Mountain Climbing In The Arizona Desert

Unfortunately, Arizona tends to get a bad rep when it comes to weather. Most assume that it is very hot all year round, and the truth is that is only during the summer months just as it is hot in other parts of the world during their summer season. Is Arizona extremely hot during those times? Yes, the temperature is generally over 100 degrees for July and August and some of September as well. These would be times to not visit Arizona for outdoor activities such as mountain climbing. If you can come to the desert any other month of the year, you will be elated with all that it has to offer.

Mountain climbing is not something that requires a lot of athletic ability even though most assume it does. No, it does require good walking skills and the ability to navigate through a path but that's basically it. It can be enjoyed by young ones as young as five up to seniors depending on the trail. If you have not been to Arizona yet, going during the winter months is a beautiful experience. The entire state is lined with palm trees, lots of mountains, animals, and more sunshine than you most likely have seen all year long in other states.

Some of the best places to start are right in the heart of Arizona. Inside Maricopa county you can find hundreds of miles of mountains to climb. These seem to be some of the easiest to start off with, then if you decide you can handle a bit more of a challenge, look into going to Sedona or Flagstaff for more in depth mountain climbing activities. One of the best places to start is the Estrella Mountains.

Estrella Mountains ~ This is considered to be placed in the southern part of Maricopa county and sits along communities such as Avondale and Tolleson. It happens to be a great place for camping and hiking. There are campsites on the property that can be used by anyone, the admission to get into the area is usually six dollars per car. Upon entering the mountains you will be greeted by a gate watchman, he can provide you with trail maps if you like and they will have signs up advising of any dangerous animals that may be about due to the current weather conditions. Some trails are very small, less than one mile which are excellent for seniors and also for little ones that may be aboard your trip. Others can be much longer and the maps do a great job of aiding you through the trails. The land is over nineteen thousand acres long, and has peaks that reach over four thousand feet. A great time to visit is to go during the winter or spring seasons to ensure that you will have great weather for hiking, but do beware of the temps during the evening if you will be camping overnight as it will get chilly.