Sonoran Desert Hike: Customizable Guided Adventure

Experience a customizable guided hiking adventure in the Sonoran Desert with Mad Desert Trekking. Choose your difficulty level and explore the diverse landscape of Phoenix, Arizona.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Experience one of the classic Sonoran Desert hikes in Phoenix, Arizona. This hiking adventure is fun for hikers of any age.
Your Mad Desert Trekking guide will meet you in the near the trailhead, and hike with you on an amazing route into the Phoenix Mountains. Experience the incredible mountain up close and personal. Ascend the switchbacks for…

What's Included
  • Complimentary bottled water
  • Assorted snacks
  • Refreshing cold beverages post-hike
  • Sunscreen provided
  • Carbonated drinks available
  • Backpacks included
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience an exciting, expert-led two-hour trek through the Sonoran Desert with Mad Desert Trekking. We will tailor the hike to match your preferred distance, landscape and level of difficulty.

  • Spend 2 hours traversing the trail
  • Begin your journey with your guide at the trailhead
  • Difficulty level: From easy to challenging - the choice is up to…
Location
Starbucks
East Lincoln Drive
Your Mad Desert Trekking guide will meet you at Starbucks, 3165 E. Lincoln Drive, Phoenix, near the trailhead to the Phoenix Mountains Preserve. Please park in the larger parking lot to the west. Uber and Lyft will conveniently offer drop-off service to the Starbucks.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(98 Ratings)
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1 star
Sdesai35
Oct 27, 2025
Amazing desert hike - We were lucky to have Dialinda guide us on our desert hike! She was very communicative prior to the hike and left clear instructions on where the ride share service should drop us off. She also adjusted the hike based on our skill and comfort level (we were able to do some minor scrambling!). The trails slightly changed due to the recent storms, but Dialinda expertly and safely navigated us. She also brought plenty of water, snacks, and hiking poles and set a perfect pace. Dialinda was extremely knowledgeable about the desert plants and even found some pincushion cactus fruit for us to try! She also took a ton of photos of us without us noticing! We cannot recommend Dialinda enough - thank you for a wonderful day! It was truly the highlight of our trip to Phoenix.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J8697salauraw
Oct 25, 2025
Great hike@ - It was a pleasure hiking with Henry. Pace was good and lots of fun facts! A beautiful way to spend a morning enjoying the beauty surrounding Phoenix
Review provided by Tripadvisor
167nadjad
Oct 20, 2025
You must book with Doug! - Doug was an absolutely amazing guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the trail we hiked and made my friend and I incredibly comfortable hiking. He encouraged us to even conquer a bit of our fears and was so worth it with all the beautiful views we got to see. He was such a sweet person and was helpful in assisting us down any difficult parts of the trail. I felt incredibly safe with him being our guide and hopefully will be able to see him for another hike. He has so many life stories and personal experiences that connect back to the guided hike and made our time that much more enjoyable! 5/5 stars.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rel0cate
Oct 19, 2025
A new first - This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, Steve was so interesting, and his knowledge of this country was remarkable, learned amazing things, felt very safe hiking, this was my first experience and will continue to hike, hopefully with Steve as a guide again. Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marklibby2013
Oct 17, 2025
Great Mountain Hike in Phoenix - Awesome easy hike with beautiful views of the mountains and the city. The sunset was awesome, easy walk down with headlamps. Snacks and water provided. Well worth the money. Doug, our guide, was awesome!!! Very knowledgeable and friendly. He took the time to educate us on the Phoenix area, local plants, and the native history. He is a veteran, EMT and a professional guide, we felt very conformal and safe during our entire trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Smiths694
Oct 17, 2025
Do not miss this hike! - We did the sunset hike with Doug. The hike was absolutely incredible. Doug taught us all about the area and plants along the way. He made the hike so much fun and when we got to the top the view was breathtaking. This was our favorite part of our trip to Phoenix!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gting2020
Oct 14, 2025
Great experience - It was very hot as expected but the experience was great. Good to experience the landscape and tracks, with different vegetation and views of Phoenix. Good advice is good sun protection, cold drinks and remaining hydrated.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
835carolynf
Oct 6, 2025
Desert Nature and Hike - The hike and nature walk up Cholla Trail part of the Piestewa Peak Park, Phoenix Mountain Preserve was scenic and fun. Guide Michael was informative, safety conscious, and great to hike with. I highly recommend this guide and this activity if you are in the Phoenix area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q3850ujkarenl
Sep 24, 2025
Fun and educational experience - Michael was fabulous! He was well-prepared and made sure I was always safe. I never felt rushed. He stopped frequently for rest/water breaks and even had a hiking pole for me to use on the way back down the mountain. And not only did he cheerfully answer all my questions, he sent me links to more information following the hike. I especially appreciate the photos he took and sent me afterward since I was by myself. It was fun, educational, and overall a great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y3359sjmariom
Sep 20, 2025
Amazing Hiking Adventure - Jay was en excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable about everything and brought essentials he knew 1st time hikers would not know about Would highly recommend Thanks Jay for an amazing 1st time hiking experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $99
up to 10 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).