After San Xavier and Titan II, we had time for a short hike on our way into Scottsdale. San Tan Mountain Regional Park sits on the very southern edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area and features a viewpoint overlooking the southern end of greater Phoenix. We reached this county park on a mix of controlled access and country roads – we knew we were getting close to Phoenix when the traffic thickened considerably. We paid a $7 day use fee to enter and park at the Phillips Road Trailhead.
From the trailhead, we went out on the Goldmine Trail (which is part of the Maricopa Trail) and up to a lookover on the spine of Goldmine Mountain at about 2,100 feet (640 m). From there we did have a great view of the astounding urban sprawl that is today’s Phoenix. After trying to comprehend the unsustainability 🤔 of what we were seeing, it was time to head back. We varied our return by taking the Littleleaf Trail, which parallels part of the Goldmine Trail.
This was a short hike (3.2 miles (5.1 km), with only 450 feet (137 m) of elevation gain). But it was across a pretty desert area and the view from Goldmine was as good as promised. Doing it left us the time needed to push through the congealing traffic and reach Scottsdale in time for a wash-up and dinner. 😁
BOOTS on the TRAIL 
We can understand why people like to visit Arizona when there are blizzards in Minnesota. But why did Phoenix decide to emulate the worst aspects of sprawl and unsustainability?
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Gorgeous hike. Those skies! And we’ve had those same conversations, trying to comprehend the unsustainability of Phoenix. Those subdivisions with nary a solar panel in sight and the endless lush green golf courses…hard to not be judgmental about that.
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