AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
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Jesse James · CC BY 2.0
Papago Park

Papago Buttes–Tempe Town Lake, 10 lakes

9.5 mi · ▲ 497 ft · 3 hr 25 min

Papago Buttes–Tempe Town Lake, 10 lakes is a 9.5-mile out-and-back in Papago Park near Wheel Inn Ranch, AZ. The route passes Roosevelt Lake, McKellips Lake, Tempe Town Lake and 4 more before reaching Papago Buttes at the turnaround, 4.8 miles in. It climbs 497 ft. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi1,132 – 1,394 ft12.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 33.45581, -111.91622
Nearest town Wheel Inn Ranch, AZ
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Papago Buttes–Tempe Town Lake, 10 lakes

9.5 mi · ▲ 497 ft · 3 hr 25 min

Elevation 1,132–1,393 ft

Out & Back · Papago Park

Trailhead: 33.45581, -111.91622

Weather Sep 6: sunrise 6:06 AM · sunset 6:48 PM

Transit-accessible: stop 367 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
  2. 50 ftPass Roosevelt Lake.
  3. 0.1 miPass McKellips Lake.
  4. 250 ftBear right onto Indian Bend Wash path, heading S.
  5. 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
  6. 50 ftTurn right onto Tempe Greenbelt, heading S.
  7. 0.8 miBear right, heading S.
  8. 350 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  9. 0.2 miPass Tempe Town Lake.
  10. 200 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading SW.
  11. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Playa Del Norte Walking Path, heading SW.
  12. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading SW.
  13. 100 ftContinue straight onto Playa Del Norte Walking Path, heading SW.
  14. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading SW.
  15. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading SW.
  16. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading W.
  17. 150 ftContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading W.
  18. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading W.
  19. 150 ftContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading W.
  20. 50 ftContinue straight onto Rural Road Access TTL North Path, heading W.
  21. 50 ftContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading W.
  22. 0.2 miPass Tempe Town Lake.
  23. 50 ftPass SRP Tempe Town Lake Marina.
  24. 350 ftTurn left, heading W.
  25. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  26. 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
  27. 50 ftPass Indian Bend Canal.
  28. 100 ftTurn left, heading W.
  29. 50 ftTurn right onto Tempe Town Lake Marina Walking Path, heading W.
  30. 200 ftBear left, heading W.
  31. 250 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  32. 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
  33. 500 ftContinue straight onto Canal Trail, heading S.
  34. 250 ftSharp right, heading W.
  35. 50 ftSharp left, heading W.
  36. 50 ftTurn right onto Lizard Trail, heading W.
  37. 0.3 miTurn right, heading W.
  38. 100 ftTurn left, heading W.
  39. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  40. 200 ftTurn left, heading W.
  41. 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
  42. 50 ftBear left, heading E.
  43. 150 ftBear left, heading E.
  44. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  45. 350 ftBear right, heading N.
  46. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  47. 0.3 miTurn right onto Crosscut Canal Multi-use Path, heading NW.
  48. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  49. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  50. 150 ftSharp right, heading W.
  51. 200 ftContinue straight onto Zoo Staff Only, heading W.
  52. 250 ftBear left, heading W.
  53. 0.1 miPass Papago Ponds.
  54. 50 ftBear right, heading W.
  55. 0.3 miTurn left onto Hole-In-The-Rock Trail, heading N.
  56. 450 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  57. 0.2 miBear right, heading W.
  58. 200 ftTurn left, heading N.
  59. 500 ftContinue straight onto 5k Trail, heading N.
  60. 0.2 miTurn left onto Double Butte Loop, heading N.
  61. 50 ftBear right onto 5k Trail, heading N.
  62. 50 ftSharp right onto Big Butte Loop, heading N.
  63. 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
  64. 150 ftReach Papago Buttes, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  65. 0.3 miSharp left onto 5k Trail, heading W.
  66. 50 ftBear left onto Double Butte Loop, heading W.
  67. 50 ftTurn right onto 5k Trail, heading W.
  68. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  69. 250 ftBear left, heading N.
  70. 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
  71. 450 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  72. 0.3 miBear left, heading W.
  73. 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
  74. 250 ftContinue straight onto Zoo Staff Only, heading S.
  75. 250 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  76. 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
  77. 50 ftTurn right onto Crosscut Canal Multi-use Path, heading SW.
  78. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  79. 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
  80. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  81. 400 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  82. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  83. 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
  84. 100 ftBear left, heading SE.
  85. 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
  86. 250 ftBear right, heading E.
  87. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  88. 100 ftTurn left onto Lizard Trail, heading E.
  89. 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
  90. 50 ftSharp right, heading SE.
  91. 50 ftSharp left onto Canal Trail, heading S.
  92. 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
  93. 100 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  94. 250 ftBear right onto Tempe Town Lake Marina Walking Path, heading S.
  95. 200 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  96. 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  97. 150 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  98. 150 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  99. 50 ftTurn right onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading SE.
  100. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Rural Road Access TTL North Path, heading E.
  101. 50 ftContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading E.
  102. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading E.
  103. 150 ftContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading SW.
  104. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading SW.
  105. 150 ftContinue straight onto Tempe Town Lake North Path, heading SW.
  106. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading SE.
  107. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Playa Del Norte Walking Path, heading SE.
  108. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading SE.
  109. 100 ftContinue straight onto Playa Del Norte Walking Path, heading S.
  110. 50 ftContinue straight onto North Linear Park Path, heading S.
  111. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Tempe Greenbelt, heading E.
  112. 1 miTurn left, heading S.
  113. 50 ftBear left onto Indian Bend Wash path, heading S.
  114. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  115. 50 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/papago-buttes-tempe-town-lake-out-back-10-lakes-9-km-a6bc

Trail surface

48% dirt36% paved4% sand4% gravel8% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:06 AMSunset 6:48 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.9 mi in (~71 min). Leave by 5:17 PM for the 6:48 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:16 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: stop 367 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Wheel Inn Ranch, Arizona