Penny Howe
Barrier Free Trail - North Mountain Park
Length: .3 mile
Elevation: 1,420 ft. - 1,380 ft.
Multi-use trail
Difficulty: Easy
The trailhead is located at the
northwest corner of the Havasupai parking lot in North Mountain recreation
area, located on the west side of 7th Street between Hatcher and Peoria roads.
Paved parking, restrooms and drinking water are available.
This self-guided nature trail
includes interpretives signs on a short loop trail adjacent to the picnic
areas at North Mountain. Bear to the right at the start and follow the loop
in a counterclockwise direction back to the beginning. The trail is pictured
above.
Barrier
Free Access Nature Trail - Reach 11 Recreation Area
Length: .75 miles
Elevation: level
Bicycles and horses are prohibited.
The trailhead is located on the
east side of Tatum Boulevard just north of Union Hills Drive.
The trail is a partially paved
loop that meanders through both upland and xeroriparian desert habitats that
are supported by intermittent stream flows. Common plants in this habitat
include mesquite, palo verde, acacia, hackberry, desert broom and ironwood.
The increased density and variety of plant life in this habitat provides for
additional cover, food, and water for wildlife which supports increased numbers
of species and overall animal numbers. Some common wildlife species associated
with this habitat include dove, quail, cottontail and jackrabbit and coyote.
Twenty different locations along
the trail provide information signs on the flora and fauna that a visitor
may encounter while walking the trail. The loop also features a small pond
and picnic area.
Accessible
Trail - Papago Park
Length: 1.2 miles
Elevation gain: minimal
Difficulty: easy. The second half of the trail becomes more difficult for
wheelchair users with a few slopes that exceed 5 percent grade.
The trailhead is located on Papago
Park Road on the west side of Galvin Parkway just north of Van Buren Street
(entering Papago Park Road heading east leads to the main park entrance).
This is an asphalt surface that follows accessible guidelines for the first
.6 of a mile. There are three benches along the way and this first part of
the trail goes near the Eliot ramada. The second part of this trail has the
same surface but has a few slopes that exceed 5 percent
Judith Tunell
Accessible Trail - South Mountain Park Preserve
Length: 1 mile, broken into two, 1/2-mile loops.
Elevation gain: minimal
The trailhead is located
at the South Mountain Environmental Education Center at 10919 S. Central Ave.
(Central Avenue south of Dobbins Road). There are a number of disabled accessible
parking spots at the center. The trail is open even when the center is closed.
Difficulty: The Interpretive Loop generally contains more moderate grades
with a maximum grade of 7.5 percent. The Challenge Loop is slightly more difficult
with a maximum grade of 8.5 percent.
This is the city's newest preserve-based accessible trail. The trail consists
of two, ½-mile loops made of stabilized granite. The Interpretive Loop includes
interpretive signs, water fountains, benches, three shade ramadas and a bridge
over a wash. The Challenge Loop also contains ramadas, benches and water fountains.
Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area - along five miles of the Salt River just south of downtown Phoenix
Length: Approx. 4 miles on each side of the north and south river banks.
Elevation change: minimal; meets ADA standards
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Dogs are allowed on leash, but only on hard surface trails.
Trailheads are located at: 7th Ave., Central Ave., 7th St., and 16th St. Paved parking and drinking fountains are available at all areas. There are restrooms located at Central Ave., 7th Ave., and 7th St. The trail is comprised of asphalt and has a maximum grade of 4.5 percent under the bridges.
Bird watchers have spotted more than 200 species of birds (and counting...) in Rio Salado's varied habitats from wetland ponds to mesquite bosque to cottonwood/willow forest. Hike, bike, wheelchair, jog, horseback -- anyone can access Rio Salado and experience the Salt River's rich and varied wildlife as it once was -- all in the heart of the nation's fifth largest city.
