AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

North Mountain Preserve

#100 - Charles M. Christiansen Trail

3.4 mi · ▲ 169 ft · 1 hr 13 min

#100 - Charles M. Christiansen Trail is a 3.4-mile out-and-back in North Mountain Preserve near Heritage Highlands, AZ. It is mostly level, with 169 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi1,375 – 1,503 ft4.0 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 33.60385, -112.08283
Nearest town Heritage Highlands, AZ
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

#100 - Charles M. Christiansen Trail

3.4 mi · ▲ 169 ft · 1 hr 13 min

Elevation 1,376–1,504 ft

Out & Back · North Mountain Preserve

Trailhead: 33.60385, -112.08283

Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 102°F / low 82° · precip 6% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:51 PM

Transit-accessible: 16340 stop 438 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  3. 0.2 miContinue straight onto #306 - Shaw Butte Trail, heading SE.
  4. 0.5 miBear left onto #100 - Charles M. Christiansen Trail, heading SE.
  5. 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
  6. 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
  7. 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  8. 100 ftBear left, heading N.
  9. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  10. 250 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  11. 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
  12. 0.1 miBear right, heading N.
  13. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
  14. 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
  15. 0.3 miContinue straight onto #306 - Shaw Butte Trail, heading W.
  16. 0.4 miBear right, heading W.
  17. 400 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/100-charles-m-christiansen-trail-out-back-5-km-c561

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

OvercastTemperature 102°F82°
Feels like92°Precip6%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity23%
Rained 0.3″ 4 days ago
Hourly temperature
105°80°
Sunrise 6:05 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:51 PM
Sat 102°81°
Sun 104°79°
Mon 103°91°
Tue 104°93°
Wed 103°90° 22%
Thu 101°85° 21%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:31 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 6:51 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:17 PM.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: 16340 stop 438 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Heritage Highlands, Arizona