Homestead Trail - Estrella Mtn RP, AZ

Overview
Estrella Mountain Regional Park is one of 10 county regional parks that make up the Maricopa County Park System. Because of this designation, there is a fee to access this park. It is located about 20 miles west and south of Phoenix in the foothills of the Estrella Mountains. It was established in 1954 with the purchase of 800 acres. Today, Estrella Park stretches for almost 20,000 acres and provides horseback riding, baseball diamonds, a 65-acre grass picnic area, and trails for hiking and biking. The park has 16 trails that extend for 43 miles into the Park.


Hike
The Homestead is an interior trail so some additional hiking is required. There are two ways to access this trail. One is from the Estrella Mountain Regional Park (EMRP). The quickest route via this entry point would be to take the Coldwater to the Gadsden Trail then west on the Gadsden to the Pedersen Trail and then continue to the Homestead juncture. This would be about a 5.3-mile route to reach the Homestead Trail. The other option is to drive to the Estrella Foothills Community Park. From this entry point take the Park Ave Trail to the EMRP boundary. And then take the Crossover to the Pedersen Trail and then continue to the Homestead juncture. This would be about a 3.5-mile route to reach the Homestead Trail.The Homestead is a very easy, but uninspired trail. It alternates between a wash and an old road, mainly a road. The trail surface will switch between annoyingly soft sand and hard compact dirt. The sand gets old quickly, but luckily the trail is more dirt than sand. The Homestead leaves the Pedersen Trail heading in an eastward direction. With one brief exception, the trail is sandy for the first 0.35 miles. During this time the trail will slant north, but at 0.4 miles the trail will swing to the southeast and hold that direction for the majority of the hike. This is a very straight and flat trail. Nice, in the sense, that it is easy to hike, allows you to look and walk at the same time, and gets you to the end destination quickly. Which because of the trail, you await anxiously. The surrounding landscape is flat as well. At about 0.45 miles a wash will start to make brief appearances as you hike, providing most of the nearby scenery. There is a nice selection of Sonoran foliage to appreciate as well. On clear days you’ll get some nice distant views to the south and west and you are always afforded great views of the Estrellas to the east and its foothills to the north. The sand will make a brief appearance again at 1.7 and 1.9 miles. These sandy sections are developing “user-byways” to either side of the sand as bikers and hikers create more desirable alternatives. At 2.4 miles the Homestead reaches its eastern terminus with the Pedersen Trail. At this point, you can hike back on the Homestead or take the Pedersen Trail to make a lasso. If the latter is your choice, the northern leg of the Perdersen will offer you the best bang for your buck.

Water Sources
This is a long hike and water will be essential, especially during the summer months. So plan accordingly. The good news is that both entry points mentioned above have water at the TH or nearby. At the Coldwater TH in the EMRP, there are bathrooms and fountains just to the west, located at the Toothacher TH. The building is visible and is about 0.25 miles away from the Coldwater TH. The Estrella Foothills Community Park also has bathrooms and water at the parking area.

Synopsis
The Homestead Trail doesn’t provide a lot of curbside appeal. Its remoteness immediately makes this a questionable choice. Add to the fact that it is a straight road with little to occupy the attention makes it more of a get r’ done trail rather than a must-do trail. However, if solitude is what you seek, this might be your trail. It is also a great way to tack on some easy miles and offers a pleasant option to avoid the worst of the Pedersen.

2024-03-17 mt98dew