This was my favorite amongst the 3 hiking trails we hiked on this trip (this, Pinnacle Peak and Gateway Trail) Its further north so its cooler and (relatively) wetter which means greener floral and more interesting things and landscape to enjoy. Even the Saguaros here seem to have more arms and more interesting looking. The trails are not covered in rocks (like Gateway Trail) so we didnt have to constantly watch where were stepping and were able to actually appreciate the scenery. The trails are well maintained and clearly marked.

Great example of a municipal project that makes experiencing the natural beauty of the area a true pleasure. Well done City of Scotsdale

I love this trail! It is getting more popular though. Good things dont last forever

Great, clean bathrooms. No water available. Really fun hiking, biking and rock climbing readily accessible

Nice fairly flat hiking and biking trails here. Very nice.

Great, new trail head facility with bathrooms, no sinks. The trails are well marked, not alot of elevation change so relatively easy. Used alot by bikes. Not much shade.

Amazing views and home to some of the valleys classic granite rock climbs.

The trail head just got improved bathrooms are super clean the trail are beautiful and I recommend balance rock trail

Oh my goodness it was the most beautiful hike ️️

An easy hike for many. 4.5 miles with about 400 average elevation gain. Made our way to balance rock. There are so many great opportunities to hike here.

Good trails for my son and I to ride mtn bikes. The spring bloom was going on which made it very pretty.

Parking easy to find great place for easy hike for all ages. Very clean plants all lppk great. Mostly flat not very rocky on path.

This is a very popular trail for hiking and biking in the spring for the obvious reason that the south side of the mountain is covered with acres of colorful flowers. We enjoy hiking the north side in the winter where you find very colorful lichen on rocks.

Liked this trail. Plenty of connecting other trails to keep you interested and your heart going. No difficulty here.

Hiked to Balanced Rock 4.9 miles out and back to avoid power lines. Very lovely hike with very tall cactus. We really lived the beauty in of this hike.

What a great hiking trail! Wonderful scenery!

Wide and easy trails with dense groves of saguaros and massive granite boulders creating unique landscapes. I hiked about 2.5 miles on a gradual incline, starting on Bootlegger and taking Granite Mountain Loop a ways north on the east side of Granite Mountain before catching Bootlegger again back to the trailhead. I saw some nice fields of Mexican gold poppies higher up.

Great easy trail! We brought our 2 & 4 year old and we had a great hike. Beautiful views!

Beautiful and easy mostly flat trail. I got to balanced rock in less than an hour.

We had such a fun day hiking the trails here! Nice day trip!

This place is awesome! Lots of gorgeous trails and some of the best mountain biking around.

Beautiful area and a great hike, lead by Bill. Make sure to take plenty of water and sturdy foot wear.

Good mountain bike/hike alternative to the Browns Ranch Trailhead. 10 minutes further to get there but there are a lot less people during busy season. I also like that this trailhead lets you get right into the granite mountain loop.

Spectacular boulders and Saguaros along the trail

Great place for a short or a long hike. The 3 mile trail we did was easy. It has very few rocks on the trail.

Nature is neat.

Scenic easy walk.

Beautiful scenery, nice trails, good views and not super crowded. A lot of options for short and long hikes depending on what you are looking for. You’ll need to watch out for mountain bikers, as it’s a shared trail. Also no restrooms at trailhead.

Beautiful new trailhead facilities. Plenty of parking and access to eastern preserve trails. Restrooms, but no drinking water. Worth a visit, or become a regular visitor.

Watch out for power line trail. It literally follows the power lines and we were getting shocked. Other than that, the trails are well keep, very flowy, and can choose whatever trail/direction you want. Family Friendly trails

Great place to take your horse and enjoy the beauty of Rio Verde....

Went for a lovely 6 mile trail run here! The flora was stunning, so many flowers this time of year and perfect weather! The rolling hills and twists and turns were truly enjoyable, and our dog had a wonderful time too!

Great scenery. No rocky trails like Gateway loop.

Great MTB area

This place is awesome to ride, Thanks to ED and Louis for taking me out

More than enough parking. Great facilities.

Very Nice trailhead. No drinking water.

Well maintained trails with minimal elevation gain.

