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Been dating someone who lives 5 minutes from PIR and wondering if anyone has done much poking around behind the race track? Any trailheads back there? Did see something about a mountain bike trail back there but not much else. I have done a little bit of hiking at Estrella Mountain Park, but looking for something a little more challenging. Is there anything else of interest in that corner of the valley?

Estrella's competitive track is back there. I'm not familiar with it so I cannot comment. Quartz Peak is somewhat over there (further to the southeast, really), but it's kind of a long drive on some high-clearance roads. If you're up for some more driving, the White Tanks aren't too far.

In that neck of the woods you pretty much have Estrella, head east to South Mtn or North West to White Tank Park
White Tank has the best (bit more challenging) trails IMHO.

Estrella Park has some nice trails most of them are pretty easy and short, great for mtn biking though! Pederson trail i think it's called is 8 miles it's not bad but watch out for mtn bikers they get crazy out there sometimes. Usually because there's ONE cyclist on the entire trail and he thinks he own its and goes crazy....
GOYAAH and I managed 8 miles along Toothaker trail and some others, Rainbow Valley was connected in that trip somehow, I forget. You can do some decent mileage out there, not much Elevation but that's cool, just run it!

There are some pretty sweet "unofficial" trails behind PIR but I haven't done it myself, one of the officers here at work has played around out there (again mtn biking) and said it's fun on two wheels but may be boring on foot.
I'd suggest just making up some fun loops within Estrella Park limit, it's worth it and you'll support our County Parks ;) $6 entry per vehicle. just sayin'...

SpiderLegs wrote:Been dating someone who lives 5 minutes from PIR and wondering if anyone has done much poking around behind the race track?

Women are scarce in that side of town, so you must have lucked out. I remember how the local bar, The Long Branch Saloon, used to have about a 50:1 ratio between men and women. The cowboys would all fight each other for the graces of the most hideous of bar wenches. Every woman is a queen out here.

The PIR bike loop is a decent trail, just continue on after it doubles back; there is a sheep water called Star Tank that might be something of interest.

Pederson is the most boring hike outside of canal walking, and maybe worse. Total out & back from the Estrella rodeo area is 14 miles, though Pederson itsef may be 8 or so. ( http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=16059 ). But yeah, you can definitely hear PIR from the eastern part of the park on Gadsden Trail, which is about a mile from the oval ( http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/estrella/ ... x17-3d.pdf ). The bike track entrance is actually through the PIR parking lot ...

So I did the Technical Loop over the weekend just to scout things out behind PIR. It's a 5 mile loop with about 800 feet of gain, just right if you need a hour or so long hike. Plus I did not see a soul out there, nice to have some peace and quiet on a trail that close to Phoenix. Did see an American flag on top of the peak that the Technical Loop goes around, but did not see any evidence of a trail. So does anyone know the best way to bushwack up to the flag?

Think that area is ripe for exploring and there could be some nice hikes up along some of the ridge lines to those peaks. If anyone is game for an exploratory trip behind PIR to some of the closer peaks, let me know.

@SpiderLegs
post some routs if you explore the area some more. my aunt lives about 1/4 mile east of the PIR parking lot. been to her place a hundred times but never had time to hike any of it.