Mountain Wash Trail - Skyline RP • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 21 2026
		DarthStiller • Triplogs 895

Hiking	12.00 Miles	2,558 AEG

Hiking	12.00 Miles	5 Hrs 33 Mns	2.20 mph
	2,558 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

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8 linked trail guides

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It had been a few years since I was out at Skyline RP, so I figured it was time. Started from the main parking lot and hiked west on the Turnbuckle Trail to Granite Falls Trail. Along Granite Falls somewhere I got off the trail an onto one of the service roads, but it doesn’t really look all that different from the trails in this park since they’re all so wide and possibly former mining roads.

Got back on Granite Falls and took the Pyrite Trail up to the Pyrite Summit, then headed down and onto Chuckwalla. Then I took Granite Fall again, but uphill to Valley Vista and hiked that to the summit there. It’s pretty windy along Valley Vista, enough that I needed to put my hood up just to keep my hat on my head. Early on along Valley Vista is what looked like a new trail, but it’s on older maps, so it’s probably another mining road. Looks like it just dead ends below, so if you walk it, you’ll like hike walk back up, which looks like pretty good climb.

After Valley Vista I took Lost Creek over to Quartz Mine and looped back to the parking lot on the Parking Lot Connector Trail. Saw almost no one on Pyrite or Chuckwalla, but from Lost Creek onward the traffic picked up. Mostly hikers, not many bikers. Weather was clear and sunny the entire time. Chilly to start but warmed up quickly. It’s a long drive out from Mesa, which is why I don’t get out here much. The drive out isn’t bad since there isn’t much traffic, but I-10 on the way back is touch and go with a lot of slow spots.

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229596

Feb 13 2026

LindaAnn

Guides 112
Routes 2,439
Photos 9,563
Triplogs 2,790

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Skyline loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 13 2026
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,790

Hiking	15.05 Miles	3,692 AEG

Hiking	15.05 Miles	6 Hrs 18 Mns	2.43 mph
	3,692 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

no photosets

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Started around 0815 and made a big loop around Skyline, hitting all four summits. Trails in mostly good shape, with a few rocky places. Cool and cloudy, light drizzle for almost the entire western half of the loop. Most of the hikers I saw were on the eastern half of the loop. Good workout.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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Stop crying and just go do the hike.

229393

Jan 29 2026

Paintninaz

Guides 1
Routes 20
Photos 137
Triplogs 220

female

Joined Feb 04 2002
Phoenix, AZ

Quartz Mine-Skyline Crest-Mtn Wash Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jan 29 2026
		Paintninaz • Triplogs 220

Hiking	5.05 Miles	1,299 AEG

Hiking	5.05 Miles	3 Hrs 20 Mns	1.89 mph
	1,299 ft AEG	40 Mns Break

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hikngrl

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We made another trip out West this week, to Skyline Regional Park. Arrived about 8 am, parking lot was partially full, and filling quickly. We started on the opposite side of the parking lot, heading out east on Quartz Mine Trail for about 1.5 miles. Then north on Skyline Crest Trail, which goes up and up and up. As we caught our breath at the junction for the Crest Summit trail, we debated skipping the summit, but as it's such a short way up (0.17 miles) we decided we should go for it. It wasn't too bad, and the views were worth it. We took a short break for a snack here, before continuing back to the Skyline Crest Trail. The trail continues up for a ways, then you reach the ridge and it levels out for a bit so you can take in the views all around. There is a short steep descent to the end of this trail as you reach the junction with the Lost Creek trail. We headed left here, and hiked a short ways to the Mountain Wash Trail, which provided a gentle stroll back to the parking lot. The hike itself was only 4.97, I added a few parking lot circles to at least reach 5 miles.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Brittlebush was in bloom, and a couple of tiny various flowers (I should've gotten pictures, but didn't)

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Paintninaz

229061

Dec 03 2025

fricknaley

Guides 93
Routes 397
Photos 5,149
Triplogs 4,262

50 male

Joined Jun 20 2003
Tucson, AZ

Skyline Tour, AZ

Hiking		Dec 03 2025
		fricknaley • Triplogs 4,262

Hiking	15.00 Miles	4,261 AEG

Hiking	15.00 Miles	5 Hrs 31 Mns		3.17 mph
	4,261 ft AEG	47 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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14 linked trail guides

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Managed to hit all the summits and step foot on most trails in the park

Great route. fun trails. Nice park!

