Map of the Arizona Canal Trail
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Arizona Canal Trail
The Arizona Canal Trail is a 25-mile long paved and unpaved trail system that crosses through the northern side of the Phoenix area. The trail follows alongside the Arizona Canal through Glendale, Phoenix and Scottsdale. This trail is a great way to get across town on a bike and it goes by several local parks and schools. There are access trails to reach the main roads and local neighborhoods along the trail.
There are not many locations for crossing the canal other than using the bridges along the roadways, though there is the occasional bridge for the trail users. There are underpasses for many of the major intersections, but not for all. You need to be sure that you are on the right path for the underpasses, as one pathway may have an underpass and other parallel pathway does not. The trail is not paved the entire route. You can zoom in on the map in satellite mode to see where the unpaved sections are located.
The west end of the Arizona Canal Trail is located at N 75th Avenue near the intersection with W. Tierra Buena Lane, a point 3/4 of a mile south of W. Bell Road. There is also a junction with the Skunk Creek Trail near this location. The junction of the two trails can be reached from an access trail running along N. 73rd Avenue. Skunk Creek Trail then travels to the southwest and meets up with the New River Trail at Rio Vista Community Park.
The pathway along the north side of the American Canal goes right by Greenway Granada Park. At 67th Avenue the north bank trail goes under the roadway and the south bank trail crosses at street level. Next the south bank trail travels adjacent to Paseo Neighborhood Park at W. Thunderbird Road.
After crossing N. 59th Avenue at street level, the south bank trail goes by Marshall Ranch Elementary School. There is a path that crosses the canal with a bridge for crossing the secondary canal at the school as well, for use only when there is low water flow in the Arizona Canal. Pat this point, the trail is now in three separate paved paths heading to the southeast.
At N. 35th Avenue, the trail goes right by Washington Park and Cortez Lake.
The Arizona Canal Trail goes under Interstate 17 and then past Rose Mofford Park. At the park there is a bridge across the canal with a connection to Cave Creek Wash Trail. There is another bridge across the canal near N. 15th Avenue.
After crossing Dunlap Avenue, the trail goes right by Sunnyslope High School. The Arizona Canal Trail then crosses Central Avenue and N 7th Street before dipping to the south. The trail passes by several other major streets and goes under the Piestewa Freeway just south of E. Ocotillo Road. Just after passing the freeway, the trail travels near Granada Park. There is another bridge across the canal for the trail near N. 24th Street. Farther to the east, the trail goes past the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club. The trail continues going through several residential neighborhoods and passes G. R. Herberger Park near Indian School Road and N. 56th Street.
At N 64th Street the trail intersects with the Crosscut Canal Trail that heads to the south toward Tempe Town Lake.
The trail then heads in a northeasterly direction until reaching the Scottsdale Silverado Golf Club. At this point there is a junction with the Indian Bend Wash Trail, that heads off to the south along the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt. The Arizona Canal Trail continues traveling east for another mile and a half.
The east end of the Arizona Canal Trail is at N. Pima Road, a half mile south of E. Indian Bend Road.
Read more about the recreational trails in Phoenix, Arizona
Resources
Following are links to official off-site resources to find out more details about the communities and trails mentioned in this article.