National Trail is the gem of South Mountain and home to the infamous Waterfall. It’s a local favorite as well as a destination trail for MTB snowbirds. Courtesy of mtbikeaz.com

Like most trails in the Sonoran Desert, you'll find bursage, brittlebush, creosote cush, palo verde trees and saguaro cactus. More than 300 species of plant life are found in the park. The park is also abundant with wildlife - rock squirrels, desert tortoises, chuckwallas, great horned owls, rattlesnakes, coyotes and red tailed hawks to name a few. There are petroglyphs hidden throughout the range, courtesy of the Hohokam Indians. Courtesy of hikearizona.com

National then takes you over Telegraph pass and up to the Buena Vista Lookout. From the Buena Vista lookout to the end of National at the east end, it gets more technical with bigger technical features and rock moves. Some of the areas Downhillers will shuttle up to Buena Vista Lookout and ride this section of National. It is an enjoyable section of trail as long as you know your limits and walk features above your current ability levelCourtesy of mtbproject.com

For an easily accessible trail, butting right up against Phoenix’s southern border, it is truly surprising how special, quiet and natural the hike through Hidden Valley is! Courtesy of azutopia.com

The path has a few climbs between longer sections of gradual descent, and for much of the way runs in or along dry sandy washes, passing numerous large granite boulders and plenty of cacti, most prominent being the ubiquitous saguaro. Lizards are much in evidence, and even the usually secretive chuckwalla may often be spotted. Rattlesnakes are quite common, especially in early morning and early evening. Courtesy of americansouthwest.net

This is a classic, short Pisgah loop. It's moderately technical most of the way with a couple of trickier sections. Most people prefer to approach it counter-clockwise, but it can be ridden either way. Now it's downhill for a while... great rocky downhill roller coaster that is technical enough to command your attention. Then you'll make a sharp left at some log steps where it intersects Farlow Gap trail. The descent mellows out at some forested track that brings you back to the river. Courtesy of mtbproject.com

There are several loops that can be done but this is my favorite: Follow the gravel doubletrack until it forks, and take the right path. Wind your way up and up, past two waterfalls, until you reach where the trail intersects the gravel road. Go left (and down!) and follow this back to the first waterfall and then ride out. Courtesy of singletracks.com

Most of the trails in the Phoenix metropolitan area were originally built by mountain bikers, and the Hawe's loop trail system and trail are no exeptions. This trail features fantastic singletrack that twists and turns for miles. Be warned, as this trail is in the desert and features many desert hazards such as heat and dangerous desert creatures. The trail is well maintained, but there are plenty of cacti next to the trail as it twists and turns that won't play nice with your feet or legs if you ride too close.

Hawes loop is one of the less rocky trails in the area, so this is a great place for riders looking for speed and flow, or looking for an endurance ride with multiple laps, and with beautiful views of nearby Red (McDowell) mountain, Salt River, and the desert scenery it will be hard to only ride around once!

The trail is full of loose desert rocks and dirt and is mostly downhill, so prepare for a lot of loose braking. If the same loop is ridden in reverse it is a lung-busting endurance ride with lots of climbing.

There are a couple different options to get to the Hawe's loop trail:

1) Park behing the Walgreens at the intersection of N Power Rd and E Thomas Rd. From there, pedal across N Power Rd just past the canal and access road. Just before the Las Sendas sign, the Fenceline Trail turns left behind the houses. This trail is 1.1mi of beginner singletrack that can often be ridden at high speeds. There may be riders traveling the other way doing the same, so be aware of others. Once the trail intersects with Hawe's trail (a separate black diamond ride), keep left to stay on Hawe's loop. The trail will fork again after 0.3mi and the official loop continues to the right.

2) Park at the Canal lot further North on N Bush Hwy, ride 0.3mi along the road, and enter the Hawe's loop via the signs. This option cuts off the 1.1mi of the Fenceline trail both ways.

For both options, there is a shortcut about 1/3 of the way through the loop. Shortly after the Hawe's loop connects with the Upper Ridge trail, there will be a left-hand turn that will cut off a medium-sized additional loop. So take the left turn if a slightly shorter ride is desired.