Best bike routes in Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix has a reputation as a place you drive across, not ride through. Freeways, strip malls, and a sun that means business for half the year.

But look past the heat and one thing stands out: this city is stitched together by riding. One of the largest municipally managed parks in the country sits right on its southern edge. Nearly 200 miles of canal paths run flat and traffic free through the middle of the metro. And in every direction, the Sonoran Desert delivers singletrack under the saguaros.

There is one rule that governs everything here, and it is not optional. In Phoenix, the ride is decided by the sun. Get the timing right and this is one of the great desert cycling cities. Get it wrong and the desert does not forgive. More on that below, because it matters more than any route.

The desert crown jewel

National Trail, South Mountain

South Mountain Park and Preserve covers more than 16,000 acres of rugged Sonoran desert right inside the city and is one of the largest municipally managed parks in the United States. Its centerpiece is the National Trail, which runs for roughly 16 miles across the park. Rock gardens, technical drops, long exposed sections, and huge desert views make it one of Phoenix's defining mountain bike rides.

You do not need to ride the full trail to understand it. National can be sampled from several trailheads, and shorter out-and-back sections still deliver the rocky, technical character that makes South Mountain famous. Whatever you ride, treat this mountain with respect: there is little shade, water is limited, and heat changes the difficulty of every mile.

Desert Classic

If National is the deep end, Desert Classic is where most people should start. This roughly 9 mile trail runs along the lower flats of South Mountain, a fast, flowing, cross country friendly singletrack that gives you the desert experience without the same technical punishment. Ridden out and back it makes a solid 18 mile day. It is a natural introduction to Phoenix dirt and a useful counterpoint to the chunk higher on the mountain.

The flat network nobody expects

Phoenix hides its most useful riding in plain sight, along the water.

The Arizona Canal Path

The Arizona Canal Path is the backbone of a huge system of canal trails that thread across the entire valley. It runs close to 70 miles end to end, mostly paved with some packed gravel, and the portion through Phoenix is dead flat and almost entirely free of cars. It connects neighborhoods, light rail stations, and destinations like the Soleri Bridge in Scottsdale, which makes it as good for getting somewhere as for a training spin.

Because the canals link up, you can build a flat ride of almost any length across the metro without fighting traffic. This is the answer on a hot morning when the mountains are already an oven and you still want miles.

Papago Park

Right between Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale, Papago Park is the easy win: red sandstone buttes, paved loops with almost no elevation, plus loose rock paths to practice on. It sits next to the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo, and the Crosscut Canal runs right along its edge. It is a good place for beginners, families, or a short recovery ride.

A road climb with its own quiet mornings

South Mountain Summit Road

Phoenix's signature road climb goes up the same mountain as the National Trail, only on pavement. Summit Road climbs through South Mountain Park toward the viewpoints and towers above the city, mixing sustained climbing with short flatter sections and big desert views.

The best local detail is Silent Sunday. On the fourth Sunday of every month, the main roadway is closed to public motor vehicles from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.; on the other Sundays, a shorter closure runs from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. That makes Sunday morning one of the best times to ride the road with much less traffic. Check the current South Mountain information before you go.

In Phoenix, heat is part of route planning

From late spring into early fall the desert is not just uncomfortable, it is a real hazard. On days when the National Weather Service issues an Extreme Heat Warning, Phoenix restricts several trails from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., including access to National Trail from the Pima Canyon Trailhead. The rest of National can remain open from other access points, but that does not make extreme heat safe riding weather.

Check the City of Phoenix heat-safety information and the forecast before you ride. Start at first light in hot weather, carry more water than feels reasonable, and turn around earlier than you think you need to. The desert does not care how fit you are.

Set the bike up for desert riding

Heat is the danger to you. The desert itself is what wears on the bike.

The trails at South Mountain are rocky, technical and unforgiving, exactly the kind of terrain that chips paint and hammers frames, so frame protection earns its place before the first strike, not after. Dry heat also means sweaty hands, where MTB grips that stay secure and comfortable matter on every technical descent. On the road and canal paths, quality bar tape helps keep a consistent connection with the bike through long, hot miles.

Ride Phoenix on desert time

Phoenix gives you technical desert singletrack, long traffic-free canal miles and a proper road climb inside the same metro area. The catch is that the sun sets the schedule.

Come in the cooler months, or set the alarm early. When the temperature is right, the Sonoran Desert is a much better cycling city than the freeway view suggests.