Hidden Valley via Pima Canyon • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Marcos - Mormon Double Double, AZ

Hiking		Dec 27 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	12.79 Miles	3,201 AEG

Hiking	12.79 Miles	3 Hrs 50 Mns	3.41 mph
	3,201 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

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

We got started a little before 10AM, and Pima Canyon was packed, with almost all the road spots taken in addition to the lot. That, of course, translated into very busy trails. The tourists were out in full force...someone stopped me on National and asked, "Is this the way to the rock formation?" When I asked which one, she said, "Any." If you're looking for any rock formation, I guess you're in luck.

TBK wanted to go all the way down to Mormon TH, so I went ahead and did two laps down and back up. The crowds were terrible--I think I preferred the Santas last week. On the hike out, I did a second lap on Marcos de Niza to make it a double-double. Aside from the crowded trails, it was a nice day to be outside--there were scattered clouds throughout, but very little haze and temps in the upper 60s.

Dec 20 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 20 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.59 Miles	2,487 AEG

Hiking	10.59 Miles	3 Hrs 22 Mns	3.16 mph
	2,487 ft AEG	1 Min Break

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TboneKathy

Got started ~7:30AM...cool start to the day in the upper 40s/low 50s. Trails were busy, with an impressive number of people in Santa hats/full suits. Got stuck in a traffic jam of 30+ Santas coming back up Mormon Trail that must've been a holiday-themed Meet Up--that was pretty annoying...Santas aren't known for being particularly fleet afoot. Very comfortable morning and still crowded when we finished.

Dec 12 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Dec 12 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.67 Miles	2,459 AEG

Hiking	10.67 Miles	3 Hrs 26 Mns	3.12 mph
	2,459 ft AEG	1 Min Break

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TboneKathy

Got out for an afternoon hike on a warm day that felt more like spring than mid-December with temps pushing 80° and some flowers blooming. The sky was mostly clear to the east but very hazy looking north/northwest toward downtown. There were quite a few bikers and a fair number hikers out on the trails, and we finished a little before sunset on a nice day.

Nov 21 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Buena Vista Lookout via Pima Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Nov 21 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	11.48 Miles	2,331 AEG

Hiking	11.48 Miles	2 Hrs 47 Mns	4.12 mph
	2,331 ft AEG

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

I got started from Pima Canyon a little before sunrise. It was a nice, cool morning in the 50s...the summer SoMo sweat-fests felt like a distant memory. It was a spectacular sunrise on the way to Buena Vista Lookout, and the trails were surprisingly empty--I didn't pass anyone until I was on my way back. There were a few lingering puddles on the trails from the recent rain, and this latest round has things looking very green. The sky clouded over for most of the hike, and I ran into TboneKathy along National on the hike out.

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunrise

Nov 14 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Nov 14 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.51 Miles	2,198 AEG

Hiking	10.51 Miles	3 Hrs 15 Mns	3.27 mph
	2,198 ft AEG	2 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

I got a little bit later start than usual at ~9AM, but the weather was nice and the trails were more crowded than expected for a Friday morning. There were several classrooms' worth of young kids (field trip?) clogging National near the Pima Wash/Javelina intersection, so that was annoying. Otherwise, pretty typical morning at SoMo. I didn't see any blood remaining on Mormon Trail from my last visit, and I avoided any rock collisions today, so that was a step in the right direction.

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Hidden Valley Tunnel

Oct 25 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 25 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.01 Miles	1,923 AEG

Hiking	10.01 Miles	2 Hrs 59 Mns	3.41 mph
	1,923 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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8 linked trail guides

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TboneKathy

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

I headed out for an early hike at SoMo, starting around sunrise. Weekend crowds were in full force--I passed 20+ people along Marcos de Niza, and there was a big running group getting started near the National/Javelina Canyon intersection that fortunately went a different way. Along Mormon Loop, I came across a snake eating a lizard in the middle of the trail. I almost missed it until a trail runner pointed it out--he said it came tumbling down the trail in front him.

On my way down to Mormon TH, I accidentally grazed my upper shin on a rock as I passed someone. It hurt, but I didn't think much of it until I felt the warmth of blood running down my leg...lots of it. I figured it was one of those minor scrapes that looks worse than it is and I'd wash it off after the hike, so I kept going down to the TH and started back up. Meanwhile, blood was soaking into my sock/boot, and someone finally commented, "Sir, you're bleeding!" as I passed. Yeah, I noticed that, too...

A few miles later, I finally took a closer look at the cut and realized it was deeper than I thought and might require stitches. By the time I finished the hike, my boot looked like a murder scene. I went to urgent care later, and sure enough, three stitches...dumbest hiking accident ever. Nice morning to be outside other than the minor brush with the rock.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Unidentified Fauna

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] HAZ - Hike HAZard

Oct 19 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Oct 19 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.48 Miles	2,210 AEG

Hiking	10.48 Miles	3 Hrs 17 Mns	3.19 mph
	2,210 ft AEG

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TboneKathy

First time back at SoMo since the big rain last weekend, and it was the most crowded I've seen it this season...seems like everyone has realized the mornings are finally comfortable. It was noticeably greener than my last time out here, with grass growing in a few places, and even that prior visit was looking better after the September rains. Lots of washouts and erosion after the big storms, especially in Hidden Valley. We stopped by a few petroglyphs that TBK hadn't seen before, but otherwise a pretty typical SoMo morning.

Oct 14 2025

LindaAnn

Guides 112
Routes 2,383
Photos 9,470
Triplogs 2,734

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 14 2025
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,734

Hiking	7.35 Miles	1,324 AEG

Hiking	7.35 Miles	3 Hrs 14 Mns	2.31 mph
	1,324 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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6 linked trail guides

Hidden Valley Trail - South Mountain

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Tortoise_Hiker

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

I think Denny flew home around midnight, but I told him he still had to hike with me today. Met up at Pima Cyn at 0715. Up Marcos, then up Mormon Loop/Javelina. Came down thru Hidden Valley, National, and Pima Wash.

Tons of evidence of recent rain, with still some flowing water. Trails are chewed up. Saw two caterpillars. A handful of bikers and other hikers. Good workout, abd always good to hike with Denny.

_____________________

Stop crying and just go do the hike.

Oct 14 2025

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 149
Photos 10,107
Triplogs 3,758

64 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 14 2025
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,758

Hiking	7.35 Miles	1,324 AEG

Hiking	7.35 Miles	3 Hrs 14 Mns	2.31 mph
	1,324 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

no routes

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6 linked trail guides

Hidden Valley Trail - South Mountain

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LindaAnn

Joined Linda for a mid morning hike at South Mountain. Flew in last night so I was dragging a little. Wait, that's my normal

! Signs of the rain storm were evident. Some ruts here and there and occasional standing water. A little water running in the tunnel and in Lower Pima wash. Linda was able to spot a little "quick sand" and showed me were it was.

Pima wash trail had signs of a foot or two flow recently. The pavement work on the drive in and the parking lot seemed to be done. New top and paint.
It was great to get a hike in with Linda and catch up.

Like HAZ, she rocks!

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

Oct 09 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Dobbins Lookout via Pima Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Oct 09 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	13.71 Miles	2,225 AEG

Hiking	13.71 Miles	3 Hrs 19 Mns	4.13 mph
	2,225 ft AEG

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

Morning hike at SoMo after a few weeks away...I wanted to get out there before the rain started on Friday. After all the rain late in monsoon season, everything was looking a lot greener than when I was here last month. It was a muted sunrise with the clouds, and they hung around to varying degrees for the rest of the hike. Not too many people out on the trails on a Thursday morning.