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hi

227861

Nov 22 2025

ScaredyCat

Guides 4
Routes 236
Photos 114
Triplogs 233

male

Joined Aug 08 2020
Phx az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 22 2025
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 233

Hiking	10.65 Miles	2,558 AEG

Hiking	10.65 Miles	4 Hrs 37 Mns	2.52 mph
	2,558 ft AEG	23 Mns Break

no photosets

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Parking Lot Connector Trail - Skyline RP

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Consistently difficult to get peeps out to this spot. I'm still a fan. With many options, views and challenge. Tortuga was the only trail I hadn't followed out. Ends at a fence where more building is immenint.

Then up Javalina Peak which felt easier than it did 2 years ago. Wasn't going to reach stated numbers so added on Crest Summit. Next took loop around instead of same path back. Finally over bridge to opposite side of parking lot.

227600

Oct 25 2025

Routes 195
Photos 7,436
Triplogs 1,832

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Skyline Crest Summit Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 25 2025
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,832

Hiking	4.70 Miles	1,110 AEG

Hiking	4.70 Miles	2 Hrs 44 Mns		2.14 mph
	1,110 ft AEG	32 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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Harem hike (just me and Carey) at Skyline this morning. Did the loop counter clockwise. Fair number of hikers on the trails this morning. Temps were great. Winds were gusty. Big trail erosion on Mountain Wash trail. Some trail erosion on Quartz Mine.

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226909

May 03 2025

Routes 195
Photos 7,436
Triplogs 1,832

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Skyline Exploring, AZ

Hiking		May 03 2025
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,832

Hiking	5.40 Miles	1,243 AEG

Hiking	5.40 Miles	3 Hrs 7 Mns		2.25 mph
	1,243 ft AEG	43 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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Carey put together an interesting loop at Skyline for today's hike. We ended up on an old service road for a powerline that went up and over the hill. The powerline sparked a lot of speculation on what it could possibly be connecting end to end. Perhaps there was a weather or communication relay station on top of the mountain at some point. I'll have to see if it turns up on old topo maps. We started from the main parking lot, crossed the bridge to Mountain Wash, Turnbuckle to the 2nd Granite Falls intersection, Granite Falls to Chuckwalla, then north on old service roads to the powerline. Road to the second set of poles was completely eroded away. Christina and I made the scramble up to check it out and it did not disappoint! We could see two more sets of standards on the way to the top of the ridgeline. Maybe remnants of an old service road to the third standards. No idea how they got to the top. Explored some other old roads on the way back to Granite Falls and returned the rest of the way we came it. Saw a bunch of hikers and runners on the trails, no bikes today. One trail runner was very excited to tell about the rattlers he had seen out on the trails this morning. We weren't lucky enough to see any interesting wildlife. Post hike treats at Fry's on Watson afterwards.

Just checked the HAZ TOPO and it shows "Beacon 3074" where the powerline tops out on the ridgeline.

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1 archive

223151

Apr 02 2025

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 15
Photos 7,285
Triplogs 5,261

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Skyline Regional Park, AZ

Hiking		Apr 02 2025
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,261

Hiking	15.63 Miles	3,914 AEG

Hiking	15.63 Miles	4 Hrs 46 Mns	3.35 mph
	3,914 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

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trekkin_gecko

I chose Skyline from a few hikes Kelly threw out as options. A bit of a drive but good to get out here annually. We followed a route, for the most part, we had done a few years ago.
Lots of miles and AEG to be had if you have the energy.
Temps were cool with a moderate breeze. Great hiking weather.
Lots of jets flying out of Luke today. Noisy but very cool to watch fly by.
Thanks, Kelly, for navigating and lunch. Like Denny you rock!

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

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“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

222416

Apr 02 2025

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 700
Photos 7,591
Triplogs 4,837

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Skyline Regional Park, AZ

Hiking		Apr 02 2025
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,837

Hiking	15.63 Miles	3,914 AEG

Hiking	15.63 Miles	4 Hrs 46 Mns	3.35 mph
	3,914 ft AEG	6 Mns Break

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johnlp

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

john and i decided to hit skyline this morning
got going around 0615
we did the reverse of a big loop we hiked in december 2022
hit the five main summits, plus another little one
breezy, a lot of dust in the air
saw a few people, more toward the end
good hike: mileage, aeg and linkage
i enjoyed certain things more this time, like skyline crest and the pyrite segment
the finish still drags a bit
na beers after and el norteno for lunch
good times, thanks john

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hazhole

222410

Feb 28 2025

Routes 195
Photos 7,436
Triplogs 1,832

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Skyline RP Pyrite Loop, AZ

Biking - Mtn		Feb 28 2025
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,832

