Looking for something to do during your vacation rental stay in the Phoenix area? If you’re a hiker, you’ll be happy to know there’s no shortage of fantastic trails in and around the Valley!
No matter where in the Phoenix area you’ve booked your vacation rental, there’s sure to be some great hiking nearby! Moxie Girl, the Valley’s vacation rental specialist, is here to get you started with a few of our favorite trails.
Phoenix Mountains Preserve
The Phoenix Mountains Preserve is actually a whole group of parks: Piestewa Peak, North Mountain/Shaw Butte, Lookout Mountain/Shadow Mountain, and Dreamy Draw Recreation Area.
Located in what some refer to as “the middle of Phoenix” – geographically anyway, the summits in these parks offer stunning views of the Valley in all directions! And although the preserve is easily accessible from several busy city streets and a freeway, you certainly won’t feel as though you’re in ANY city as you’re hiking or biking the trails here.
Trails within the Preserve parks range from easy to moderately challenging, so there’s something for hikers and bikers of all fitness levels. Leave your ATVs and electric bikes at home though – there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the trails!
You can even enjoy hiking the trails with your dog – as long as your dog is on a leash AND it’s below 100 degrees. Dogs are prohibited on the City of Phoenix hiking trails when the temperature is 100 degrees or warmer. (Temperatures can reach 100 degrees quickly during the summer months, so consider hiking as early as possible in the day – dog or no dog!)
The parks at Phoenix Mountains Preserve are hugely popular with the locals, so trails can become pretty populated during peak times such as holidays and weekends. Moxie Girl recommends early mornings during the week for an easier time parking and a more tranquil experience.
Here’s a great article we found on visitphoenix.com with very helpful overviews of each area within the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, including trailhead locations and what to expect while you’re there! Enjoy!
Sunrise Trail – Lost Dog Wash Trailhead
If the vacation rental you’ve reserved is located in the Northeast Valley, Sunrise Trail is a “must” for hikers. Heck, even if your vacation rental is somewhere else, Sunrise Trail is easy to get to from most areas in Phoenix – and definitely worth the drive.
Located in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Sunrise Trail is far more “out-of-the-way” than many hiking trails in the Phoenix Metro area. Even during peak-use hours, parking is ample and services are consistently well-reviewed and the Lost Dog Wash Trailhead is a popular place to start this hike.
Lost Dog Wash Trailhead boasts clean public restrooms, filtered water, and a structure providing shade and shelter if needed. On the weekends, you’ll likely find volunteers from the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Conservatory on hand to answer questions and offer information about the Preserve – including specific plant and animal life you may encounter during your visit.
Sunrise Trail can be a moderately difficult hike, so it may not be suitable for beginners. There are also many other trails within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, so pay attention to the signage. You’ll be working your way up to Sunrise Peak – where you’ll be rewarded with a magnificent, sweeping view of Scottsdale and Fountain Hills before making your way back down to the trailhead!
Please note the temperature threshold for dogs on the trails at McDowell Sonoran Preserve is 90 degrees – 10 degrees lower than the Phoenix parks limit. For more information about Sunrise Trail and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, please visit the City of Scottsdale website.
Best Photo-Op Hike in Phoenix
Why take a selfie with a panoramic backdrop, when you can take a selfie with a panoramic backdrop THROUGH A HOLE IN A ROCK made mainly of sandstone? If you’re looking for an easy hike (suitable for most fitness levels) with amazing views of the Valley and a “wow!” social media moment, Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park, is the place for you.
This is a very popular trail, so don’t expect to be alone on this hike. Hole-in-the-Rock is perfect for family and group outings. Papago Park is also adjacent to the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Gardens, giving visitors a chance to experience even more of our native plants and desert-dwelling creatures!
Visit the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation website for more information about Papago Park. In addition to hiking and biking trails, Papago Park offers many other recreation facilities, including an archery range, fishing lagoon and the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting!
Hike Safely!
The Arizona desert is no place to forget safety precautions – in fact, please use EXTRA precaution when hiking! Our landscape is uniquely beautiful. Much of it is also sharp, rough, pointy, and can otherwise hurt you. Watch your step – not only to prevent falls but to keep an eye out for our cleverly camouflaged wildlife, such as rattlesnakes, scorpions, and such.
To say our desert heat can be brutal is a huge understatement. Check the weather forecast and plan your hike accordingly, packing an abundance of water. Sun protection is a must – don’t forget your hat or visor and apply a high SPF rated sunscreen (re-apply during your hike if necessary!)
Enjoy Your Vacation Rental!
Moxie Girl is the leader in vacation rental care throughout the Phoenix area! If you’re planning a trip to the Valley, watch our blog for more tips to make the most of your visit! Vacation rental homeowner? Moxie Girl has loads of info in our blog archives to help your vacation rental run as smoothly and profitably as possible – with more to come!
If you’d like Moxie Girl to professionally service your vacation rental, simply click to get started! We’ll be in touch soon!
