Review of Scottsdale Hiking Trails – Papago Park Hole in the Rock 

Phoenix and Scottsdale have a lot of hiking trails and many of them are awesome year round. With day time temps pushing 110 degrees though, hiking in Phoenix may not sound like the most fun activity. But if you get up early enough, it actually can make for an enjoyable morning workout. So that’s exactly what my group and I did.

Camelback is probably the most famous mountain for Scottsdale hiking trails, but if you’re not an experienced hiker, it can be a little too challenging. While I’ll do a lot of things for the ‘gram, I know where to draw the line and your girl is just not a serious hiker.

Instead, I researched Scottsdale hiking trails that were relatively easy, close to our hotel and that would have some great views for pictures. I found Papago Park Hole in the Rock and the photos on Instagram looked really cool. It’s close to the Phoenix Zoo and in fact if you’re not careful, you may find yourself in the Phoenix Zoo Parking Lot.

Parking

There’s two parking areas for Hole in the Rock. One was closed (no idea why?) so we parked at the next lot. From the parking lot, you can see the hole in the rock really easily. It’s not hard to miss. All you have to do is walk around and up the mountain to get to it. From the parking lot, it’s maybe a 5 minute uphill walk – not bad at all. But would I call that a hike? No. In fact, my Apple Watch didn’t even count that “hike” as a workout!

The View

This is what most of us look forward to when we go on a hike.. the view! When you get up the mountain, it is pretty cool to see the hole in the rock – but what was “interesting” was the view itself, and the man-made stairs that take you down into the rock. Nothing screams authentic and being “one with nature” than man-made stairs, right?

I also was hoping for an amazing view based on all the photos I saw online. What you actually get is the view of the two parking lots. And not much else. The view was a complete let down. You really didn’t see much except cars and flat, concrete land.

Looking back through Instagram, I can see the angles.. the lighting… all of them kind of hide the view. They focus on the hole in the rock and that’s about it. I got catfished by all the pretty Instagram photos! UGH.

So what did I do?

Tried to capture my own catfish photos and of course, I broke out the drone to make the best of it!

I shot this drone video using my DJI Mavic Mini and edited it in iMovie. Please check it out – I am pretty proud of myself! I haven’t had my drone that long, but it is surprisingly easy to use! I just love it. It made a seemingly boring hike actually fun! You can find more photos/videos taken from my Mavic Mini in my 5 Gifts for Travelers post.

Was the Hole in the Rock worth it?

HELL NO. When you are looking for a hike, you probably want a real hike..to break a sweat! You might also expect an awesome view for your efforts. For me personally, I wanted to see the beautiful Arizona landscape. And this “hike” gave me none of that.

Don’t waste your time here. Instead, check out other Scottsdale hiking trails like Lost Dog Wash or this 2-hour guided hiking tour. If you are feeling adventurous, this e-Bike desert tour looks perfect for some epic photos and videos and great for a small group. I think next time though, I am going to do this hot air balloon morning ride which includes champagne and breakfast. That sounds more my speed… Sign me up!

Lastly, check out Hotels.com for hotels and resorts near Phoenix and Scottsdale if you want to stay close to the action. Scottsdale has a lot of awesome hiking trails within a 30 minute drive from downtown.