AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Skyline Regional Park

Pyrite Summit–Chuckwalla Trail, 7 sights

11.5 mi · ▲ 2,741 ft · 5 hr 12 min

Pyrite Summit–Chuckwalla Trail, 7 sights is an 11.5-mile out-and-back in Skyline Regional Park near Valencia, AZ. The route reaches Pyrite Summit at the turnaround, 5.7 miles in. It climbs 2,741 ft, with sections as steep as 33% grade. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi1,342 – 2,277 ft · steepest grade: 33%11.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 33.47542, -112.55648
Nearest town Valencia, AZ
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Pyrite Summit–Chuckwalla Trail, 7 sights

11.5 mi · ▲ 2,741 ft · 5 hr 12 min

Elevation 1,341–2,277 ft

Out & Back · Skyline Regional Park

Trailhead: 33.47542, -112.55648

Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:07 AM · sunset 6:53 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftTurn right onto Parking Lot Connector, heading NE.
  3. 350 ftContinue straight onto Quartz Mine Trail, heading E.
  4. 1 miContinue straight onto Skyline Crest Trail, heading NW.
  5. 1.3 miBear left onto Lost Creek, heading NW.
  6. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
  7. 0.1 miSharp right onto Mountain Wash trail, heading S.
  8. 0.3 miSharp right onto Turnbuckle trail, heading S.
  9. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Valley Vista trail, heading S.
  10. 450 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  11. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Granite Falls Trail, heading W.
  12. 200 ftTurn left, heading W.
  13. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Chuckwalla Trail, heading W.
  14. 0.2 miTurn right onto Pyrite Trail, heading W.
  15. 0.4 miSharp right, heading W.
  16. 0.3 miReach Pyrite Summit, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 0.8 miTurn left onto Chuckwalla Trail, heading N.
  18. 1 miTurn right onto Granite Falls Trail, heading N.
  19. 0.5 miTurn left onto Valley Vista trail, heading E.
  20. 450 ftContinue straight onto Turnbuckle trail, heading E.
  21. 0.5 miSharp left onto Mountain Wash trail, heading NE.
  22. 0.3 miSharp left, heading S.
  23. 0.1 miTurn right onto Lost Creek, heading SE.
  24. 0.2 miBear right onto Skyline Crest Trail, heading E.
  25. 1.3 miContinue straight onto Quartz Mine Trail, heading E.
  26. 1 miContinue straight onto Parking Lot Connector, heading W.
  27. 400 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  28. 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/pyrite-summit-chuckwalla-trail-out-back-7-sights-18-km

Trail surface

36% dirt64% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:07 AMSunset 6:53 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.3 mi in (~110 min). Leave by 4:43 PM for the 6:53 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:38 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Valencia, Arizona