1 archive

Oct 02 2025

Tortoise_Hiker

Guides 1
Routes 149
Photos 10,107
Triplogs 3,758

64 male

Joined Apr 02 2005
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 02 2025
		Tortoise_Hiker • Triplogs 3,758

Hiking	6.90 Miles	912 AEG

Hiking	6.90 Miles	2 Hrs 35 Mns	2.67 mph
	912 ft AEG

no routes

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wallyfrack

Wally came over and joined me for a South Mountain hike. We did Mormon loop along with Hidden Valley. Instead of Pima road we took Pima wash at the end. They definitely got some rain in those storms and the trail was chewed up in a couple places. The wash looked like it got some flow. Would have like to have seen that. Trails were still in pretty good shape. With an early start the temps weren’t too bad when we finished around 8:30. The road going in and parking lot have been getting resurfaced since the weekend and they are still working on it. You could park in lot but not on road. Always great to get a hike in with Wally! Like HAZ, he rocks!!

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] White-lined Sphinx Caterpillar

_____________________

Tortoise Hiking. Stop and smell the Petrichor.

2 archives

Sep 13 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Pima Canyon - Hidden Valley Loop, AZ

Hiking		Sep 13 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	7.06 Miles	899 AEG

Hiking	7.06 Miles	2 Hrs 50 Mns	2.72 mph
	899 ft AEG	14 Mns Break

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An old friend was in town from New England, visiting Arizona for a few days on an ASU/U of A college football tour. We were roommates 20 years ago during an internship out east and hadn't seen each other for 14 years. He's not used to the desert heat and wanted to do something short and with 1,000' AEG or less, which limited the options, but SoMo has plenty of trails to make that work.

He hiked in Saguaro Nat'l Park on Friday and drove back to Phoenix early Saturday morning, and we got started a little after 8AM and caught up as we hiked. We followed Pima Wash and then went off-trail through Pima Canyon and saw some of the petroglyphs and mines, then connected with the trail again near Hidden Valley Tunnel, continued through Hidden Valley and Fat Man's Pass, then looped back on National.

Hot by New England standards, but pretty nice weather for AZ in mid-September, with a high below 100°, and he seemed to like the route with the SoMo touristy highlights

. We grabbed lunch after the hike, and it was a fun morning catching up after so long.

Sep 01 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Dobbins Lookout via Pima Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Sep 01 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	14.26 Miles	2,555 AEG

Hiking	14.26 Miles	3 Hrs 22 Mns	4.24 mph
	2,555 ft AEG

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

Decided to get up early on Labor Day for a morning hike before the day heated up. It was already in the upper 80s before 5AM, but a steady breeze kept it from feeling too uncomfortable. I forgot to bring a flashlight--haven't started this early at SoMo in a while--but there were enough city lights that I could get by without it, then a colorful sunrise. The trails were emptier than I expected for a holiday with reasonably nice late summer weather.

I stuck to my usual route, which I hadn't done in more than two months, and went out to Dobbins Lookout, paused for some water, then headed back and went over Marcos de Niza again to finish it off. Nothing too interesting out there today, though I saw what looked like a squished frog on National Trail...that's a new one. And the ocotillo leaves have greened up a lot in the past week after the recent rain.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Red Spotted Toad

Aug 27 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Aug 27 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.31 Miles	2,283 AEG

Hiking	10.31 Miles	3 Hrs 17 Mns	3.19 mph
	2,283 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

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

Started from Pima Canyon Trailhead around 6AM, and it was a cooler morning in the upper 70s, but still very humid. There were surprisingly few people out on a relatively nice morning for August. SoMo clearly got quite a bit of rain in the big storm on Monday--there were lots of little washouts along the trails and down in Pima Wash, a few remaining puddles with standing water, and millipedes enjoying the lingering moisture. Didn't see much wildlife but crossed paths with @trekkin_gecko on the way back up from Mormon Trailhead.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Millipede

Jul 12 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jul 12 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.43 Miles	2,249 AEG

Hiking	10.43 Miles	3 Hrs 34 Mns	3.16 mph
	2,249 ft AEG	16 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

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

Back to SoMo for another lap through Hidden Valley/Mormon, starting around 6AM. The trails weren't too busy, and it wasn't ridiculously hot but humid enough that I was sweating a lot. Not much to note out there today--saw a jackrabbit but no particularly interesting wildlife, and it was in the low 90s by the end.

