The Arizona Canal Trail (not to be confused with the Grand Canal Trail!) is!) is one of the longer multi-use trails in Maricopa County, running for 38+ miles from Peoria in the west to Mesa in the east, passing through northern parts of Glendale & Phoenix, and central Scottsdale. The canal system is more than 100 years old, but its roots go much further back, as from 300 to 1450, when the Hohokam people built over 500 miles of irrigation ditches to farm the Salt River Valley.

There are paths along both sides of the narrow (often dry) canal for most of the way, and the surface is a mix of asphalt, concrete, & crushed stone. The landscape is a mix — a bit more rugged & green at its eastern and western ends, and more residential/suburban through the Phoenix and Scottsdale sections. One plus is that there are numerous underpaths, so fewer major road crossings/traffic. There are connections to other Phoenix trails & recommended Great Runs routes along the way!  Note: Not lit at night for most of the path. 

Below are some additional details on some of the sections, from west to east. 

Mile 0: Peoria. Western terminus @N 75th Ave. Peoria. Connection to Skunk Creek/New River Trail. 
Mile 13.5: E Maryland Ave. Connection to trails at Granada Park, and extensive trail running in Phoenix Mountains Preserve. 
Miles 13-16: Biltmore Estates area. Nice homes!
Mile 20: Arizona Country Club, Scottsdale, and connection to Crosscut Canal connector @N 64th St. From there, it’s 1.5 miles south to Papago Park, and 4 miles south the Grand Canal Trail east trailhead & Tempe Town Lake trails. 
Mile 24: East Indian Bend Rd. Connection to the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt.
Mile 38.5: Eastern trailhead just east of Beeline Hwy. Connection to Southern Canal/Maricopa Trail.  Just east are extensive mountains & trail running.