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Tarantula Trail - MSPN - 4 members in 11 triplogs have rated this an average 3.5 ( 1 to 5 best )
11 triplogs
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Apr 06 2025
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 Guides 69
 Routes 37
 Photos 3,010
 Triplogs 2,387

55 male
 Joined Oct 24 2010
 Phoenix,Az
Tarantula Trail - MSPNPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Apr 06 2025
mt98dewTriplogs 2,387
Hiking7.12 Miles 760 AEG
Hiking7.12 Miles   2 Hrs   12 Mns   3.24 mph
760 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Midday hike in one of the greatest trail systems in the valley. Started from the Pima/Dynamite TH around 11am. Trails were busy! I was out there with an out of people trying to enjoy the last day of spring. I wanted to hit the Tarantula Trail. Took the Latigo in to the Hackamore and the Hackamore over to the beginning of the Tarantula. Got on the Tarantula at 3.2 miles. Like almost all the trails in the preserve, the Tarantula was a real treat. It doesn’t get the same use as the Latigo or even the Hackamore, so the track was more narrow, more intimate and did a fantastic jog of weaving through the rock landscape. Beautiful! The Tarantula crosses the West Express Trail at 3.67 and continues on into a signed “black diamond” biking area. This was not a problem for hiking, but for bikers, this could be a more challenging stretch. The Tarantula ended when it junctured with the Dare A Sarah Trail at 3.9 miles. From here I took Dare A Sarah, Rock Tank and Hawknest to get back to the TH.

Very nice hike. All the trails were very enjoyable. Over the years, this preserve has been steadily expanding and improving. I noticed that this trail is described at being just under .5 miles. On my hike today, the trail was .7 miles long. I’m sure this is one of the trails that has expanded since its initial description. Also, I came across three trails not currently in HAZ: Dare A Sarah, Scorpion and the Via Dona Trail. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there were a couple of others. Like I said, it was a busy day on the trails with a lot of people enjoying the 70 degree temps. Encountered 38 bikers, 29 hikers and 1 trail runner. Saw a lot of lizards, couple of chipmunks, a chuckwalla and a hawk enjoying the thermals.
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Jan 05 2025
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 Routes 189
 Photos 7,236
 Triplogs 1,740

57 male
 Joined Apr 25 2011
 Goodyear, AZ
Pima Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ 
Pima Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ
 
Mtn Biking avatar Jan 05 2025
NightstalkerTriplogs 1,740
Mtn Biking12.70 Miles 675 AEG
Mtn Biking12.70 Miles   2 Hrs   8 Mns   8.02 mph
675 ft AEG      33 Mns Break8 LBS Pack
 no routes
Roadtrip ride with neighbors Ben and Craig this morning out to Brown's Ranch Pima and Dynamite trailhead. Started with a general counter clockwise loop including Latigo, Sidewinder, Crested Saguaro, Sidewinder, Rock Tank, Dare A Sarah, Snake Eyes, Scorpion, Tarantula, Hackamore, and Axle Grease for a flash back to the parking lot. Some hikers and lots of bikers out on the trails. Perfect weather. Stopped to chat with a friendly preserve steward at the comfort station on the way out.
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Sep 30 2024
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 Routes 189
 Photos 7,236
 Triplogs 1,740

57 male
 Joined Apr 25 2011
 Goodyear, AZ
Pima Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ 
Pima Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ
 
Mtn Biking avatar Sep 30 2024
NightstalkerTriplogs 1,740
Mtn Biking16.70 Miles 935 AEG
Mtn Biking16.70 Miles   2 Hrs   15 Mns   8.02 mph
935 ft AEG      10 Mns Break
 no routes
Third time is a charm! I was going to hit Pima Dynamite on Friday, but didn't, then I Sunday would be good, but it wasn't, almost bailed again today, but I didn't! Love the Browns Ranch trail system, I sure wish it weren't so far from me. Parked at Pima Dynamite trailhead and headed out on the twisty black diamond trails of the west side of the park. Latigo, Sidewinder, Rock Tank, Dare A Sarah, Snake Eyes, Scorpion, Tarantula, Hackamore, Axle Grease, West Express, Browns Ranch Rd, and all the way back on Hawknest. Saw an almost equal amount of hikers and bikers out on the trails this morning. It was plenty hot once I got back to the van at 10am.
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Jan 14 2024
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 Guides 10
 Routes 673
 Photos 7,281
 Triplogs 4,660

