Fray Marcos de Niza (c. 1495-1558) was a Italian Franciscan friar who, in 1531, arrived in Spanish America to be a missionary. In 1536, the lost expedition of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca returned to Mexico City, with only four men (out of 600), and tales of riches to the north, in what is modern day New Mexico and Arizona. 🏜
In 1539, Spanish Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza dispatched de Niza to locate the Seven Cities of Cibola. Long story short, at some point in his wanderings across the Sonoran Desert, de Niza supposedly inscribed his name in a rock at the east end of Guadalupe Ridge, in what is now Phoenix, Arizona.
I say “supposedly”, because researchers believe it is a modern inscription, more like 1939, than 1539. 🤔
South Mountain Park, at over 16,000 acres — even after sacrificing a few dozen acres for the Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway — is the largest city park in the United States. The park was founded in 1924, or roughly the year our modern “Marcos de Niza” was born.
Every other time I have hiked South Mountain, I have hiked in the middle section or west end of the park. The first time I hiked South Mountain was in 2010, on Thanksgiving weekend, when I hiked from the Buena Vista Lookout to Fat Man’s Pass, then back. (It was only the second triplog I ever posted on HikeArizona.com.) Despite being full of turkey, I managed to squeeze through the 9″ wide — that is not a misprint — crack in the rocks that constitutes the ‘pass’.
Originally, today, I was going to do some mine exploring along the Santa Maria River, just west of the Homestake Mine, but I ran out of time while doing research the night before, and so instead threw together a loop at South Mountain’s east end.
I planned to hike from the Pima Canyon Trailhead, along the Marcos de Niza Trail up Guadelupe Ridge to Eagle Pass, then jump on the National Trail back through Pima Canyon, hitting Fat Man’s Pass and Hidden Valley along the way. I expected Marcos de Niza Trail to be a steady 300 ft. gain per mile for five miles of decent urban trail, so no big deal.
I made incredible time on AZ-51 and I-10, from Sunnyslope to Ahwatukee. (It helps to leave at 5:30 a.m.) It was still dark when I arrived, so I enjoyed my QT breakfast of sausage biscuit, Boston Cream Pie donut and coffee while catching up on twitter. The sun was just hitting the horizon when I started hiking around 7:25 a.m.
The beginning of Marcos de Niza Trail is paved with stone, and crisscrosses old trail multiple times. Each trail crossing is marked with a “do not enter” sign. I saw a wider variety of “do not enter” signs on this loop than I did flowers. 😏
A few switchbacks up from the Pima Canyon Trailhead, I saw a small metal cage. Naturally curious, I checked it out: It was the Marcos de Niza 1539 stone. (Before my hike, all I knew about de Niza is that he was like Juniperro Serra, but with a Tempe high school named after him.) I don’t believe all graffiti is bad: Some is art, and others a normal human desire to leave something behind to say “I lived!” So, that was cool.
Both early on Marcos de Niza Trail, then again along National Trail, there are regular piles of dog crap, some of it bagged. The only thing lazier than a dog owner who won’t pick up Fluffy’s poo, is one who bothers to bag the shit, but leaves the bag behind. It’s incomprehensible, and it’s everywhere in Phoenix’s mountain parks. I still remember the first time I saw a plastic bag along Charles M. Christiansen Trail #100: When I picked it up, it sloshed. I dropped it like a hot potato … or a hot carl. 🤢
Marcos de Niza Trail was not the smooth incline I expected: Rather than follow a contour, the trail instead went up & down over every hilltop and rocky outcropping on Guadelupe Ridge. The trail disappeared crossing the outcroppings, requiring me to figure out if it went left, right, or over. It always goes over. Most of the outcroppings, while not more than 30 ft. tall, have tricky footing requiring three points of contact scrambling.
I would not recommend casual hikers take Marcos de Niza Trail past the Beverly Canyon Trail intersection.
I was bushed by the time I reached Eagle Pass, where I took a break to enjoy a trail beer and some of the trail snacks my mom packed me for Christmas. Today’s snack was yogurt-covered pretzels and today’s mom message was “People who cannot bear to be alone, are generally the worst company.” (Albert Guinon, an early 20th century French playwright.)
Thankfullly, and naturally, the return trip to the Pima Canyon Trailhead was mostly downhill. There were not nearly as many mountain bikes on National Trail as I recall.
Fat Man’s Pass is 1.3 miles down National Trail. Regular hiking must cause me to gain weight, because no matter how I tried, I was unable to squeeze between the boulders. A little bit further on was a slick rock area, with several families having a ball crawling around on it. I would have photographed the formation, but that would have been creepy, so instead I hurried on. 🚫📷
A ¼ mile down Pima Canyon was a dry fall I figured it was better to go around. About 50 yards to the left, there was a hole in the rock wall that gave easier access to the bottom of the wash. Just past the dryfall is a natural tunnel that even my fat ass had no trouble negotiating.
The stretch of Pima Canyon between Fat Man’s Pass and the natural tunnel is known as Hidden Valley.
Three quarters of a mile east of Hidden Valley, National Trail quickly switchbacks down 300 ft., turning into smooth dirt road the final two miles back to the Pima Canyon Trailhead.
On my way back home, I stopped at the Shell on 48th St. and Elliot Rd. for a Big Gulp. I had to wait in line for 10 minutes because some fat lady in a NY Yankees shirt was paying for 20 (!) jumbo M&Ms candy bags with food stamps. 💸
You’re welcome.
I suppose I should be thankful her gunt was fully covered. 😳
Directions: Head south out of Phoenix on I-10. Exit west on Elliot Rd. In 0.4 miles, at the second light, turn right onto 48th St. In 1.1 miles, turn left to stay on 48th St. Immediately make a second left on Pima Canyon Rd. There is parking along the road, but there is a large lot in 0.6 miles. South Mountain Park is popular, so park wherever there is space. There is no entry fee.
Park Map: South_Mountain_Park_Trail_Map (pdf)
GPS File: Marcos_de_Niza_National_Trail_Loop
Distance: 9.58 mi.
AEG: 1,821 ft.
Time: 4h 23m
Hiking Video
Hiking South Mountain Park, Phoenix from Preston McMurry on Vimeo.
