California gets all the credit for its springtime poppy blooms, but Arizona’s are pretty spectacular, too! One of the best places to see the eye-popping gilded flowers is along the Bajada Trail at South Mountain Preserve. The hills are blanketed in a sea of gold that extends far as you can see, and it’s easily one of the best wildflower hikes in Arizona.
Located in South Mountain Preserve, the Bajada Trail is just over seven miles long and features an elevation gain of around 800 feet.
AllTrails/Jorge Garcia The moderately challenging hike can be enjoyed year-round, but it’s especially gorgeous in the springtime.
Every year around mid-February, the mountainous landscape comes alive with vibrant Mexican yellow poppies.
AllTrails/Ryan Sauer The bloom typically lasts through the end of the season, so you have a good three months to take in the jaw-dropping scenery.
One of the lesser-known hikes in the park, the Bajada Trail affords visitors some peace and quiet to commune with nature.
AllTrails/Ryan Sauer You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into The Wizard of Oz as you stroll through the colorful fields. Forget walking in a winter wonderland - spring wonderlands are just as (if not more) magical.
As new life bursts forth from beneath the soil, we too can start anew - that’s the inspiring message of spring.
AllTrails/RYan Sauer Reflect on how you can get a fresh start this season while you frolic through the flowers, letting their intoxicating aroma fill your nose and leave you in a state of utter bliss.
Since the trail is only moderately difficult, it doesn’t have any drastic up or downhill stretches.
AllTrails/Jorge Garcia Instead, you’ll enjoy a gradual ascent before heading back down the way you came. Without expending too much energy on the hike itself, you’ll have plenty left over to take in the jaw-dropping mountain views!
Although the trail is never unbearably busy, dawn and dusk offer the utmost solitude.
AllTrails/Eric Bonilla When you combine the pastel sky with the gilded blanket of poppies on the ground, the result is a scene that will render you forever changed.
Despite having an elevation gain of under 1,000 feet, the trail still provides sweeping panoramic vistas of Phoenix and the entire Valley region.
AllTrails/Tamara Sysa The park is in the heart of the city, yet it feels like a whole different world.
Visit the hike’s page on AllTrails for more information.
AllTrails/Jorge Garcia
The moderately challenging hike can be enjoyed year-round, but it’s especially gorgeous in the springtime.
AllTrails/Ryan Sauer
The bloom typically lasts through the end of the season, so you have a good three months to take in the jaw-dropping scenery.
You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into The Wizard of Oz as you stroll through the colorful fields. Forget walking in a winter wonderland - spring wonderlands are just as (if not more) magical.
AllTrails/RYan Sauer
Reflect on how you can get a fresh start this season while you frolic through the flowers, letting their intoxicating aroma fill your nose and leave you in a state of utter bliss.
Instead, you’ll enjoy a gradual ascent before heading back down the way you came. Without expending too much energy on the hike itself, you’ll have plenty left over to take in the jaw-dropping mountain views!
AllTrails/Eric Bonilla
When you combine the pastel sky with the gilded blanket of poppies on the ground, the result is a scene that will render you forever changed.
AllTrails/Tamara Sysa
The park is in the heart of the city, yet it feels like a whole different world.
Have you ever hiked the Bajada Trail in the spring? If so, what did you think of the poppies? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! For more breathtaking wildflower hikes in Arizona to check out this spring, give our previous article a read.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Bajada Trail, Bajada Trl, Phoenix, AZ, USA
