If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I travel. A lot. Not always for fun, sometimes we’re just moving—and we’ve moved 12 times in our seven-year marriage! But with the pandemic, we’ve really slowed it down. In fact, I haven’t been out of the country for over a year, and barely left the state. Still, I’ve been able to do some exploring right here in Phoenix! Although I’ve spent over 20 years of my life here, there’s still a lot I’ve never seen, especially when it comes to hiking trails.
A couple years ago, Ben got me a book called 60 Hikes within 60 Miles of Phoenix for Christmas. It has been our goal to hit all 60 hikes—even if some of them CHEAT and are 75 miles out of town! Not surprisingly, the 15 hikes we’ve done have been mostly close to home.
One of my favorites so far is a hike that Ben and I did during his last day off: Shaw Butte. Although we lived ten minutes away from his hike for three years, we never did it. Now that we’ve moved across town, I can say it’s still worth the drive!
Shaw Butte is apparently one of the most popular hikes in Phoenix. While I was doing Camelback and Piestewa over and over, other outdoor enthusiasts were throwing Shaw Butte into the mix. It’s actually quite a bit easier than either of the other two, but it is a bit longer, at four miles.
My favorite part of this hike is that you get a completely different view of Phoenix. It lines up just right with Piestewa Peak and Dreamy Draw so that you get to see layers on layers of mountains—something that’s not common to find in the middle of urban sprawl!
My second-favorite part of the hike are the ruins three-quarters of the way to the summit. Although ancient ruins are definitely more interesting, the shell of this 1960s building is still pretty cool. Especially considering that what used to be a restaurant patio is now the ideal lookout spot for viewing downtown Phoenix (and snapping some shots for Insta, let’s be real).
The story behind the ruins is even better. Sixty years ago, a restaurant called Cloud Nine overlooked what was then the northern part of Phoenix. Patrons were shuttled to the fancy nightclub using the owner’s vehicle, since no real road was built and there’s only way up and down.
I have to imagine that Cloud Nine wasn’t exactly to code. Maybe that’s why it burned down in a mysterious fire. And unlike the mythical bird our city is named after, it never rose from the ashes.
If you’re like me, and were clueless about Shaw Butte, or if you’re just visiting Phoenix, put this hike on your to-do list! Not only is it a good workout and an excellent photo op, but it’s also a unique view into the history of Phoenix. If you stand very still, you may be able to imagine the ghosts of night club patrons milling around the patio with voice of Bobby Darin floating from the record player.