Hiking the Great Outdoors
New Frontiers has two hiking groups: The Trailers and Trailblazers. The Trailers hikes are less challenging while the Trailblazers hikes are a little more aggressive. Members take turn leading the various hikes.
Each group usually meets early in the morning at a central location to carpool to the hike's starting location. The return time to the carpool location is dependent upon round trip travel time plus the length of the hike. Sometimes the group likes to stop for a refreshment following the hike, but this is optional.
Risk Form #1 must be completed to hike in either group.
Walkers Explore Parks
Join us for fresh air, a bit of leisure exercise and good company! Restrooms in all but Desert Arroyo Park. Each park has benches, Ramadas and nice scenery. Please bring water and a hat. Details and directions to follow.
The Trailers Hiking Group
Members take turns leading the hiking group taking advantage of our wonderful parks and natural forests. They stop frequently to enjoy the scenery along the way.
These hikes are less challenging of 3-5 miles but the trail can still be steep and rocky at times. Hikers should be in reasonably good health and come prepared with proper hiking shoes, walking sticks/poles, water, hat, and snacks.
A list of hikes and a brief description are available at the open house or on request from the facilitator.
Trailers Hike Dates: Trailer hikes start on the 2nd Tuesday after the Open House and go through the end of the school semester. Additional hikes could be added, including special hikes at non-standard times.
Trailblazers Hiking Group
The Trailblazers offer a challenge in hikes of 5-7 miles with an elevation change of 300-1,000 feet. The trails are more difficult and challenging for this group and can be steep and rocky at times. Hikers should come prepared with proper hiking shoes, walking sticks/poles, water, hat and snacks and be in good reasonably good health.
Trailblazers Hike Dates: Trailblazers hikes start on the 2nd Friday after Open House and go through the end of the school semester. Additional hikes may be added, including special hikes at non-scheduled times.
Trailblazers exclusion hike dates: New Member's Coffee and the General Meeting.
Carpool Meeting Locations
Due to limited parking spaces at many of the hiking trailheads, carpooling is preferred. Donations to help pay for gas are recommended and greatly appreciated by our drivers. The map links for the carpool meeting locations are for Google maps, providing the driver the option to map the drive.
- Country Club and Brown — 1025 N Country Club map
- The Mesa Schools Student Services Center is located on the east side of Country Club south of Brown Road. Meet at the south end of the parking lot at the corner of 9th Place and Country Club.
- Dobson and Southern Campus — Main MCC Campus map
- The southwest corner of the southwest parking lot at Dobson and US-60.
- Superstitions Springs Mall — Power Road and US-60 map
- Meet in the southwest corner of the Superstitions Spring Mall parking lot inside the outer circumference drive across from the former Toys-R-Us.
- Red Mountain Campus — Power and McKellips Roads map
- Meet in parking lot #3, west side and southwest of the Saguaro building.
- Gilbert and McKellips — Southeast corner map
- Park in the lot on the southeast corner of Gilbert and McKellips Roads, just east of the Starbucks.
Hiking Resouces for Future Hikes
If you are interested in leading a hike or just looking for one to explore on your own, check out the various sources.
- AllTrails
- Arizona Highways
- Arizona Hiking
- Arizona Trail
- Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
- Arizona Trailheads
- Hike Arizona (HAZ)
- Hiking Project
- Summit Focused Hikers (Peakbagger)
- TrailLink:
Websites
- Carlson, Jack and Stewart, Elizabeth. Superstitions Wilderness Trails East: Hikes, Horse Rides, and History. Tempe: Clear Creek Publishing, 2013
- Carlson, Jack and Stewart, Elizabeth. Superstitions Wilderness Trails West: Hikes, Horse Rides, and History. Tempe: Clear Creek Publishing, 2013
Books
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