Our Neighbor South Mountain Park

Did you know that the South Mountain Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States? In its 16,000 acres the park boasts 51 miles of primary trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking, no matter what your ability level is. From the park's main entrance, you can drive up the Summit Road 5.5 miles to Dobbins Lookout and spectacular valley wide views or you can continue to the Gila Lookout for a view of the Gila River Valley. This scenic road is shared by bikers and hikers and there are many steep sections and blind curves, so maximum speed is 25 mph and 15 mph on curves. You might find yourself going slower, though, because everything is so beautiful!

 

The ancient Hohokam Indians, and potentially other prehistoric peoples before them, roamed this area. There are petroglyphs carved into rocks almost everywhere you look. As you travel through the park, try to imagine what life was like thousands and thousands of years ago. Just remember not to touch the petroglyphs. They have been worn down through human touching and we all want to protect these relics to be enjoyed by future generations.

 

South Mountain Park is also home to the world-famous Phoenix Mystery Castle. The castle stands as a testament of love from a father to his daughter. We don’t want to spoil the whole story for you, but the castle is open for tours from October to May so be sure and check it out! The castle is listed in the Arizona Historic Register and is a Pride of Phoenix Award winner.

 

It takes just under a half hour to get to the main entrance of South Mountain Park from Liv Ahwatukee Apartments. Have you ever been? Give us the inside scoop in the comments!