Cave Creek, AZ – Cave Creek Regional Park, located north of Phoenix in the upper Sonora Desert, is part of the Maricopa County Park System. Cave Creek is a 2,922 acre park which offers 14 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. There is a campground which has RV sites for rigs of all sizes with electric and water hook-ups. While there is no sewer at the sites, a dump station is located at the camp entrance/exit. The fee for day use is $6/day fee per vehicle. There is a nature center with exhibits.

Cave Creek Recreation Area

The Cave Creek area was bright with spring color

We hiked the Go John Trail loop which is listed at 6.8 miles with slightly more than 400 feet elevation gain. There is a restroom at the trailhead. We chose to hike the loop in a clockwise direction. It was slightly cloudy and cool when we hiked, but this is a hike that would normally have full sun exposure, so bring sunscreen, hat and plenty of water. The trail is well marked at its junctions.

One of the early switchbacks of the Go John Trail

The area had lots of vegetation

The Go John Trail starts up several switchbacks and then crests for panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. The area was fairly lush when we hiked in March. We saw saguaro, cholla, ocatillo, prickly pear, barrel and other cacti. In addition, we noted palo verde, creosote and other trees and succulents. Lizards and birds were plentiful, including Gambel’s Quail and Cactus Wrens. We spotted a young Banded Gila Monster who was 6-8 inches in length on the trail, but sadly its head was crushed. Likely, a hiker, mountain biker or a horse had stepped or ridden on it. It is important to watch the trails for little critters.

This young Banded Gila Monster looked like it had been stepped on or ridden over

One of the Gambel’s Quail we saw

Some of the saguaro cacti at Cave Creek Regional Park

Another trail view with Ocatillo in the foreground

We really enjoyed this hike which traveled up and down hillsides, through washes, and provided numerous panoramic viewing spots. We recommend this hike and would camp in the RV park on our next trip to the area. Ranging in elevation from 2,000 feet to 3,060, this desert oasis provides any hiker or equestrian majestic views. We visited this park from Monte Vista RV Resort in Mesa. We also visited Estrella Mountain Regional Park and McDowell Mountain Regional Park, two other excellent Maricopa County Regional Parks.

The day of our hike was intermittently overcast

One of the panoramic views from the Go John Trail

Another vista