Papago Park - panoramio.jpg
FSXIV · CC BY-SA 3.0

Little Butte Loop is a 5.1-mile out-and-back in Papago Park near Wheel Inn Ranch, AZ. It is mostly level, with 133 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi1,270 – 1,371 ft5.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 33.48007, -111.94247
Nearest town Wheel Inn Ranch, AZ

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Little Butte Loop

5.1 mi · ▲ 133 ft · 1 hr 46 min

Elevation 1,268–1,371 ft

Out & Back · Papago Park

Trailhead: 33.48007, -111.94247

Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 103°F / low 83° · precip 4% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:49 PM

Transit-accessible: stop 41 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 1.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  3. 0.1 miSharp left, heading W.
  4. 50 ftSharp right, heading W.
  5. 0.4 miSharp right, heading SW.
  6. 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
  7. 250 ftBear right, heading W.
  8. 200 ftTurn left, heading W.
  9. 100 ftBear left, heading W.
  10. 350 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  11. 150 ftSharp right onto Double Butte Loop, heading S.
  12. 100 ftContinue straight onto Big Butte Loop, heading S.
  13. 0.3 miTurn left onto Little Butte Loop, heading SE.
  14. 0.1 miReach Little Butte Loop, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  15. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
  16. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Big Butte Loop, heading SE.
  17. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Double Butte Loop, heading NE.
  18. 100 ftSharp left, heading NE.
  19. 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  20. 350 ftBear right, heading N.
  21. 100 ftTurn right, heading N.
  22. 250 ftBear left, heading N.
  23. 250 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  24. 0.4 miSharp left, heading NE.
  25. 0.4 miSharp left, heading NE.
  26. 50 ftSharp right, heading NE.
  27. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  28. 0.9 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

62% dirt12% paved26% unspecified

Weather

OvercastTemperature 103°F83°
Feels like85°Precip4%Wind3 mphUV8Humidity31%
Rained 0.1″ 5 days ago
Hourly temperature
105°80°
Sunrise 6:05 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:49 PM
Sun 104°81°
Mon 104°94°
Tue 106°93°
Wed 103°90° 25%
Thu 105°89° 16%
Fri 99°84° 21%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.2 mi in (~55 min). Leave by 5:35 PM for the 6:49 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:57 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: stop 41 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead