Lizard/Cactus Over-the-Rock Loop

Dogs Unknown

A fun and mostly easy loop in south Papago Park.

Bring good shoes—lots of loose gravel and jagged rocks.

This trail is pretty easy. There are a few moderately steep sections, but mostly just minor ups/downs. The trail is easy enough to follow and could be done without a map after a few times around it, but there are lots of side trails, so I suggest using GPS or using the Hiking Project mobile app for the first few hikes in the park.

The views are pretty good; they would be better without the power lines and nearby roads. One drawback I noticed was that there are a lot of campers (homeless) in the park and a fair amount of trash in spots.

There is a large parking lot at the trailhead, so easy to get in/out. From the wide parking connector, you cross Curry Road on the Lizard Trail which you'll follow for the first part of your hike. You then connect to the Cactus Trail and can choose to take the main trail or one of the alternates for a bit more variety. Eventually, you'll connect back to the Lizard Trail to return to the parking area.

Desert stuff. There be burrow-y creatures —watch out for holes on the trail edges.