy to follow but I always suggest having the trail downloaded on your phone just in case. This is a little burner of a hike, requiring you to put some Elevation in to get to your destination. This is another busy trailhead, go early and on a week day if possible to avoid the crowds.

3. Hieroglyphic Trail #101 – Tonto National Forest

Length: 3 Miles Round Trip
Difficulty: Easy
Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Time: 2-3 Hours

This is another great hike to hit in the East Valley. This is also a great hike to take kids and out of state visitors. As the name implies, the reward for this trip is the Hieroglyphics on the rocks at the end of this hike. *Please do not touch the Hieroglyphics, take only pictures* This hike is a great hike to do in the fall or after a rain storm so see the pool of water at the end full. Water is so rare in the desert so any time you can hike to it, don’t miss an opportunity.

4. Fremont Saddle via Peralta Canyon Trail – Tonto National Forest

Length: 5 Miles Roundtrip
Difficulty: Moderate for new hikers, Easy for more experienced adventurers
Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Time: 2-3 Hours

This is one of the most popular in Tonto National Forest as well as a Wilderness area. It is hard to imagine why it isn’t. With beautiful views of Weaver’s Needle as well as the surrounding Superstition Wilderness. The Superstition Wilderness was designated a forest Reserve in 1908, a Primitive Area in 1939, and received full Wilderness Protection in 1964.
Tips: Go Early, the trail and Trailhead get extremely busy, start early, and if possible, go on a week day. I always try and hit the trailhead at or a bit before sunrise so I am finishing the hike when most people start.

5. Dynamite and Goldmine Trails – San Tan Mountain Regional Park

Length: 5-8 Mile Loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Time: 2-4 Hours

One of my favorite hikes to complete on a weekend night or early morning. With a large amount of trails, you can make this a loop or out and back trail depending on time. The Dynamite trail has some elevation gain which is great if you use this as a training or exercise hike. The best part about San Tan Mountain Regional Park is the ability to connect and create multiple trails to keep this hike from getting repetitive. You can also drop the Dynamite portion of this trail and take anyone and everyone from toddlers or people starting out in hiking.