Paths & Trails

Scottsdale Bike Month Events | Setting the Gold Standard for Bicycling

bike month

This year Scottsdale is celebrating 12 consecutive years of recognition as a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community. Scottsdale is one of only 34 gold-level communities across the country; ranking among the top 10 percent of cities recognized by the League of American Bicyclists. Mark your calendars and make plans to join the festivities:

March

Now is the time to register for the Bike Month Challenge. Participants compete with cyclists throughout the valley to win bragging rights, limited-edition SWAG, and gift cards. Registration is available through March 31; the competition begins on April 1.

April

Tour de Scottsdale | Saturday, April 13 | This event offers challenging and scenic 32- and 62-mile courses through north Scottsdale. More than 3,000 riders are expected to attend the event. Rides begin and end at Westworld of Scottsdale.

Cycle the Arts | Sunday, April 21 | 7:30 a.m. | The city’s annual bike tour of Scottsdale’s public art collection. The guided bike ride and art tour will feature presentations by artists, Scottsdale Arts staff, and community volunteers. This year’s course is eight miles long and includes 10 stops at 13 art installations. Participants will receive a complementary event t-shirt featuring original artwork by Arizona artist Yazmin Yarely Acosta Sagastume and a copy of the Scottsdale Public Art pocket guide. The event is free; however, registration is required, and capacity is limited. Registration will be available in early April.

cycle the arts

Bike to Work Day | Wednesday, April 24 | 7 – 8:30 a.m. | Bike commuters are invited to stop on their way to work at a designated locations to celebrate Scottsdale’s Bike Friendly community status, enjoy breakfast snacks and receive a commemorative Bike Month t-shirt. A map of the event stops will be available in early April.

bike to work day

Contact Information

Path & Trails
7447 E. Indian School Road, Suite 205
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
P: 480-312-7250
TDD: 480-312-5419

Map & Resources

AT Map page 1
AT Map page 2

 

Bike

Scottsdale is a gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community. The city received this prestigious designation in 2019 from the League of American Bicyclistslinks to external site and is one of only 35 gold-level cities in the U.S. Bicycle friendly communities are recognized for providing safe accommodations for cycling and encouraging residents to bike for transportation and recreation.

gold level badge

Mountain Vista Self-Guided Bike Tour

The City of Scottsdale's Mountain Vista bike route is a 2.3-mile loop tour that begins and ends at Main St. and Brown Avenue in Old Town. The route includes two stops where mountain views are framed with interpretive panels that tell stories of the mountains on display. The McDowell Mountains are framed alongside the south bank of the Arizona Canal; the Camelback Mountain frame is at 68th St. and the Arizona Canal. Look for green-colored bike route signs along the route. The project was a collaboration between the city's Transportation & Streets, Tourism & Events, and Economic Development departments, and the Scottsdale Police Bicycle Unit.

Mountain Vista bike tour Camelback bike fram

Shared Use Paths

Scottsdale's Indian Bend Wash (IBW), Crosscut and Arizona Canal network of shared use paths provide fully accessible local and regional connectivity.

Indian Bend Wash (IBW) - Greenbelt
The IBW - Greenbelt was built in 1974 as a flood control basin, however, most of the year it serves as a gathering place hosting more than 1.4 M annual visitors. The lushly-landscaped greenbelt connects parks, lakes, golf courses, city libraries, and more. The path includes 24 grade-separated crossings allowing users to enjoy uninterrupted travel by avoiding major street crossings. The 11-mile path runs from Scottsdale's WestWorld to Tempe's Town Lake.
Arizona Canal Paths
At almost 70 miles long, the Arizona Canal path is one of the longest multi-use paths in Maricopa County. The path runs along both sides of the Arizona Canal and connects Scottsdale to Peoria, Glendale, Phoenix, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. One of the highlights of this path is Scottsdale's Soleri Bridge and Canal Plaza entertainment and event venue.
Crosscut Canal
The Crosscut Canal path intersects with the Arizona Canal path near Indian School Rd. and 64th St. in southern Scottsdale. At 4.5-miles, the path runs along the canal bank through residential areas and offers connections to Scottsdale's popular Old Town shopping and entertainment area. The path ultimately winds its way through the Papago Park recreation area and ends in Tempe.
women running with dog on leash past a lake on a shared use path

Neighborhood Trail System

Scottsdale's neighborhood trail system provides valuable recreation and transportation opportunities for city residents and visitors. The city's unpaved trail system connects equestrians, hikers and bicyclists to schools, neighborhoods, city parks, and McDowell Sonoran Preserve trailheads. The city has 160 miles of unpaved trails with an additional 150 miles of trailways planned for future construction.

List of Unpaved Trails:

Trail Resources

Trail Etiquette and Maintenance

Scottsdale residents and visitors use the city's trail system for the same reason - to enjoy the outdoors and beauty of the Sonoran desert. Please help the city maintain our trail system by obeying all signs and acting responsibly when traveling on the trails.

The universal rule of trail courtesy is for all trail users to yield the right-of-way to horses, and for bicycle riders to yield to all other types of users. When approaching a person on horseback, speak in a soft voice to alert the horse and rider of your presence.

You can be fined up to $250 for driving a motorized vehicle on an unpaved trail in the city of Scottsdale. The city prohibits the use of motorized vehicles, including ATVs and motorcycles, on Scottsdale's trails and in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Maintenance

Information on Trail Maintenance, Property Owner Responsibility and to Request Maintenance or Report a Trail Issue can be found on the Trail Maintenance page.

two horse being ridden on a neighborhood trail