Biking - Mtn	8.00 Miles	1,252 AEG

Biking - Mtn	8.00 Miles	1 Hour 44 Mns		6.23 mph
	1,252 ft AEG	27 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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Lung burning black out climb up Pyrite followed by terrifying descent. Almost flipped over the front on two of the steep tight switchbacks. Bailed on the summit trail. Can't wait to return and try again

Stopped to chat with a couple in a sweet 2003 Safari Trek from British Columbia Canada. Recent trail maintenance on Pyrite, it's in very good condition.
Started from the parking area midway between the park entrance and the main parking area. Rode up the connector trail, through the main parking area and across the bridge. Did a clockwise loop on Mountain Wash, Turnbuckle, Granite Falls, Pyrite, Chuckwalla, south on Granite Falls, and then took the jeep road back to Mountain Wash to skip the climb back up Granite Falls and Turnbuckle. Returned to the van on my original route.

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221667

Feb 18 2025

Routes 195
Photos 7,436
Triplogs 1,832

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 18 2025
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,832

Hiking	4.40 Miles	994 AEG

Hiking	4.40 Miles	1 Hour 44 Mns		2.84 mph
	994 ft AEG	11 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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Joined the Estrella Trailblazers (Kimberly and Kim) for a Skyline Regional Park hike this morning. Crossed the bridge and followed a counter clockwise loop up Mountain Wash, out to Valley Vista, and back on turnbuckle. The girls cajoled me onto a precarious rock for a picture, which is ironic since I'm usually the one doing the cajoling

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221436

Jan 12 2025

Routes 195
Photos 7,436
Triplogs 1,832

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Skyline Crest Summit Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jan 12 2025
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,832

Hiking	4.60 Miles	1,158 AEG

Hiking	4.60 Miles	2 Hrs 31 Mns		2.32 mph
	1,158 ft AEG	32 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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Harem hike (Carey, Dan, Yolanda) at Skyline Regional Park this morning. Did the Quartz/Crest/Mountain Wash loop counter clockwise.

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220438

Dec 07 2024

ScaredyCat

Guides 4
Routes 236
Photos 114
Triplogs 233

male

Joined Aug 08 2020
Phx az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 07 2024
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 233

Hiking	12.41 Miles	2,372 AEG

Hiking	12.41 Miles	5 Hrs 21 Mns	2.72 mph
	2,372 ft AEG	47 Mns Break

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Led a Meetup. Ended up with two participants. Both were happy to add an extension. Sweet, Pyrate trail and peak here we come. This made for a full loop around the park.

I had previously done all of these trails and peaks. The loop idea was still new. With how difficult it is to get peeps out here, doubt I'll post this destination again.

219613

Nov 09 2024

Routes 195
Photos 7,436
Triplogs 1,832

57 male

Joined Apr 25 2011
Goodyear, AZ

Skyline Pyrite Loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 09 2024
		Nightstalker • Triplogs 1,832

Hiking	7.20 Miles	1,451 AEG

Hiking	7.20 Miles	3 Hrs 37 Mns		2.40 mph
	1,451 ft AEG	37 Mns Break	8 LBS Pack

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6 linked trail guides

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Met with the Harem (Carey, Yolanda) at Skyline this morning for a hike out the Pyrite Summit. Saw many hikers on Mountain Wash and Turnbuckle segments, but only 3 hikers and a Park Ranger on the rest of the trails. The Park Ranger was installing really nice, new stainless steel trail markers. Temps were way warmer that I was expecting.

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219001

Apr 12 2024

PatrickL

Guides 7
Routes 87
Photos 2,586
Triplogs 666

male

Joined Jan 10 2010
Pomona, CA

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 12 2024
		PatrickL • Triplogs 666

Hiking	10.10 Miles	2,730 AEG

Hiking	10.10 Miles	4 Hrs 10 Mns		2.42 mph
	2,730 ft AEG		14 LBS Pack

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Ran into a locked gate at White Tank Regional Park, turns out it doesn’t open at 5am until the end of this month. I bailed on my plans for Barry Goldwater Peak and headed over to Skyline, hitting the trail at 5:40am - no lamp necessary.

Decided to hit the main peaks in the area, Javelina, Crest, and Valley Vista in a counter-clockwise loop, starting just beyond the park gate. Last time I hiked Javelina, there were a ton of unsightly rock thrones built right on the trail - someone dismantled all of them that day and someone is happy to report they’re still gone.

