Rediscovering the Sonoran Preserve

Phoenix, Arizona (March 17, 2025) It’s been six, maybe seven years since I last hiked a trail in the Sonoran Preserve—a stunning natural area that showcases the beauty of the Sonoran Desert.  If my memory serves me well, I hiked the very same trail again today.

The Sonoran Preserve encompasses more than 9,600 acres and features 36 miles of multiuse trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. The trails are rated from ‘easy” to ‘extremely difficult,’ offering something for everyone. 

​This morning, I hiked the Ocotillo-Ridgeback-Sidewinder Loop, a 4.6- mile trail accessible from the Apache Wash Trailhead. AllTrails rated this loop as ‘moderate’ due to its rocky terrain and an optional quarter mile climb to the summit of Apache Hill.

If you’re wondering about the name of the loop—it’s quite a mouthful—it’s because it was designed to include segments of three unique trails:

• Ocotillo Trail, named after the ocotillo plant, which means “little torch” because it produces fiery red flowers at its tips when it blooms.
• Ridgeback Trail, named for its terrain, featuring a ridge that runs up and down Apache Hill.
• Sidewinder Trail, named for the sidewinder rattlesnake, as the trail mimics the snake’s winding, serpentine movement.

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​I hiked the loop counterclockwise, starting with Sidewinder Trail first, followed by Ridgeback Trail, and finishing on Ocotillo Trail. Clockwise or counterclockwise—it’s two sides of the same coin. Flip that coin when you hike this loop, and you’ll enjoy it no matter whether the outcome is heads or tails. 

Sidewinder and Ocotillo are wide (4-5 feet across) and relatively flat trails. You’re sure to kick up stones along the way, as I did, but it’s nothing to worry about. Most of my elevation gain—almost 700 feet in total from the trailhead to the summit of Apache Hill—came on Ridgeback Trail, which was somewhat narrower (2–3 feet across) than the other two trails.  

I’ve hiked a handful of trails in several regional parks and preserves since the start of the year, and something stood out about this loop: it was well-marked with metal-post signage that indicated either a trail name or the direction to take when a trail forked. I’d venture to say it would have been (nearly) impossible for me to get lost, given how clearly the trail names were laid out.  

I reached the “climb to the summit”—the quarter-mile connector from Ridgeback Trail to the top of Apache Hill—about three-quarters of the way through my two-hour hike. Yes or no, I thought. YES!

The photo on the right shows the trail up, while the photo below is me standing on the summit. The elevation wasn’t high—only 2,200 feet or so above sea level and 500 feet or so above the desert floor—but the panoramic views were outstanding!

I’ve said this in other stories about desert trails I’ve hiked, but it’s worth repeating: I absolutely LOVE hiking through the Sonoran Desert. Why? Because there’s nothing more breathtaking than its natural beauty—lush vegetation like creosote and brittlebush, cholla and saguaro cacti, and Palo Verde and mesquite trees; wide-open desert plains and rolling hills; and panoramic views that include distant mountains. And, of course, there’s always the thrill of spotting a jackrabbit, roadrunner, lizard, coyote, or any of the countless animals that call the Sonoran Desert home. 

I didn’t spot much wildlife on my hike, but wow, there was an abundance of vegetation that was beginning to wake from its winter doldrums, and the sculpted terrain in earthy tones stretched beneath a vast sky. To me, it was pure heaven!

Until next time, happy trails to you.