Several mountains around Phoenix, including Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak, have been set aside as parks and nature preserves, and these natural areas are among the city's most popular hiking spots. The city's largest nature preserve, South Mountain Park/Preserve (tel. 602/495-0222), covers 16,000 acres and is said to be the largest city park in the world. This park contains miles of hiking, mountain-biking, and horseback-riding trails, and the views of Phoenix (whether from along the National Trail or from the parking lot at the Buena Vista Lookout) are spectacular, especially at sunset. To reach the park's main entrance, drive south on Central Avenue, which leads right into the park. Once inside the park, turn left on Summit Road and follow it to the Buena Vista Lookout, which provides a great view of the city and is the trail head for the National Trail. If you hike east on this trail for 2 miles, you'll come to an unusual little tunnel that makes a good turnaround point. Another stretch of the National Trail can be accessed from the 46th Street park entrance, which is reached by driving through the property of the Pointe South Mountain Resort.

Another good place to get in some relatively easy and convenient hiking is at Papago Park (tel. 602/262-4837), home to the Desert Botanical Garden, the Phoenix Zoo, and the fascinating Hole in the Rock (a red-rock butte with a large natural opening in it). There are both paved and dirt trails within the park; the most popular hikes are around the Papago Buttes (park on West Park Dr.) and up onto the rocks at Hole in the Rock (park past the zoo at the information center).

Perhaps the most popular hike in the city is the trail to the top of Camelback Mountain, in Echo Canyon Recreation Area (tel. 602/256-3220), near the boundary between Phoenix and Scottsdale. This is the highest mountain in Phoenix, and the 1 1/4-mile Summit Trail to the top gains 1,200 feet and is very steep, yet on any given day there will be ironmen and ironwomen nonchalantly jogging up and down to stay fit. At times, it almost feels like a health-club singles scene. The views are the finest in the city. To reach the trail head, drive up 44th Street until it becomes McDonald Drive, turn right on East Echo Canyon Drive, and continue up the hill until the road ends at a parking lot, which is often full. Don't attempt this one in the heat of the day, and bring at least a quart of water.

At the east end of Camelback Mountain is the Cholla Trail, which, at 1 3/4 miles in length, isn't as steep as the Summit Trail (at least not until you get close to the summit, where the route gets steep, rocky, and quite difficult). The only parking for this trail is along Invergordon Road at Chaparral Road, just north of Camelback Road (along the east boundary of the Phoenician resort). Be sure to park in a legal parking space and watch the hours that parking is allowed. There's a good turnaround point about 1 1/2 miles up the trail, and great views down onto the fairways of the golf course at the Phoenician.

Piestewa Peak, in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve (tel. 602/262-7901), offers another aerobic workout of a hike and has views almost as spectacular as those from Camelback Mountain. The round-trip to the summit is 2 1/2 miles. Piestewa Peak is reached from Piestewa Peak Drive (formerly Squaw Peak Dr.) off Lincoln Drive between 22nd and 23rd streets.

The latest hiking hot spot in the Phoenix area is Pinnacle Peak Park, 26802 N. 102nd Way (tel. 480/312-7955; www.scottsdaleaz.gov/parks/pinnacle), in north Scottsdale. The trail through the park is a 3.5-mile round-trip hike and is immensely popular with the local fitness crowd. Forget about stopping to smell the desert penstemon. If you don't keep up the pace, someone's liable to knock you off the trail into a prickly pear. If you can find a parking space (arrive before 9am on weekends) and can ignore the crowds, you'll be treated to views of rugged desert mountains (and posh desert suburbs). The park is open from 6:30am to 6:45pm daily, and there are guided hikes Wednesday through Sunday at 10am. To find the park from central Scottsdale, go north on Pima Road, east on Happy Valley Road, north on Alma School Parkway, and turn left at the sign for Pinnacle Peak Patio restaurant.

For much less vigorous hiking, try North Mountain Park (tel. 602/262-7901), in North Mountain Preserve. This natural area, located on either side of Seventh Street between Dunlap Avenue and Thunderbird Road, has more flat hiking than Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak.