Cactus Wren Trail–East Happy Valley Road, 3 sights
9.7 mi · ▲ 721 ft · 3 hr 36 min
Cactus Wren Trail–East Happy Valley Road, 3 sights is a 9.7-mile out-and-back in Sonoran Preserve near Adobe, AZ. It climbs 721 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 45/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Cactus Wren Trail–East Happy Valley Road, 3 sights
9.7 mi · ▲ 721 ft · 3 hr 36 min
Elevation 1,566–1,803 ft
Out & Back · Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.72912, -112.09094
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 99°F / low 81° · precip 2% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:52 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 0.9 miContinue straight onto Valle Verde Trail, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right onto Cactus Wren Trail, heading NE.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading NE.
- 1.3 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto North Cave Creek Dam Road, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto East Happy Valley Road, heading SW.
- 0.9 miReach Cactus Wren Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto North Cave Creek Dam Road, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Cactus Wren Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.5 miBear left onto Valle Verde Trail, heading W.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading SW.
- 300 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.2 mi in (~115 min). Leave by 4:37 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:59 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Valle Verde Trail 2.4 mi · ▲ 407 ft
- Valle Verde Trail Loop 2.7 mi · ▲ 364 ft
- Valle Verde Trail 2.8 mi · ▲ 465 ft
- Union Peak–Union Peak Trail, 3 sights 4.2 mi · ▲ 947 ft
- Cactus Wren Trail & Valle Verde Trail via Great Horned Owl Trail 4.4 mi · ▲ 493 ft
- Great Horned Owl Trail & Valle Verde Trail 4.6 mi · ▲ 701 ft
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