Maricopa County Parks and Recreation: City Nature Challenge Hike

The City Nature Challenge is a global competition between cities to document biodiversity in regions around the world, taking place April 25-28. Ranger Jacque will lead a hike with stops along the way to take phone photos of flowers, trees, cacti, birds, bugs, fungi and more to boost the number of observations for Team Phoenix. The route is 2 miles on the easy Merkle Trail and moderate Vista Trail, the latter of which is a half mile trail to a hilltop lookout with 168 ft. elevation gain. Expect rocky and fairly steep terrain going up and down the hill, while the rest of the hike is on a barrier-free, level trail.

You can prepare for this hike by downloading the free iNaturalist app at home on wi-fi and registering your account before you come to the park.

For more information about the City Nature Challenge visit City Nature Challenge, and for iNaturalist visit A Community for Naturalists · iNaturalist. Wear closed-toe shoes and sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses) and bring plenty of water. Be sure to bring your phone fully charged to take photos. You can upload photos to the app in real time, or later at home. Restrooms are available at the trailhead.

MEETING LOCATION: Area 6

Map of Meeting Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ps3agU2K2TCNmMCx5