Hotel Featuring Easy Access to Hiking Trails and Downtown Phoenix
A number of small mountains and foothills are scattered throughout the Phoenix metropolitan area. Some are equipped with dozens of trails and picnic areas, such as Piestewa Peak, a 2,608-foot summit home to coyotes, jackrabbits, and gila monsters. Others are just low-elevation knolls set against the red desert sky. Comfort Inn Phoenix North is close to several of these mountains, including Lookout Mountain and North Mountain, and it's also just 14 miles from Piestewa Peak.
Some of the hotel’s guest rooms overlook the mountains of this range, known as the Phoenix Mountain Preserve; other rooms look out onto the heated outdoor pool and the whirlpool.
In the morning, head to the lobby for a free continental breakfast of eggs, breakfast meats, and fresh fruit. If you're looking for a good souvenir for a friend, make your own waffle in multiple flavors and place it in gift-wrapping.
Phoenix: Bustling Metropolis and Native American Culture Surrounded by Desert
Phoenix enjoys about 300 days of sunshine a year, which has helped it to balloon into the sixth-largest city by population in the United States. It's also 1 of only 12 US cities with at least four major sports teams: the Arizona Cardinals (NFL), the Phoenix Suns (NBA), the Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), and the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL).
Though the topography of the Phoenix area is all desert, it's by no means desolate. Camelback Mountain is a designated city park area with scenic trails that wind past boulders and red-sandstone formations; climb to the very top for a view of the entire city. Or hit the themed trails at the Desert Botanical Garden filled with southwestern flora such as huge sonoran cacti and other moisture-hoarding succulents. Either way, plan hikes in the early morning or twilight hours to catch the most stunning sunlit views and stay cool.
For an in-depth look at the cultures of Arizona’s indigenous population, browse the 12 exhibition galleries and sculpture garden at the Heard Museum. The collection’s nearly 40,000 pieces of art range from 500 Hopi katsina dolls to a full-size Pueblo oven. In nearby Scottsdale, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West was the renowned prairie-style architect’s winter home as well as a campus for his architecture school.
Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.