Wind Cave trail offers 360° views of Phoenix valley

It may not be “hiking season” in much of the country, but in southern Arizona, this is the time to get outside.

Phoenix-area hikers are lucky. They live close to dozens of trails – some with elevation, others not – and an outing is just a short drive away.

The Wind Cave trail on Usery Mountain will blow you away. Not only does it give me a chance to make really bad puns, but it offers stunning views of the valley below.

My sister-in-law and I pulled into the parking lot around 8 a.m. on a Saturday after paying the one-day park fee. Luckily there was a spot left.

The trail started just steps from the car.

The trail got rocky quickly and, after about 20 minutes on the trail, really rocky.

Parkinson’s tip

Take it slow at first to save energy for the steeper portions later on. At first I had trouble keeping up with my sister-in-law, who hikes almost daily. She patiently granted me breaks whenever I asked.

We made it to the Wind Cave after about 45 minutes. Considering the cave’s name, we were glad there was very little wind there for us.

Off to the right of the cave, the trail continued, marked by blue painted arrows.

Onward we went with a goal to reach the top.

It took about 10 more minutes of going up to summit, but we faced some exposure and scrambling over rocks to do so.

If you’re uncomfortable with that, don’t go any farther.

Parkinson’s tip

Trekking poles will help on many portions of the trail, but not so much closer to the top, where the trail is skinny with big rocks lining it. Use your hands on those rocks to steady yourself.

Glory, hallelujah!

For me sitting on top of a mountain is glorious!

(I don’t dare stand anymore.)

The wind was a little stronger up top, and the gusts probably can get even worse. We just got lucky.

We took our time to hike down, watching each step because there was a lot of loose, sandy gravel. It’s well known that more hiking injuries occur going down a mountain than going up.

Total time: 2 hours. And that was at a pace that almost did me in!

Hike info

PD difficulty level (see chart): difficult
Distance: 3 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 1,043 feet
Trailhead location: 3939 N. Usery Pass Road, Mesa, Arizona
Bathrooms: at trailhead
Emergency medical support: within 5 miles
Costs: $7 for a day pass
Road access to trailhead: From park’s main entrance, drive one-half mile to Wind Cave Drive and go left. Parking is next to trailhead.

Insider tip: You may want to leave the dog at home for this one. The trail can get pretty crowded (unless you go early), and there’s a lot of cholla cactus — painful and hard to pull out of both skin and fur.

Click here for an easy Arizona trail that’s great for a winter hiking outing.