A 4.2 mile running tour of downtown, including some of the better streets, numerous parks and museums, the Capitol, and the Convention Center.
A hilly desert park covering 1500 acres in Phoenix and Tempe. Numerous trail and loop options include several interesting sights: Hole in the Rock, the Desert Botanical Garden, several small lakes, and the Phoenix Zoo.
Tempe Town Lake, in the heart of downtown Tempe and adjacent to the Arizona State University campus, has a wonderful running trail along the north and south banks of the water. A full loop is 7.5 miles, with good add-on options.
The best bet for a longer-distance, green, off-road run in Scottsdale. The paved multi-use greenbelt path passes through an oasis of parks, lakes, abd golf courses for 13.5 miles from E Cactus Blvd. south to Tempe Town Lake.
A section of the Indian Bend Wash trail in Phoenix. Paved multi-use trail runs through a linear park from E Shea Blvd. northwest to Venturoso Park. The Scottsdale section of Indian Bend Wash is ~5 miles southeast.
A great run through the huge campus of Arizona State University in Tempe. A highlight of the run is the short but very steep ascent of “A Mountain”. Also near Phoenix downtown and Lake Trails.
This 25-mile multi-use runs along the oldest remaining pioneer canal on the north side of the Salt River, through from Glendale to Tempe, mainly north of the I-10. The 14 'improved' miles are known as the 'Canalscape'. Some lovely residential neighborhoods, parks, & connections to additional trails.
Just 5 miles north of downtown, this is a pleasant, relatively shaded dirt trail in an area developed in the late 1800s as an upscale Phoenix suburb.
One of the longer multi-use trails in Maricopa County, running ~36 miles between Mesa and Peoria along both sides of the Arizona Canal. It's ~9 miles north of downtown Phoenix, passes through Scottsdale, Tempe, Glendale.
Camelback Mountain is iconic throughout the Phoenix area. Extreme heat, no shade, elevation gain… and crowds can make this a challenging run, but the view of the Phoenix metro area is spectacular.
This recreation area near the Phoenix Mountains Preserve includes extensive trail running options for all abilities. There's also the paved, Dreamy Draw Bikeway (4 miles out and back). Runners can also connect to the Arizona Canal Trail.
Not far from Camelback Mountain, Mummy Mountain has great views and very little traffic to interrupt your run. With wide streets, large houses and a view of the whole valley, this a great place to run.
This fabulous park is 8 miles south of downtown Phoenix. Covering 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park features a great variety of trail running options.
Get a taste of desert running! This preserve in far north Scottsdale features an extensive network of trails, ranging from easy to moderately hilly and technical. Our favorite for running is the 5.6-mile Apache Wash Loop, for its unrestricted desert views.
Large, popular desert park 30 miles from Scottsdale. 40 miles of trails used for hiking, mountain biking, and running. There are trail runs of varying length and difficulty level. Gorgeous skies and views. Video excerpts!
The Reach 11 Sport Complex, on the north side of Phoenix, is quickly gaining traction as a favorite local running spot. West side trail is up to 9 miles out and back, and the east side Barrier Free Nature Trail is up to a 7.5 mile loop.
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