Fantastic new trailhead, well done!

Great easy walk with beautiful views!

Beautiful trail with huge granite boulders and outcroppings. Smoothe pathways. Poppies in bloom in February. Gorgeous!

Went here to see the Balanced Rock trail and Cathedral Rock. The trailhead is a bit of a drive, and the parking lot next to the trailhead is a dusty sand lot.Its really not much to see from the outside. Just dust everywhere and a sandy flat straight trail and powerlines which had a noisy buzz to them.The views do get better about a 15 minute walk from the trailhead where you can either branch off to the Balanced Rock trail to see some interesting formations OR you can go to the Granite Mountain Loop for some light cardio (gentle ups and downs).

Well maintained trail for multi use. Access to a number of trail lengths and options. Great views.

Beautiful scenery and nice people. Really good trail.

Definitely not granite, more like decomposed granite. I would not recommend.

Well-marked hiking trails. MANY trails available to choose from, an adventure that can span a mile or a league depending on your mood. I did not find any water along the way so make sure you stock up and keep hydrated. Very pleasant and easy hike, gentle up- and down-hills the whole way. Enjoy!

An EXCELLENT spot for a hike or biking trail. It can get a bit hot, but the views are without a doubt worth it.Awesome place at night too! They dont close the gate, so you can hike at night (if you dare). Bring lots of lights or headlamps if you plan on night hiking.Great adventure for kids and the night sky is far enough from the city to see the stars very well.

Nice hike but the trailhead isnt finished yet.

Hiking was easy today

Incredible trail filled with so much beauty! From huge rock formations to giant cactus...this trail us a winner!

Nice 6 mile hike. Very stunning rocks and vegetation.

Lots of great trails for mountain biking. Gets busy with horseback and hikers as well on the weekends. A few spots with a fair amount of stand which is challenging at times to ride through but still one of my favorite places to ride. Ive mainly just done the cross country riding out here and still have a lot of trails to explore. The city is working on expansion the trail system currently as well.

Its like an amusement park with no fee. Never a crowd. Beautiful and expertly maintained for perfect hike, mountain bike ride or horseback ride

Spring brings glory to the sonoran desert and this place encapsulates that experience.

Perfect in between trail

Granite Mountain hike was beautiful with lots of big boulders, yucca and saguaros. Nice sand covered trail, good elevation rise. Lots of mountain bikers and one group of horses.

Best place to start a ride at Browns Ranch.

Nice hiking and biking trails. Very scenic.

Actually Im working there doing a construction project, but it is a beautiful area

Great bike trails and good for a quick morning hike.

Beautiful. Trail to the north most scenic.

Great trail with very few rocks. Very scenic area.

Awesome place little crowdy in the weekend

AGreat outdoor views for mountain biking or hiking. Can see Bartlett Lake on a clear day.

The Preserve is a wonderful place to hike or mountain bike. The trails are well marked and there are maps at the trailhead. It is open from sunrise to sunset. There are hefty fines for being in the preserve after hours.

This is close to where we stay. Excellent single track cycling trails that are mostly easy. Good general access from three trailheads on the North side of Rio Verde. Only one of which has water and restrooms (Browns Ranch). Trails are all mixed, horse, hiking and mountain bike. Good maps at each of the trailheads and good emergency markers on the trails. With the amount of trails the visits never get boring.

Great easy hiking. Cleanest trail I have been on in a while.

Fun hike

Walking trails of various lengths and durations. Great scenery! Take plenty of water.

Great variety of well marked trails. Good for hikers as well as mountain bikers. There was a fair amount of evidence of horses as well. The scenery changes dramatically as you circle Granite Mtn. & Cholla Mtn.

Nice sahuaros

Best kept secret. Bootlegger trail rocks!!!

Nice trailhead without any services nor restrooms.

Nice place to take your dog.. they will love it..

Lots of wild flowers.

Beautiful !!

Great place.

Great day on the trail.

Great MTB area

Great ride fun for all

Best desert biking in the valley.

Great place for a hike.

Facilities under construction.

Awesome hike. Lost of wildlife

Love mountain biking

Just fun

Beautiful

Great!

Nice place to visit

Great trails for hiking or biking

Great mtb close to town