It was quite warm around 8am - no shade to be found. I had the option to skip Valley Vista but had a hankering to gain over 2500ft for the day. It was worth it, even as I took the last sip of my reservoir a few minutes from the top. Thankfully I packed an extra liter, which got me back to the car. Last couple miles were dancing around my current physical threshold, especially in the unrelenting sunlight.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Not much left, some healthy stragglers here and there.

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1 archive

214637

Mar 13 2024

mt98dew

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,284
Triplogs 2,482

56 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 13 2024
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,482

Hiking	5.11 Miles	1,180 AEG

Hiking	5.11 Miles	1 Hour 50 Mns	2.79 mph
	1,180 ft AEG

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Mid morning hike. Got to TH around 10am. Did a loop going in on Mountain Wash. On Turnbuckle briefly, to get to Valley Vista Trail. Enjoyed the peak briefly before heading down. Once again, poor air quality. Bypassed the backend of Turnbuckle, by taking the old mining(?) road that descends just to the west of the trail. Followed this road across the Turnbuckle Trail and up the side of a hill just to the north. The road descends the back side of the hill, turns west and connects to the Chuckwalla Trail. Nothing really noteworthy from this side journey. Took Chuckwalla back to Turnbuckle and took this relatively flat track back to the TH. The parking lot was packed, but the trails weren’t as congested as I feared. No wildlife except for lizards….they were everywhere.

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1 archive

213865

Mar 01 2024

johnlp

Guides 1
Routes 15
Photos 7,285
Triplogs 5,261

68 male

Joined Mar 16 2008
chandler,az

Skyline Regional Park, AZ

Hiking		Mar 01 2024
		johnlp • Triplogs 5,261

Hiking	10.30 Miles	2,060 AEG

Hiking	10.30 Miles	3 Hrs 37 Mns	2.92 mph
	2,060 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

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10 linked trail guides

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trekkin_gecko

For some reason we decided to drive to east LA to hike.
Got started at first light. Beautiful morning.
Quite a few folks out hiking for a sorta weekday (Friday).
Nice wildflowers in some limited areas. Probably quite a few in another week.
Coffee then lunch downtown after. Thanks Kelly!

Wildflowers Observation Light

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“Good people drink good beer.” Hunter S Thompson

213542

Mar 01 2024

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 700
Photos 7,591
Triplogs 4,837

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Skyline Regional Park, AZ

Hiking		Mar 01 2024
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,837

Hiking	10.30 Miles	2,060 AEG

Hiking	10.30 Miles	3 Hrs 37 Mns	2.92 mph
	2,060 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

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10 linked trail guides

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johnlp

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

early start driving out to skyline
john and i got going around 0630
we cut down the big loop we did last time, leaving out javelina and pyrite
went counterclockwise this time
still double digits, decent elevation gain and linkage
i think either direction, the last couple miles drag a bit
john brought coffee for after and then bought lunch downtown - thank you!
nice morning

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hazhole

1 archive

213538

Nov 26 2023

mt98dew

Guides 69
Routes 37
Photos 3,284
Triplogs 2,482

56 male

Joined Oct 24 2010
Phoenix,Az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 26 2023
		mt98dew • Triplogs 2,482

Hiking	2.55 Miles	465 AEG

Hiking	2.55 Miles	1 Hour 15 Mns	2.04 mph
	465 ft AEG

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Morning hike with wife. Our daughter was suppose to tag along, but apparently 7am is too early

. Got on the trail a little after 7am and opted to do a loop involving Mountain Wash and the eastern segment of Turnbuckle. My wife is not a fan of elevation so we opted to do Mountain Wash first. I thought the incline for MW was a little less taxing. After doing this loop, I feel the inclines are about the same, but the lower section of Turnbuckle is definitely more rocky. Unpleasant, up or down. Biggest gripe about MW is that it is a dual track. Obviously had a different purpose in a previous life. Still, nice to be hiking with the wife on a trail she hasn’t done before. No wildlife. We encountered 2 runners and 7 hikers. Temps were a bit chilly, but not too bad in the sun.

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211158

Dec 04 2022

trekkin_gecko

Guides 10
Routes 700
Photos 7,591
Triplogs 4,837

67 female

Joined Nov 17 2008
phoenix, az

Skyline Regional Park - Five Peaks, AZ

Hiking		Dec 04 2022
		trekkin_gecko • Triplogs 4,837

Hiking	15.32 Miles	3,730 AEG

Hiking	15.32 Miles	5 Hrs 54 Mns	2.79 mph
	3,730 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

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