Cactus Wren Trail–East Happy Valley Road, 5 sights
11.2 mi · ▲ 737 ft · 4 hr 6 min
Cactus Wren Trail–East Happy Valley Road, 5 sights is an 11.2-mile out-and-back in Sonoran Preserve near Adobe, AZ. It climbs 737 ft. It scores 48/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Cactus Wren Trail–East Happy Valley Road, 5 sights
11.2 mi · ▲ 737 ft · 4 hr 6 min
Elevation 1,573–1,912 ft
Out & Back · Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: Hawk's Nest Trailhead · 33.74105, -112.09733
Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:52 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Hawk's Nest Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Dixie Mountain Loop, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Valle Verde Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Dixie Mountain Loop, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Valle Verde Trail, heading NE.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear right onto Cactus Wren Trail, heading SE.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading E.
- 1.3 miBear right, heading SE.
- 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 Hawk's Nest 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 W.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Cactus Wren Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear left, heading W.
- 0.5 miBear left onto Valle Verde Trail, heading SW.
- 0.9 miBear left onto Dixie Mountain Loop, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Valle Verde Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Dixie Mountain Loop, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Hawk's Nest Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miArrive 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 5.0 mi in (~132 min). Leave by 4:19 PM for the 6:52 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:18 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Hawk's Nest Trailhead Trailhead
- Desert Tortoise Trail–Hawk's Nest Trail, 3 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 350 ft
- HOA Path & Hawk's Nest Trail via Dixie Mountain Loop 2.8 mi · ▲ 566 ft
- Dixie Mountain–Dixie Summit Viewpoint, 4 sights 3 mi · ▲ 654 ft
- Western Vista–Hawk's Nest Trail, 3 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 913 ft
- Bobcat Trail–Hawk's Nest Trail, 3 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 711 ft
- Union Peak–Hawk's Nest Trail, 4 sights 5.6 mi · ▲ 973 ft
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