67 female
 Joined Nov 17 2008
 phoenix, az
McDowell Sonoran Preserve North, AZ 
McDowell Sonoran Preserve North, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jan 14 2024
trekkin_geckoTriplogs 4,660
Hiking11.15 Miles 520 AEG
Hiking11.15 Miles   3 Hrs   31 Mns   3.40 mph
520 ft AEG      14 Mns Break
 
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
linda drove us up to dynamite and pima this morning
set out around 0830 or so
nice temps, warming up enough for a wardrobe change after an hour
we did a variety of trails for some good linkage
some of the trails were more scenic than others
not much elevation gain to be had but good trail surface with excellent footing
more mountain bikers than hikers
about half the trails were new to me
thanks for hiking, linda, much appreciated! :)

*break time seems long, just checking route possibilities, ladies' room stop and moving aside for bikers
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hazhole
  2 archives
Jan 14 2024
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 Guides 110
 Routes 2,246
 Photos 8,982
 Triplogs 2,600

45 female
 Joined Dec 24 2007
 Ahwatukee, AZ
McDowell Sonoran Preserve North, AZ 
McDowell Sonoran Preserve North, AZ
 
Hiking avatar Jan 14 2024
LindaAnnTriplogs 2,600
Hiking11.41 Miles 638 AEG
Hiking11.41 Miles   3 Hrs   31 Mns   3.49 mph
638 ft AEG      15 Mns Break
 
no photosets
1st trip
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Kelly and I opted for some new territory on the McDowell North part of the preserve. Parked at the Pima Dynamite trailhead and got started. The parking lot was nearly empty at 0830. Nice temps to start, but it warmed up quickly with full sun and no breeze. Didn’t have any set idea of the trails to do, but linked up enough to at least hit ten miles. Everything was easy, with good footing. A fair amount of bikes, but only a few hikers. As we were finishing, there was a helicopter circling overhead, and plenty of emergency vehicles from both Scottsdale and Phoenix. More were arriving as we were driving out. Nice morning and good to knock out several miles with Kelly.

Axle Grease ➡️ Hackamore ➡️ Hawknest ➡️ Cloudburst ➡️ Cone Mtn ➡️ Hackamore ➡️ Tarantula ➡️ West Express ➡️ Latigo ➡️ Rock Tank ➡️ Hawknest
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Stop crying and just go do the hike.
 
Mar 12 2022
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 Routes 189
 Photos 7,236
 Triplogs 1,740

57 male
 Joined Apr 25 2011
 Goodyear, AZ
Pima Dynamite, AZ 
Pima Dynamite, AZ
 
Mtn Biking avatar Mar 12 2022
NightstalkerTriplogs 1,740
Mtn Biking11.40 Miles 626 AEG
Mtn Biking11.40 Miles   2 Hrs   21 Mns   8.66 mph
626 ft AEG   1 Hour   2 Mns Break8 LBS Pack
 no routesno photosets
Following Dan and Carey around the trails at Brown's Ranch from Pima and Dynamite trailhead. Axle Grease, Basalt Ridge, Upper Ranch, Cone Mountain, Hackamore, Tarantula, Dare A Sarah, Latigo.
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Jul 05 2021
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 Routes 189
 Photos 7,236
 Triplogs 1,740

57 male
 Joined Apr 25 2011
 Goodyear, AZ
Pima Dynamite Loop, AZ 
Pima Dynamite Loop, AZ
 
Mtn Biking avatar Jul 05 2021
NightstalkerTriplogs 1,740
Mtn Biking10.70 Miles 631 AEG
Mtn Biking10.70 Miles   2 Hrs      7.83 mph
631 ft AEG      38 Mns Break8 LBS Pack
 no routes
Busy morning at Pima and Dynamite trailhead with Carey and Dan.
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Aug 29 2020
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 Guides 27
 Routes 669
 Photos 12,096
 Triplogs 856

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Hackamore Trail - MSPNPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Aug 29 2020
DarthStillerTriplogs 856
Hiking10.77 Miles 639 AEG
Hiking10.77 Miles   4 Hrs   20 Mns   2.49 mph
639 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Started from the Pima-Dynamite TH to hike a few sections of trails I noticed I hadn't got yet in this area. Headed down the Powerline Road, then left on the Hawknest, and another left onto the Rock Tank Trail. that first mile or so there were a whole lot of bikers who seemed to have all left the trailhead at the same time. After that first half hour, didn't see many people at all.

After a section of the Rock Tank, I headed northeast in the Rawhide Wash, then headed south again on the Hawknest and Scorpion Trails. Then I headed north again on the Powerline Road and did a couple more sections of the Scorpion Trail again, which I hadn't hiked before. I took the Scorpion Trail south to the West Express, then north to the Tarantula and Hackamore, hitting another section of that which I hadn't hiked before. I took the Hackamore to the Powerline Road again and then took that back to the car.

The clouds covered the sun on and off, making the temperature cooler than it's been in a while. It was still humid, but having temperatures under 100 for the whole hike was very nice. some breezes came through once in a while also, making it pretty pleasant.

got back to the trailhead with much less people there than when I arrived in the morning. Early on I saw some smoke to the north behind DEsert Mountain, maybe somewhere around 7 Springs, or south of that. By the end of my hike, the amount of smoke had grown considerably.
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Apr 12 2020
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 Routes 189
 Photos 7,236
 Triplogs 1,740

57 male
 Joined Apr 25 2011
 Goodyear, AZ
Pima and Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ 
Pima and Dynamite Black Diamonds, AZ
 
Mtn Biking avatar Apr 12 2020
NightstalkerTriplogs 1,740
Mtn Biking16.70 Miles 922 AEG
Mtn Biking16.70 Miles   2 Hrs   58 Mns   7.31 mph
922 ft AEG      41 Mns Break13 LBS Pack
 no routes
1st trip
Met up with SCA at Pima and Dynamite to do a hard core Black Diamond ride on the west side of MSPN this morning. Rode Latigo, Rock Tank, Dare A Sarah, Scorpion, Snake Eyes, Tarantula, Hackamore, Malpais, Axle Grease, and Hawksnest. The black diamond trails weren't all that challenging and the hard parts all had bypasses. Regardless, MSPN is definitely my favorite place to ride in the valley! With the smooth trails and easy climbs, you can just ride on and on. I did manage to ride over my first rattle snake this morning and it was a BIG one. I was flying across Rock Tank, came around a turn (there are many), there he/she (I didn't check) was. We were both very surprised, but I think I did manage to out scream the rattler. At least, that's what Carey claims :)
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Substantial
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Feb 06 2020
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 Routes 36
 Photos 2,658
 Triplogs 1,347

67 male
 Joined Jul 28 2004
 Scottsdale, AZ
Latigo Trail - MSPNPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Feb 06 2020
mazatzalTriplogs 1,347
Hiking15.00 Miles 620 AEG
Hiking15.00 Miles   6 Hrs      2.69 mph
620 ft AEG      25 Mns Break
 
Partners none no partners
Latigo - Hackamore - Tarantula - Dare A Sarah - Scorpion - Powerline #1 - Snake Eyes - West Express - Hawknest - Broken Spoke - High Desert - Stagecoach - Cholla Mtn loop - Maverick - Watershed - Chuckwagon - Browns Ranch rd

Not many others out, great weather :)
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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  2 archives
Nov 17 2019
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 Guides 27
 Routes 669
 Photos 12,096
 Triplogs 856

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Cloudburst Trail - MSPNPhoenix, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Hiking avatar Nov 17 2019
DarthStillerTriplogs 856
Hiking5.60 Miles 393 AEG
Hiking5.60 Miles   2 Hrs   8 Mns   2.63 mph
393 ft AEG
 
1st trip
With the Steeler debacle happening on Thursday night, Sunday was open for a nice hike with the family. A few new trails in the northern MSPN were recently published, and I never took them up there before, so this seemed liked the way to go. I decided on a circuit with the Cloudcrest and Tarantula Trails that was between 5 and 6 miles long.

I realized at the start I forgot to pack my camera and GPS, so I had to wing it using my phone as both. Not my preferred option, especially for the camera, but the habit of redundancy helps out.

We started out on the Upper Ranch Trail, then took the Cone Mountain Trail to the Cloudcrest Trail. Then a bit further east on the Hawknest Trail, then southbound on the West Express to the Tarantula Trail, then back to the trailhead on the Hackamore and Latigo Trails.

Saw more bikers than hikers during the hike, and one group of horse riders at the start of the Latigo. Temperature seemed to be a bit warmer at the very start then at the end, which was unusual. I think the breezes picked up later, contributing to that. Much more sun than yesterday, had to keep my hood up to prevent sunburn this time.

Hit Four Peaks for lunch on the way home, nice Sunday morning.
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average hiking speed 2.6 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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