Hole-in-the-Rock

Great, easy walk close to the Phoenix zoo and with great views.
This is inside Papago park. After a short drive, there is a convenient parking lot from where you can see the hole (there are other mountains with holes but you will notice this one is oval shaped, longer and with people in it).
Walk a few steps to the «back» of the mountain where there are some steps on the sandy trail.
The whole walk takes less than 10 minutes. I did it wearing sandals and with my 4yr old niece.
Once you get up there, there is a great view of water and palm trees.
Absolutely recommended!

Nice Short Hiking Spot Right In Town!
This is an easy hiking area, not very long of a hike but good for running loops for exercise and making the up and down trip several times.
This is a great hike for smaller kids as it is not too long and thus they can keep up.
This hike is right next to the Phoenix Zoo and you get a great view of the zoo from on top!

Easy, quick hike in the city!
Good for kids.
Great views of the city when you are at the top.
If you live in AZ, get out and hike this easy hike!

This is a nice stroll (not a hike) with rewarding views. It literally takes 5 minutes to walk from the spacious (and free!) parking lot to reach the hole. Don’t worry about the crowds, there’s a lot of space that allows you to enjoy the views. It’s difficult to find but once you find it, you are instantly rewarded with stunning views especially during sunset. There are two paths up, one from the side (less paved, more pebbles) and one from the back (with steps).
When I was there, there were 2 teen ballerinas having a photo shoot, a testament to the great background the place provides! Worth the visit if you’re out of town!

Great little spot to watch the sunset. Easy trail up and down, good for all ages. Won’t take more than 5 – 10 minutes to climb up. The views are breath-​taking! First time I went it was during the day, so not too many people. When I went for sunset on a weekend, more crowed than I expected. Entrance is the same as Phoenix Zoo and botanical gardens.

Great place to take out-​of-​town visitors of all ages!
Parking is a little tricky. Turn into the zoo entrance and make the first left possible. There are multiple parking lots but even if you park at the furthest one it only adds about 5 extra minutes of walking.
The trail itself is very short. It only takes about 5 – 10 minutes to reach the hole. As I mentioned, people of any age can do this and the view is beautiful! My wiener dogs went on their first hike here and loved it!
This is a popular site because it’s so easy to get to, so expect lots of people inside of the hole.

Nice easy hike to the Hole in the Rock. We had our 3 and 6 year old and they had no problems getting to the hole. There is a path along the left side that has steps. There are smaller pebbles throughout that makes the path a bit slippery at times so go up slowly and watch your step. On the way back down we went the opposite way. It wasn’t an actual pathway but it was still easy nevertheless, plus we got to see the hole from a different viewpoint.
The view from the top is amazing! You can see Papago Park, the Phoenix Zoo, ASU campus, and the airport. Go at sunrise or sunset for best views. We actually parked in the zoo parking lot but there are smaller parking lots closer to the trail head. Parking was free but we got there around 5:40pm, after zoo was already closed. We didn’t see any place to pay for parking either so I’m guessing that it’s always free.

This is the ultimate beginners hike. It is perfect for any child who is at least five years old. The entire hike literally takes five minutes max and you are rewarded by a very nice view which is fairly safe as long as the child is close to the parents. I have driven by this place a million times and now I am happy to finally have had the opportunity to check it out.

This is a cute hike that is perfect for kids! I took my 15 month old daughter & she loved it. She was able to hike a lot of it on her own until we got towards the top. Cool sights to see — zoo, downtown, planes taking off. Very short, easy hike, it was crowded with a lot of tourists the day we went.

This place was recommended to me by a friend from Unilocal,when I asked her what to see or do in Phoenix
It was cool. There is a natural rock formation that has a hole in it. People can take a small easy hime up the side of the rock formation for great photo ops.
This place is also a historical park. A lot of people come here for the photo ops. But there are also people who come here to mountain bike on the rocky terrain.
Parking is limited. And there were some people who walked into the park area.
There were places to sit in select spots. It would be a neat place to have a small bite to eat and enjoy the outdoors.
No charge to enter the park.

The Hole in the Rock seems really far up but don’t be fooled. It does not take long to get to the hole, maybe a 5 minute walk. There is a nice path that takes you right up to it.
The views from this are beautiful. I recommend this place if you want a nice stroll and some awesome views.
It took us a while to find the entrance. Just turn into the zoo and then make a left at the first entrance on the left that you see.

