Shaw Butte - Western Route, AZ

This is a lightly-used and steep trail that leads up the spine of three hills covered in chaparral to the summit of Shaw Butte, the tallest point in North Mountain Park at 2,149' el. The path is faint and very rocky in places. Bikers will find this trail extremely difficult, but I've seen at least one jogger coming down. The hardest part is coming up the western slope of "Baby Butte," the hill with the single tower. No switchbacks, just straight up. This segment is among the steepest I've come across in the park. Once on top by the single tower, you pick up a service road down to a saddle on the west slope of Shaw, then on up steeply to the summit, again on a service road.


Access: This is as far as I know an unnamed trail with no trailhead to speak of. You can park at the south end of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #2, southeast corner of Sweetwater and 19th Ave. Walk over to a nearby sign that says you are entering the park and pick your way up to the saddle. From there, make a left onto a clearly marked trail that leads around one hill and over another.Warning: The western part of the trail, from "Baby Butte" on down the parking lot, is no place to maneuver in darkness, even with a flashlight. The trail is hard enough to follow in daylight, and the slopes are filled with sharp outcropping and losse rock.

2013-10-25 black_toes