One-way Distance: 3.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 1491 - 1520 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 1 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Barrier Free
Fee: none
Attractions: Wildlife area
Bordering the north side of the Central Arizona Project Canal the 1,500 acre Reach 11 Recreation Area has 18 miles of multiple use trails that bisect its nearly 7 mile long and half mile wide expanse. The E211N trail stretches along the south side of the area, bordering the canal between Tatum Blvd. and the Scottsdale Road, for three and a half miles.
The Barrier Free trailhead is located on the east side of N. Tatum Blvd., in the 19,000 block, across from the Arizona Horse Lovers Park. Another trailhead option, although somewhat smaller, is near the corner of Princess Drive and the Scottsdale Road.
For this post we are beginning at the east end of the E211S trail near the Scottsdale Road at its junction with the E211N trail.
As it starts out the trail follows a very wide hard packed path of sand and gravel.
At the 0.4 mile point the Ringtail trail branches off on the right. The Ringtail trail is 0.4 miles one-way and it crosses the wash back to the E211N trail near where we began. It can be used to make a nice and easy 1 mile loop from the trailhead near the corner of Princess Drive and the Scottsdale Road.
Continuing along E211S to near the 1.2 mile point the Badger trail is the next route to branch off on the right. It also travels back across the wash to the E211N trail and can be used to make a loop that comes out to about 3.2 miles.
At the 1.7 mile point the Muskrat trail branches off on the right providing an alternate route to the junction of the E211N and E211S trails that comes up right before they both travel beneath 56th Street.
Back at the junction with the Muskrat trail there was a barricade that had been moved off to the side. We're guessing that the next section of the E211S trail may have been temporarily closed due to flooding. This section of the E211S trail is a bit more primitive and the Muskrat trail appears to be the more popular route.
The distance comes out to be about the same whether you use the Muskrat trail as an alternate route or stay on E211S as they both meet up again before going beneath the overpass.
Once on the west side of 56th Street E211S continues much as before. After separating with E211N once again there is a junction with a sign for the Javelina/Coyote trails.
It is only about 6 tenths of a mile past that junction before the lower end of the Javelina trail reconnects with E211S.
And it is only about a tenth of a mile past that to where the Jackrabbit trail branches off on the right providing another alternate route that reconnects to E211S about a quarter mile later.
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| Map courtesy City of Phoenix |
