Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe: A Long Weekend With Real Miles and a Bed at Night

What You Actually Need to Know

Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe work as a long weekend because the desert is close to the hotel. You can do a hard desert summit in the morning, eat well at lunch, and sleep in a real bed. The best window is October through April. In summer, this trip is an early-morning trip or not a trip at all. Start before sunrise, carry more water than you think you need, and plan on parking being the hardest part of Camelback.

Base Yourself

Scottsdale is the best base for the trails in this guide. Old Town Scottsdale puts you near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve trailheads and near restaurants that do not require a drive across the Valley. Tempe works if you want a college-town evening around Mill Avenue and Tempe Town Lake, and you do not mind a longer drive to the Scottsdale trailheads. Phoenix proper works if Camelback is your priority and you want to be near the Phoenix Public Market.

Anchor Trails

Camelback Mountain, Phoenix

Camelback is the signature hike in the Valley, and it is also the most crowded. There are two routes to the same summit, and neither is a casual walk.

Echo Canyon Trail is about 2.5 miles round trip with roughly 1,400 to 1,500 feet of gain. It is steep, rocky, and handrailed in places, and it fills early. Cholla Trail is about 3 miles round trip with similar gain, and it has no parking lot of its own, so plan a drop-off or a rideshare. Dogs are not permitted on Camelback trails. Both routes are exposed, with little shade, and both close during extreme heat warnings. Ranger station and recent trip reports consistently show the same advice: start early, bring 2 to 3 liters of water per person, and do not start late on a hot day.

Tom’s Thumb Trail, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale

Tom’s Thumb is the best all-around desert hike in this guide. The out-and-back to the Thumb is about 4 to 4.3 miles round trip with roughly 1,000 to 1,200 feet of gain, depending on the exact turnaround, on well-maintained trail through saguaro and granite boulders to a 140-foot granite spire. The first mile is the steepest. There is no running water at the trailhead, so bring everything you need. The Preserve is open sunrise to sunset. This is the hike to do if you only do one Scottsdale hike and you want desert scenery without the Camelback crowds.

Brown’s Ranch Trailhead, McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale

Brown’s Ranch is the easy, shared-use option, and the best place in this guide to ride a bike. The Preserve’s northern trail system around Brown’s Ranch offers gentle, sandy singletrack suitable for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding, with loops in the 5 to 7 mile range and only a few hundred feet of gain. It is also the place to check before you go: recent reports noted the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead temporarily closed for improvements in 2026, with alternate Preserve trailheads open. Check the City of Scottsdale Preserve page for current trailhead status before you build a day around Brown’s Ranch.

The Easy Ones: Hole in the Rock and A Mountain

Hole in the Rock, in Papago Park in Phoenix, is a short, easy walk, roughly half a mile to an hour round trip, to a natural sandstone opening with a view. It is the right choice for an arrival afternoon or a rest day. A Mountain, also called Tempe Butte, overlooking Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, is a paved path to the top, about 0.9 miles round trip with 232 feet of gain. Short, sweet, and a good sunset walk.

Between Trails

Old Town Scottsdale is pedestrian-friendly, with art galleries, museums, shops, and restaurants, and it is the best evening stop in this guide. The Phoenix Public Market is a farmers market and cafe, and a good breakfast stop before Camelback. Tempe Town Lake and Mill Avenue give Tempe its evening: walk the lake, then eat and drink on Mill Avenue. These are not filler. They are the reason this trip works with a bed at night instead of a tent.

Practical Notes

Heat is the main hazard in the Valley, not elevation. Hike early, carry water, wear sun protection, and do not count on shade. Camelback and the Preserve trails are exposed. Parking at Camelback is limited, especially on weekends, and the Cholla route has no lot. A drop-off or rideshare solves both problems. Dogs are not permitted on Camelback, and Preserve trailheads have no running water in places, so check the trailhead you are using, not just the trail.

Clay’s Lowdown

Do Tom’s Thumb on day one, Camelback on day two, and Brown’s Ranch on day three if the trailhead is open, with Hole in the Rock or A Mountain as the easy bookend. Base in Scottsdale, eat in Old Town, and do not try to stack Camelback and Tom’s Thumb on the same day in heat. The Valley rewards an early start and a real lunch more than it rewards a second summit.

Sources: City of Phoenix Camelback Mountain trail information; McDowell Sonoran Preserve and City of Scottsdale Preserve pages; recent trip reports for Tom’s Thumb, Brown’s Ranch, and Camelback trailhead status.