more stats
2.6 miles
Distance
290 ft
Climb
-288 ft
Descent
00:19:20
Avg time
1 ft
Altitude change
1,276 ft
Altitude min
1,445 ft
Altitude max
1,312 ft
Altitude start
1,312 ft
Altitude end
-33.4%
Grade max
13.1%
Grade min
1 mile
Distance climb
4,718 ft
Distance down
3,504 ft
Distance flat
00:19:20
Avg time

Cholla Flats Loop Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    South Mountain Preserve
    Phoenix, Arizona
  • Difficulty Rating
    Blue Rate
  • Voted Difficulty
    Green (2 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    85 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 70 in E-Biking
    • 85 in Trail Running
    • 65 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #97357 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #115409 in E-Biking
    • #104518 in Trail Running
    • #127680 in Hiking
    • #23632 in Horseback
  • State Ranking
    #1,362 in Mountain Biking · Arizona [+]
    • #722 in E-Biking
    • #1,643 in Trail Running
    • #2,494 in Hiking
    • #959 in Horseback
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Direction
    Both Directions
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 1
  • Land Owner
    City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation

The new Cholla Flats Loop trail, constructed in March 2020, incorporating the old Church Access trail from 5th Ave over to Pyramid.

Tags
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 7 miles average
6 Months
  • 68 rides
  • 10 miles avg distance
All
  • 475 rides
  • Last: Oct 13, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Status:
on Jul 16, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.17 (6 votes)
Your vote: 0

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      Directions to cholla-flats-loop trailhead (33.305360, -112.095310)
      View on Discover Map

      Photos

      1 more »
      mtb
      148 |
      Apr 15, 2021 @ 8:49am
      Apr 15, 2021

      Videos

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      Routes with this trail

      203
      SoMo Circumnavigation
      ★ 5.0 • 40 miles • 3,901 ft • 60 •
      One of several possible ways to circumnavigate South Mountain
      13
      Ride Hard Speak Easy
      7 miles • 1,211 ft • 5 • Loop •
      A short hike a bike to great Downhill, with a nice place to relax towards the end before a long flowy...
      34
      Pyramid Cholla Flats National Bursera
      12 miles • 2,344 ft • 11 •
      Pyramid Cholla Flats National Bursera Loop
      4.4 ★★★★★
      6 Ratings
      5 ★ 67%
      4 ★ 17%
      3 ★
      2 ★ 17%
      1 ★

      3 Reviews & Comments

      gmgarc
      This has become my go-to weekday afternoon trail (close proximity to my house/short enough to hit after work before the sun sets). I see the previous comments from a few years back calling it green— not sure if I would go so far as to say that. Maybe things have changed since then; I could see it being green if it weren’t so rocky and loose. Rains over the past couple years (2025 was a record for fall rainfall here) may have contributed to this as well as the lack of foot/bike traffic this trail sees in general. Summary: Large, jagged rocks on steep inclines/drops into loose, gravelly washes littered throughout coupled with fun rollercoaster-like windy sections.
      danhiris
      Lots of fun new trail. No jumps or berms but smooth and comfy
      erkkilaurila erkkilaurila
      The new Cholla Flats Loop is more green than blue from my perspective.

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      Nearby Trails

      South Mountain Preserve

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      ▼ Where is Cholla Flats Loop located?
      Cholla Flats Loop is located in South Mountain Preserve, Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is part of the South Mountain Preserve trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 33.30536, -112.09531.
      ▼ How hard is Cholla Flats Loop?
      Cholla Flats Loop is rated as Blue difficulty.
      ▼ What is the elevation gain for Cholla Flats Loop?
      Cholla Flats Loop has 290 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 288 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 1,276 ft to 1,445 ft.
      ▼ Is Cholla Flats Loop a point to point trail?
      Cholla Flats Loop is not a point to point trail. The direction is Both Directions. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ How long is Cholla Flats Loop?
      Cholla Flats Loop is 2.6 miles long. The trail type is singletrack.
      ▼ Are dogs allowed on Cholla Flats Loop?
      Yes, dogs are allowed on Cholla Flats Loop. Please keep dogs on a leash where required and clean up after them.
      ▼ How do I access Cholla Flats Loop? Where is the closest parking trailhead?
      The closest parking and trailhead locations to Cholla Flats Loop are: View all parking locations in the area.
      ▼ How long does it take to ride Cholla Flats Loop?
      Based on recorded activities, it takes an average of 19 minutes to ride Cholla Flats Loop. The trail is 2.6 miles long. Actual times will vary based on fitness level, conditions, and pace. View recent activity logs for more details.
      ▼ How busy is Cholla Flats Loop?
      Cholla Flats Loop is a very popular trail. There have been 1,606 recorded activities on this trail. The trail has received 1,808 check-ins. View recent activity on this trail.

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