Papago Park: The 'ol Stomping Ground

 Papago Park was the very first place I rode a mountain bike. It was back in '94, my buddy, Adam, had gone on a few rides there from his apartment next door. We both worked at the Motorola across the street. He said I should come join him sometime and I could borrow his sister's bike. Ok. I'll give it a try. I thought perhaps Adam was trying to get me back for introducing him to alpine skiing the season before. Either way I had a blast that day in spite of taking a header into a bush!! The following day I drove over to Landis Cyclery in Tempe and purchased a Trek 930 hardtail. For more on my biking backstory go here: Rad Roots.

Papago Park would continue in the regular ride routine. Why? It's just a city park in the middle of the urban sprawl of Phoenix. It's near the airport, the Phoenix Zoo is adjacent the park as is the Desert Botanical Garden. Rolling Hills Golf Course is also next door. There are major roads bisecting the park. No chance of getting away from it all, right? Wrong.

The park is bigger than it looks. Part of that is the topography. It's not flat like most of the city. There are hills, rock outcroppings, an access tunnel under a main roadway and interconnectivity to the surrounding communities of Tempe, Scottsdale & Phoenix. Oh, and there are dirt jumps. Lots of them.

Over the years I grew to know every nook and cranny of the place. Learning how to actually ride my mountain bike, gaining the skills I needed to tackle more intimidating places like South Mountain. Papago Park may not look like much on the surface, but dig deeper, keep your eyes peeled, many trail surprises await.

On a recent ride there I decided to take a spin down memory lane, trying to recall some of the fun hidden gems or trails I used to up my riding game at the time.

For years I used to park near the south end of Papago at College & Curry Rd. These days I prefer to stage from the parking lot off Galvin Pkwy across from the Phoenix Zoo. It gives you a nice few miles to warm up going CW around the golf course.

Literally right next to the Rolling Hills Golf Course.

This was the first time in almost 1 1/2 years that my bike has been nekked - no framebag or feedbags. Looks clean, but where am I supposed to put all my crap?? It felt snappy, but oddly weird.

Taking the extra high road climb by the immensely popular Hole-in-the-Rock. Place is always packed on cooler days.

Same shot as above, but more of a city view.

Near the back entry of the Zoo resides a playground of dirt.

It's morphed and advanced over the decades.

I've been coming here since '91 on my GT Pro Freestyle Tour BMX bike. I used to do 360's off one of the far jumps, no gaps back then.

That rock face behind the jump is what I was after.

That face was one of my earliest technical challenges on a mountain bike. It's really steep and has a bit of an awkward step halfway up. I remember it taking many, upon many tries to finally get it. Cruised right up today and it felt good to visit an old friend.

Up top there's a water tank with some fencing around it. There's just enough clearance around the fence to fit a narrow trail that often gets hidden behind some Palo Verde trees. It's still there, but I almost tumbled down the hillside when I clipped the fencing with my handlebars!! Oops. I didn't have 800mm bars back in the 90's!!

From there it's a fun mostly downhill rip to a tunnel under Curry Rd. This leads to the hilly area between Curry and the Loop 202 Fwy. Unfortunately, it's also now home to quite a few transients. I didn't hang around long, making my way past a few tents and up to the areas high point.

Nice view of Tempe Town Lake and skyline. It's crazy now how you can barely see Sun Devil Stadium, once a dominant feature on the horizon.

I crossed over Curry and rejoined the trails looking for one climb that used to give my problems as a new rider. I found it and made quick work of it, but recalled how difficult it used to be. It's a bit steep, fairly short, but littered with loose rock. It was a perfect training hill to learn where my weight needed to be.

Looks like a newer trail cut in just below the ridgeline.

I had to check it out, it was a hoot and very well built. It was much longer than it first appeared too. Pretty cool to find new trails at a place that's been around forever.

Starting my way back towards the jumping area.

Hunt's Tomb.

It also provides a great view of downtown while overlooking the Zoo.

Southerly view from Hunt's Tomb, South Mountain in the background.

Near the Hole-in-the-Rock parking area and all the tourists.

Even after all these years, Papago is still a really fun place to ride. There's something for everyone. Go check it out sometime and keep your eyes peeled for the hidden gems. You may just like it enough to add it to the regular rotation.

Route: