Hike Table Top Mountain Sonoran Desert National Monument, AZ

Mar 02, 2022 — Table Top Mountain is a high-prominence peak south of Phoenix AZ with, well, a flat top. It's not particularly unique for the area, except that it has a well-maintained trail the entire way to the summit. The trailhead is even complete with a restroom and information kiosk. I found this all to be odd, considering the road to reach the trailhead requires at least some clearance (likely just anything better than a sedan) and it's a significant distance from the city. Regardless, I was happy to have a pleasant hike/jog along the trail, which I had to myself except for one other hiker.

The hike begins along an old dirt road, reaches a wilderness registry sign-in point, and then continues through the pretty flat and open desert. The first few miles aren't exactly engaging, but it's always fun to look at the various humanoid shapes that saguaro cacti can grow. The trail then begins to ascend on tight switchbacks, making its way through the ancient lava flow. The volcanic rocks would be a slight annoyance to contend with if not for the excellent trail. Some great views begin to reveal themselves and portions of the south face of Table Top Mountain are colorful and nice to look at. The trail mellows out and reaches the peak's southern summit, a false high point. The trail continues east and wraps around farther to the north to a contraption of some sort just below the true high, which can be reached by heading a hundred feet off-trail. I returned the way I came, excited to be blasted by my car's AC to escape the uncanny 90-degree weather.