It is finally summertime!!! Do you know what that means?!? It means it is time for that summer vacation that you deserve. The beginning of this year has been a whirlwind of events. We have had everything from the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. The state of emergency in Australia due to the fires, and there has also been the impeachment of President Trump. Then there is the one event that we will never forget, COVID-19. That itself brought the National Emergency in the United States, the schools closing, and the stay at home order from Governor Ducey. Whether you had to become the teacher for your now homeschool children, were considered an essential worker, or were unable to work through the pandemic, we have finally made it, so let us plan that vacation. You have earned it!
Why Not Make it a Staycation?
Staycations allow you to break the cycle and spend some much-needed time relaxing. Staycations also help you save money and time because you minimize expenses. Some of those expenses include airplane tickets, rental cars and you can even cut out the cost of those expensive hotels by staying at a vacation rental.
Vacation Rental in Arizona
Vacation rentals offer a variety of options on why they are becoming the leading choice when planning a vacation. Some of those reasons include being more comfortable, can be cheaper, allow more privacy, are kid-friendly and many are even pet-friendly. Another great reason is all the amenities that you get to choose from. Each home has different amenities that they offer and the beauty of it is that there is a home out there that fits the exact type of vacation you are looking for.
Cleanliness of The Vacation Rental
One of the main concerns that people have when booking a place to stay during their vacation is how clean the place is. When you stay in a hotel you know that there is a team of people that get the rooms prepared and ready for their guests. Well, it is the same for a vacation rental. Moxie Girl is a company that provides its services to these vacation rental owners. A team of Moxie’s will go in and wash all the linen, dust, dishes, restock all the essentials, and disinfect! They make the home spotless, germless, and ready for the next guest to enjoy. If you would like to see additional services that Moxie Girl has to offer CLICK HERE.
“The Entertainment Oasis”
Now, let us look at a vacation rental that is available in Scottsdale, Arizona. This extravagant home has 8 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. It can sleep up to 16 people so grab your friends and family members and get ready for a luxurious stay. This home was personally designed for its guests to have the ultimate indoor and outdoor entertainment experience. It offers something for both adults and kids. From the sparkling 5-star pool, horseshoes, golf driving range, and 9-hole mini-golf to a kid splash pad, playset, and a large variety of games to play. CLICK HERE to see how truly magnificent this vacation rental home is and all it has to offer for your next luxurious getaway.
Summer is upon us here in The Valley and if you own a vacation rental home in the Phoenix area, you may think business is a goner until September or so. Some vacation rental home owners even go as far as to “close” their rental properties until the end of summer. Big mistake! For more on those particular subjects, check out these informative Moxie blogs: “Summer Vacation Rentals – Moxie Girl Debunks the Myths” and “Boosting Summer Vacation Rental Bookings”!
While it may not seem as popular during the summer months, there are still plenty of bookings to be had by making your vacation rental home more available to road-trippers! Phoenix is a frequent stop for those traveling to the Grand Canyon and other National parks, San Diego and lots of summer music festivals and other events in the Southwestern U.S. – even Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Mexico.
Competitive Pricing
As we highlighted in our ‘Boosting Summer Vacation Rental Bookings,” you will most likely need to make some adjustments to your pricing during the hot, humid months. Most of the best resorts in the Phoenix area offer their rooms at rock-bottom prices in the summer, because, well, they figured out long ago that’s the way to drive your business in the “off” season – and something is definitely better than nothing.
Look at the competition around the location of your vacation rental home and aim to keep your prices in check, keeping in mind these fancy resorts are also probably sweetening their deals with “packages” that you just may not be able to offer. Yes, we know it seems heart-breaking to list your stunning vacation rental at less than half of it’s winter value, but again, something is definitely better than nothing – and you have expenses pertaining to your rental property all year long.
Increased Accessibility
Moxie Girl works with many vacation rental homes that have a 2-night minimum stay required and don’t usually offer last minute bookings. During the busy season, when throngs of visitors are making Phoenix their vacation destination, those policies are pretty standard and certainly don’t tend to deter bookings. But summer is a different animal – especially if you want to attract those road-trippers!
When an overnight in Phoenix is just a stop on the way to Disneyland, most folks are ready to roll first thing in the morning – having no intention of being here any longer than necessary, so a 2-night minimum may indeed have your potential guest scrolling on to the next AirBnb listing. It’s a good idea to, at the very least, lift your 2-night minimum Monday-Thursday nights since this is what the road-trippers will probably be most interested in anyway.
Since one-night-only road-trippers most likely want to get on their way in the early morning, you’ll generally have a few more hours to turn your vacation rental home than you normally would, which makes taking those last-minute bookings even easier!
Need Help with Your Vacation Rental Home?
Moxie Girl is the Valley’s vacation rental specialist! Our main focus is vacation rental properties of all sizes, throughout the Phoenix area. Our clients enjoy more stress-free living with Moxie Girl handling their between-guest turns – even same-day! Find out what we can do for you – just click for a FREE CONSULTATION.
