Black Canyon Trail

The Black Canyon Trail. The city of Phoenix has made great investments in outdoor recreation, preserving and showcasing its natural resources. That progressive mindset culminated in the designation of the Black Canyon Trail. The latter shadows a route active since the times of pre-historic Native American travelers and early Anglo traders. By 1919, it began to transition. First, to a route Phoenix area shepherds used to move their sheep to and from summer ranges in the Bradshaw and Mingus Mountains, respectively. Later, sections of the trail became a stagecoach road between Phoenix and Prescott to the north.

Fast forward to 2008, this biologically diverse, earthen artery is christened a National Recreation Trail. Today, an 80-mile IMBA-designed trail of the same name flows artfully across saguaro-studded desert as much through classic frontier scenery. The Black Canyon Trail (or BCT, as we call it) stands as one of the best singletrack trails in the entire Southwest. Visually, it’s as if you and your bike somehow dissolved into an Arizona Highways two-page spread. Moreover, this region offers super mild Winter temperatures. Not surprisingly, The BCT represents one of our favorite domestic Wintertime escapes.