Aerobics classes, tanning beds, free weights and exercise machines. In metropolitan Phoenix, there s a network of narrow canals, once popular swimming spots but now considered too dangerous and too polluted. Their traffic-free banks, though not particularly scenic, are peopled by joggers, cyclists and horseback riders. Hiking and biking maps are available from City Parks, Recreation and Library Department. A maze of well-maintained hiking trails crisscrosses one of the largest municipal parks in the world, South Mountain Park .
Free maps are available at the entrance.
Then trek to Happy Valley, a trail through South Mountain Park, magnificent especially in spring when knee-deep with wildflowers. No glass containers permitted. Rangers advise park users to stay on the trails, particularly at dusk and after dark. At 48th Street and Guadalupe, mountain bike paths some easy and others technically challenging fan out through South Mountain park. Scottsdale Green Belt Loop trail through lush golf courses and dramatic landscapes.