Leave the hiking boots and backpack at home. I saw one father carry his stroller up the trail. It’s a short walk up a rocky step path to a big rock with a hole in it. There’s a pretty good view and if you come at the right time of day, you can sit and relax in a shaded area. If you’re feeling frisky, you can scramble all the way to the top.
It can get crowded and you might have to park in the separate lot further down the road which is what we had to do. All in all, it’s easy and good to take little ones, old ones, or if you just want to get a little fresh air.

I used to visit this spot on a regular basis when I lived nearby and still try to stop by every once in a while. The view especially at sunset is second to none! It’s also an easy climb to the top unlike other buttes and mountains offering nice views. The Rock is within Papago Park which also allows you to partake in numerous activities such as fishing, hiking and picnicking.

This is a great hike to do for beginners and nice to go to in the morning. The 60 Degree weather keeps you cool. There is a trail that goes around to the back so you don’t have to rock climb up the face of the rock.
Looks like a lot of people bike through here and lots of picnic tables to eat lunch. Seems like it can be crowded at times and the parking can fill up fast. We came in the morning around 9am and was able to find parking right by the rock. There are other parking lots nearby and not a far walk.
The view from the top is great for pictures. I’m sure it would be great at sunset or sunrise.

As a visitor to the area this place was the perfect «urban outdoor» activity for those who are less inclined to the rough and tough.
I was really impressed with how well the area was maintained and that there were not too many signs of vandalism to the area such as excessive gum, trash, carvings etc.
Get a good view of the valley as well as the surrounding mountain ranges while learning about the people group native to the region in the process.
Parking can be tricky if you’re not sure, turn in to the zoo parking drive and continue left, you’ll get there eventually

It took forever… to find the entrance to this place… I mean we can see it… and we know where we wanna go but we couldn’t find the entrance…
Here’s a clue… same entrance as the zoo… but you have to make a U turn once you get in there because it’s on the first left when you are going in…(If that makes sense? I’m not too good at giving directions lol)
Any​ways​.It was a super easy baby hike… my 4 year old niece was with us and she had a blast! it takes about 10 minutes or even less.
When we went, it was pretty busy, so if you are looking for a peaceful place to go. this is not the place for you. It does have pretty awesome views of Tempe tho! When you go up on the actually rock… there is a sort of cave look out point you can hang out in for a little bit.
I would suggest coming here at least once :) At the bottom of the rock, there are picnic tables, and a lake type thing.

I’ve been here for the sunset twice now, and was very impressed both times. You can park and walk up to the top and through the hole in just a few minutes. It’s an easy hike, I did it easily in fashion boots. If you’re looking for an easily accessible, great view of the sunset, this is definitely your spot! Can’t wait to go back :)

Short, easy hike — not much of a workout, they even have steps built into the rock! Cool city views from inside, totally worth exploring even if you aren’t a hiker.
In case this helps other visitors from out of the area — getting here was a bit confusing. Our Über driver dropped us at an intersection, and from the Papago Park trail maps on one side of the intersection we realized the Hole In the Rock was closest to the other side. It might be easiest to find if you Über to the Phoenix Zoo entrance and walk to the left.

This quick, beginner hike was exactly what I needed to jumpstart my morning. It’s located at Papago Park next to the Phoenix Zoo. There’s ample parking and it’s a hike that’s good for the entire family, even your four-​legged family members. The morning I hiked to the rock, there were toddlers and a ton of dogs on the trail. There are man-​made steps formed by rocks that lead up to the rock. There’s a nice view at the top and some really great photo ops.
Although it’s a short hike, if you’re in the area, I recommend stopping by for a visit. You’ll get a quick workout and it’s neat to see a geological feature that is a naturally eroded rock formation of sandstone.
#CakeWalk

Great for KIDS. This was a short 5 min walk up a rock… to see a hole. The kids really liked it and it was nice to get out first thing in the morning after a long day of traveling.
PARKING: Free
ADMISSION: Free
RESTROOMS: Yes
DISTANCE: not very far.
Follow google maps and navigation to get to the correct parking or park in the Phoenix Zoo lot and walk over.
We didn’t have much time in our schedule to do a long hike since the boys had to go see Spring Training games all the way up north, so this was a perfect short morning walk. If you geocache, there are several in the general area. I don’t know if I’d come back here on my next Phoenix trip, but if you have kids and haven’t seen it yet, I would check it out.