Pima Wash Trail

Phoenix, AZ · Maricopa County · 2.8 mi · Network

A flat 2.8-mile network. Good shade throughout; water access along most of the route; best in the morning or evening during summer.

Dogs allowedAllowed
Leash ruleRequired
Trail effortFlat
ShadeHigh shade
Certified dog policySource: Trail Rules | Phoenix Parks and RecreationAvoid midday in summer.
Best entry:Pima Wash Trail

Pima Wash Trail is a 2.8-mile dog-friendly trail in Phoenix, AZ. Includes leash-required policy details · high shade. Elevation gain is about 262 ft. Looking for more options in Phoenix dog-friendly trails or across dog-friendly trails across Arizona? Use the sections below for dog policy, access points, shade/heat, water, terrain, and safety.

Dog Fit

Dogs allowed status, leash expectations, and suitability by dog type

Dogs must be on a leash in all Phoenix city parks. Phoenix City Code §23-18.
Suitability by dog type

By Dog Type

How this trail suits different kinds of dogs

Small Dog
Toy & small breeds
78%
Good fit
Manageable length
Natural & paw-friendly
Well-shaded route
Senior Dog
Older dogs, 7+ years
83%
Great fit
Gentle slope
Comfortable distance
Smooth surface — easy going
Reactive Dog
Reactive to dogs & strangers
46%
Caution
Often busy — high encounter risk
All dogs leashed — controlled
Can cut short if needed
Sensitive Dog
Anxious or paw-sensitive dogs
71%
Good fit
Soft natural surface
Well-shaded — stays cooler
Busy — may cause anxiety
Getting-Fit Dog
Building up stamina
97%
Great fit
Good training length
Gentle grade — good challenge
Can shorten route if needed
Water Lover
Dogs who love to swim & splash
82%
Great fit
Swim spots confirmed on this trail
Water along most of the route
Leash required — limits water play

Trail Suitability

Who this trail works best for — and what to watch

Well-shaded, with swim access trail — comfortable for most dogs

Best for

Senior dogsSmall dogsHeat-sensitive dogsWater-loving dogsFirst-time trail dogs

Use caution if

Reactive dogs

Heavy foot traffic — frequent dog and person encounters

Most comfortable when

Weekday mornings

Busy trail — foot traffic drops significantly on weekday mornings

Avoid after heavy rain

Surfaces can get muddy after wet weather

Why this trail works

  • ~100% shade coverage along the route
  • Swim access confirmed — water features along the route
  • Natural, soft surface

Safety & Conditions

Hazards, heat exposure, crowd level, and nearby emergency vet context

HAZARDSLow
SHADE / HEATHigh shadeHeat risk present
CROWDHighBusy trail — expect company on weekends
NEAREST VET2.4 km awayPhoenix Veterinary Center

Terrain & Comfort

Elevation, surface, shade, heat, and water signals for dog hiking comfort

EffortFlat
SurfaceMixed
ShadeHigh
WaterGood

Elevation & Width

Distance and climbing are shown together so you can judge overall effort for your dog on a 2.

Trail Effort

Easy

Flat or gently rolling. Comfortable for almost all dogs.

EasyModerate
Challenging
Strenuous
Gain:262 ftGain/mi:95 ft/miSteep sections:Medium
Rated from 262 ft gain + 95 ft/mi.
Elevation Profile
1,572 ft1,381 ft0 mi2.8 mi12
Trail Width
Narrow
Narrow
< 6 ft
In-between
6-10 ft
Wide
10+ ft
NARROWTypical: ~0 ftWIDE

Mostly single-file with tighter passing space.

Surface & Paws

Surface coverage helps you plan for paw comfort and choose routes that match your dog's tolerance for rough or hot terrain.

Surface

What your dog will walk on

Mostly: Unpaved

Good grip and generally paw-friendly on most stretches.

Paw-friendlySmooth / Paw-friendly

Top surfaces

Unpaved
93%
Dirt
4.9%
Ground
1.7%

Quick read

Roughness: Low

This trail is mostly Unpaved. Generally paw-friendly with decent grip. Generally comfortable for most dogs.

Best fordogsrunnerscasual hikes

Shade & Heat

Shade coverage and heat exposure are summarized to show when this trail is safer for warm-weather dog hikes.

🌳 Shade

HIGH

High shade coverage

100.0%
Shade along the trail
0 mi2.8 mi12SunPartialShadeDense

Exposure mix

Sun
0%
Partial
0%
Shade
100%
Dense
0%

Quick read

Most of the trail benefits from consistent tree cover.

