[Hiker Girl]

My husband and I have recently begun hiking....quite honestly I've never done a trail besides Windcaves at Usery, Siphon Draw to FlatIron, and First Water Trail to Canyon Lake. We would love to find some easy-moderate hikes that are close by (30-45 minutes) to the East Mesa-Apache Junction area. Ideally it would be a trail with some pretty rocks, formations, caves, and whatnot. We don't really want to hike for a long period of time in just desert. Any suggestions would be awesome...we are probably doing Hieroglyphics Trail on Saturday morning.

Thanks in Advance.

[Darth Stiller]

Most areas that aren't just desert will require a little bit of a longer drive, more like an hour to 90 minutes. The Pinal Mts. are a great area to get away from desert and not too long of a drive if you start from below. Driving up the beeline you can hit the Ballantine TH, or over to Cross F TH or Mormon Grove to access the mazatals. Those areas will start in desert and end up in semi-forested to heavily forested areas. Mormon Grove TH will require a 4WD, however.

[azpride]

Little Saddle Mountain trail in the Mazatzals is moderate and really scenic. Probably water there right now, too.

[rushthezeppelin]

Taking peralta to freemont saddle and the view of Weaver's Needle is a nice moderate dayhike. If you think you can do the mileage you can even make a loop out of it as well.

[azbackpackr]

Don't the Pinals have a lot of snow right now? Just a thought... It won't last long, anyway.

The Peralta trailhead gives you several options, so you can keep going back there for more hikes. Crowded, though, until you pass about 2 or 3 miles in.

[Sredfield]

Several beginner loops from First Water TH, which is where I did my first 9 mile hike and thought I was ready to sign on with Lewis and Clark. PIck up Stuart and Carlson's book on hiking in the Superstitions, if that doesn't pique your interest, nothing will.

[sirena]

Little Saddle Mountain trail in the Mazatzals is moderate and really scenic. Probably water there right now, too.

I second this suggestion- I bet that area is just gorgeous right now, with all the precipitation we've had.

[hikeaz]

Goldfields for caves, arches & rock formations.

http://www.mile204.us/Goldfields/

http://www.arizonahighways.com/static/index.cfm?contentID=349

[joe bartels]

http://hikearizona.com/location_g.php?G ... ,7422,7257

[Sredfield]

The mapping features are getting pretty fancy! Maybe robust would be a better word, but this stuff is incredible.

[Al_HikesAZ]

If you are going to go on Forest Roads - especially up on the Kiabab - I suggest having the Delorme Arizona Atlas on hand. If a tree is down blocking the road, you can navigate around it safely. I also carry a little emergency kit in my truck.
http://www.rei.com/product/675263?prefe ... erralID=NA

[sirena]

The mapping features are getting pretty fancy! Maybe robust would be a better word, but this stuff is incredible.

How about "fancily robust"? I learn new cool stuff about this site all the time- thanks Joe!

[Jim Lyding]

I don't think the trails from the bottom of the Pinals qualify as "easy-moderate," but they're well worth the effort. Icehouse, Sixshooter, Telephone, and Kellner all feature gains of around 3,000 vertical feet.
Little Saddle Mountain from the Cross F trailhead is a great hike that allows one to go as far as one wants to.

[tahosa]

San Tan Regional Park has some nice short trails with some good vistas, especially at sunset. Ballantine Trail is real neat, and some very intersting rock formations up there. But I think my favorite hike is the Cave Trail in the Sups, its one that I tracked out with nothing by a map and compass sometime in the last century with my kids.
If you ever want to take a hike I'm off on Mondays and Tuesday and will gladly take you on a hike. Just send a message.

[thedudephx]

Was up on little Saddle Mountain trail a few weeks back. Yes it is a great hike. Lots of water, feet get a little wet crossing the creek. Weather was warm during the day chilly at night.