Bootlegger - Estrella Foothills, AZ

Warning
There is some confusion on whether these trails are open to the public. There are signs posted at the Copper State Bike and Hike TH, as well as random locations along the trails stating that this is for residents and their guests only. However, I have reached out to the City of Goodyear and they have said that this is not the case


Overview
The Bootlegger (BL) Trail is one of 24 trails that make up the Estrella Foothills Trail System. There are currently two THs for this system. The Copper State Bike and Hike and the Estrella Foothills Community Park. The BL Trail can best be accessed from the Estrella Foothills Community Park. In addition to being a TH for some of the EF trails, the park also has picnic tables, baseball and soccer fields, a “pump track” (a hilly jump section for bikes), a playground, bathrooms, and a drinking fountain. There is enough parking for 30 cars. The TH is a bit removed from the parking area so one must walk about 0.2 miles to the northeast, circumventing a baseball field. There is an old whiteboard that will help identify the TH. At the TH there will be a carsonite marker with several abbreviations on it. One is the PA (Park Ave) Trail.Hike
The Bootlegger Trail is an interior trail so some additional hiking is required. The BL is most easily accessed by taking the Park Ave (PA)Trail for 0.84 miles and then taking the Rum Runner (RR)Trail for about 0.5 miles to reach the Circle of Trust. The Circle of Trust is a pretty nifty hub with with a circle of log stumps, some hitching posts, a bike pumping station and multiple, signed trails connecting to it. One of which is the Bootlegger Trail.

The Bootlegger heads off in a WNW direction. The trail is signed at the start so there should be no issues in determining the trail. The trail is a solid single track composed of compact dirt with minimal rocks to trip you up. The trail will do some minor twisting and turning and will occasionally be lined with rocks. At 0.23 miles, on a small rise, the trail passes a makeshift gravesite signed as Bootlegger. This is just one of the many quirky features created by the users of these trails and adds a little character to this short trail. With one exception the BL Trail is refreshingly free of use trails that try to lead you down false paths. That one exception occurs at 0.53 miles, where the trail splits. Stay with the lower trail as it swings north. Soon after the trail will cross a decent size wash and come to an unsigned 4 way intersection. This occurs around 0.7 miles and is the end of the Bootlegger Trail. The options are practically limitless. Continuing straight puts you on the Pirate Cove Trail, while turning left/right puts you on the Jumpline. All options involve additional miles, but the homes are visible to the west and provide a good reference if you want to head in the direction of the trailhead.

Water Sources
Water is available at the Estrella Community Park.

Synopsis
The Bootlegger is a short trail, but it plays nicely with the low lying hills and flows easily into the adjoining trails. The one shortcoming with this trail is it is difficult to know where it starts/stops. There is only one marker for this trail, at the Circle of Trust, otherwise you’re hiking “blind” without previous knowledge of the trail. The BL Trail never strays too far away from the nearby homes so there is never any really danger of getting lost even with the lack of signage.

2026-03-31 mt98dew