
There’s not much in the way of hiking and biking trails west of I-17 in Phoenix. That’s bad news for hikers and mountain bikers living in that area.
That makes the opening of Deem Hills Recreation Area, a great piece of news for people wandering around Phoenix, right” Right”
Um, maybe.
First, a small group of litigious homeowners halted trail construction for a few months, as reported in The Arizona Republic. Fortunately, a Superior Court judge didn’t buy their argument (“The suit claimed the building of trails violates Environmentally Sensitive Development Areas Policies Design Guidelines and the city’s own Trail Management practices and procedures,” wrote Republic reporter Betty Reid.).
Conversations with some hikers on the trail convinced me those arguments are a smokescreen: What really had the plaintiffs POd was:
1. They could see the trails from their backyard, a sad reminder that they’re not in an exclusive enclave but rather in a sea of tile roofs.

2. They’re worried that trail users might be able to see into their yards.
Hmm. I drove about 30 minutes from central Phoenix to ride the Deem Hills trails for the first time. At no point did I peer into the yards of homes flanking the south side of the park.
You see, I was a little busy TRYING TO STAY ON THE TRAIL AND NOT WRAP MYSELF AROUND A CACTUS OR THREE!
Seriously, I’d love to know what these lawsuit-happy nabobs are doing in their backyard that has them so worried” Perhaps they’ve mistaken themselves for celebrities – they’ve forgotten that they are Joe and Ethel Suburb, and thus of little interest to the outdoor lovers enjoying the park.
Everyone I encountered on the trails was friendly, hikers and bikers alike. Many said it was their first time on the trails. But one of my talks with the hikers disturbed me: I mentioned that I saw some room for improvement on the trails.

“We don’t want it too nice,” she said. “We just live over in the neighborhood.”
In other words, “let’s prevent this amenity from rising above mediocrity so that I won’t experience any inconvenience.” And make no mistake about it: the trails at Deem Hills are merely OK. You can find out more in my review at Examiner.com. They’re not the best nor the worst – and they’re a huge score for West Valley mountain bikers, who will get some great training on the many climbs in the park.
The area is a bit unusual because it seems to be one of the few spots in the Valley of obvious volcanic origin. The park is littered with large black volcanic bombs. I’d definitely be curious to know more about its geology from those in the know. I’d have to guess the hills are heavily eroded cinder cones. I also spotted some agate-like minerals strewn here and there.
As for the controversy, let’s hope this is also the end of the legal drama and that the “don’t look in my backyard” NIMBY crowd gets over itself in all due haste.
This post just might contain affiliate links. Fear not, they’re non-spammy and benign. Hey, I have to keep this thing running somehow!
It’s a nice hike. We need more hiking areas to escape the rat in a cage feeling, being surrounded by so many match box ‘UGLY’ homes. If more people were encouraged to hike there would be less vilance, less super fat kids, less lazy people (Ones that drive to their mail box). If I happen to look in someone’s back yard, it’s only to marvel how such amazing landscape is trashed by these ugly tiny houses. What a crime! Every gorgeous area with mountains is ruined by houses with owners that protest about people enjoying the great outdoors. How can we nature lovers let that happen so easily!