Jul 04 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jul 04 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.02 Miles	2,210 AEG

Hiking	10.02 Miles	3 Hrs 22 Mns	3.08 mph
	2,210 ft AEG	7 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

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

We got out for a morning hike on the Fourth of July, starting around 6AM from Pima Canyon. It was in the upper 70s but a little humid as we got going, and there weren't many other people out there on the holiday enjoying the relatively cool weather. We stuck to the usual route through Hidden Valley we've done a lot recently, and the trails remained relatively quiet throughout. It was still only in the upper 80s when we finished ~9:30AM, so not a bad morning to be outside.

1 archive

Jun 28 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

SoMo Hidden Valley Mormon Loop, AZ

Hiking		Jun 28 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	10.35 Miles	2,196 AEG

Hiking	10.35 Miles	3 Hrs 28 Mns	3.06 mph
	2,196 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

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TboneKathy

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

It had been a while since I'd hiked with TboneKathy, so when she said she was heading to SoMo on Saturday morning, I told her I'd join and set an alarm even though sleeping in sounded very tempting. It had been ~6 weeks since we were at South Mountain together, and since our creativity apparently hasn't improved during that time, we defaulted to the same route we hiked often in the spring , through Hidden Valley and over toward Mormon Trailhead. Pretty typical day on the trails...medium-busy, toasty but not ridiculously hot for June, in the mid-90s when we finished around 9:30AM.

Jun 19 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Dobbins Lookout via Pima Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Jun 19 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	13.76 Miles	2,299 AEG

Hiking	13.76 Miles	3 Hrs 12 Mns	4.35 mph
	2,299 ft AEG	2 Mns Break

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

Another quick pre-work hike...I got started around sunrise at 5AM on relatively quiet trails with temps in the mid-80s and climbing. I stuck to my usual route out to Dobbins, took a quick water break there, then headed back. The city added a lot of temporary signage reminding people about the 8AM-5PM trail closures on extreme heat days, though I'm not sure how strictly they enforce that--there were still quite a few people on the trails when I finished a little after 8AM. No interesting wildlife today, just glad to be done before it got hotter.

Jun 05 2025

Guides 29
Routes 424
Photos 6,731
Triplogs 390

41 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Dobbins Lookout via Pima Canyon, AZ

Hiking		Jun 05 2025
		John10s • Triplogs 390

Hiking	13.83 Miles	2,301 AEG

Hiking	13.83 Miles	3 Hrs 13 Mns	4.32 mph
	2,301 ft AEG	1 Min Break

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

I got an early start ~5AM for a morning pre-work hike. Falling back into the usual summer pattern, I headed for Dobbins Lookout and started up Marcos de Niza. The air had the sweet smell of wet desert, and there were a still a few puddles from Sunday's rain--the area around Hidden Valley was especially moist. Overall, not too many people out on the trails. Not much interesting wildlife, but there were more hummingbirds flying around than usual and quite a few lizards. I paused for a quick drink at the lookout, then started back and ran into TboneKathy a few miles from the trailhead, and I was done before 8:30AM.

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Memorial

May 13 2025

LindaAnn

Guides 112
Routes 2,383
Photos 9,470
Triplogs 2,734

45 female

Joined Dec 24 2007
Ahwatukee, AZ

Beacon Hill - South Mountain

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 13 2025
		LindaAnn • Triplogs 2,734

Hiking	6.65 Miles	1,595 AEG

Hiking	6.65 Miles	2 Hrs 26 Mns	2.79 mph
	1,595 ft AEG	3 Mns Break

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8 linked trail guides

Ridgeline Trail - South Mountain

Hidden Valley Trail - South Mountain

Hidden Valley via Guadalupe Ridge

Guadalupe Ridge - AKA Midlife Crisis / Scott