Water Access

Water proximity is tracked along the route (100%) to help you plan hydration and cooldown stops.

Water

Hydration & splash potential

Near water: 100%
Swim: Likely
Water nearby100%

Water types nearby

RiverStream

River • Stream

Quick read

Water is frequently near the route—great for cooling breaks. Bring a bowl anyway. Swimming spots may be available. Check current/flow after rain.

Access & Entry

Trailheads, parking, and entry logistics for hiking with dogs

Parking Lots4
Capacity393spaces est.
FeeFree

This section covers 3 trailheads listed, 4 parking lots, and amenity placement so you can plan start points and access logistics before arriving.

Primary trailhead

Pima Wash Trail
Primary🔓 Access not confirmed💵 Fee not posted📍 Near trail (~95 m)

Other access points

Parking #1
🔓 Access not confirmed💵 Fee not posted📍 ~120 m from trail
Parking #2
🔓 Access not confirmed💵 Fee not posted📍 ~130 m from trail

Amenities along the route

Nearby facilities around the start, middle, and end of this trail.

Amenities along the trail
🚻 Restrooms (2)22 restrooms near 2.1-2.1 mi💧 Water (1)Water at 2.1 mi🛖 Shelters (2)22 shelters near 2.2-2.2 mi🪑 Benches (4)Benches at 0.8 mi33 benches near 2.1-2.2 mi🗑️ Waste bins (1)Waste bins at 2.2 miℹ️ Info boards (13)Info boards at 0.0 mi22 info boards near 0.8-0.8 mi22 info boards near 1.6-1.6 mi33 info boards near 2.0-2.1 mi44 info boards near 2.1-2.2 miInfo boards at 2.8 mi0 mi2.8 mi12

Near the start

Water nearby • Restrooms nearby

💧Water
1
closest: 95 m • very close
🚻Restrooms
2
closest: 99 m • very close
🛖Shelter
4
closest: 65 m • at the spot
Show 4 more
🪑Seating
7
closest: 62 m • at the spot
🗑️Trash bins
2
closest: 81 m • very close
🅿️Parking
4
closest: 122 m • very close
✳️Other
18
closest: 18 m • at the spot
Point details
  • Other area
    18 m • at the spot
  • Seating area
    62 m • at the spot
  • Shelter area
    65 m • at the spot
Show 35 more
  • Shelter area
    65 m • at the spot
  • Seating area
    68 m • at the spot
  • Seating area
    70 m • at the spot
  • Seating area
    71 m • at the spot
  • Other area
    75 m • very close
  • Shelter area
    78 m • very close
  • Shelter area
    78 m • very close
  • Seating area
    80 m • very close
  • Trash bins area
    81 m • very close
  • Other area
    84 m • very close
  • Seating area
    92 m • very close
  • Other area
    93 m • very close
  • Other area
    93 m • very close
  • Seating area
    94 m • very close
  • Pima Wash Trail
    94 m • very close
  • Water area
    95 m • very close
  • Other area
    95 m • very close
  • Restrooms area
    99 m • very close
  • Restrooms area
    102 m • very close
  • Parking area
    122 m • very close
  • Parking area
    126 m • very close
  • Other area
    128 m • very close
  • Other area
    137 m • very close
  • Other area
    138 m • very close
  • Other area
    173 m • short walk
  • Other area
    177 m • short walk
  • Trash bins area
    179 m • short walk
  • Other area
    202 m • short walk
  • Other area
    214 m • short walk
  • Other area
    231 m • short walk
  • Other area
    237 m • short walk
  • Other area
    239 m • short walk
  • Other area
    245 m • short walk
  • Parking area
    431 m • nearby
  • Parking area
    431 m • nearby

Near the middle

A few amenities nearby

✳️Other
5
closest: 112 m • very close
Point details
  • Other area
    112 m • very close
  • Other area
    176 m • short walk
  • Other area
    183 m • short walk
Show 2 more
  • Other area
    233 m • short walk
  • Other area
    247 m • short walk

Near the end

A few amenities nearby

🪑Seating
1
closest: 65 m • at the spot
✳️Other
10
closest: 4 m • at the spot
Point details
  • Other area
    4 m • at the spot
  • Other area
    27 m • at the spot
  • Other area
    29 m • at the spot
Show 8 more
  • Other area
    31 m • at the spot
  • Other area
    44 m • at the spot
  • Other area
    47 m • at the spot
  • Seating area
    65 m • at the spot
  • Other area
    104 m • very close
  • Other area
    117 m • very close
  • Other area
    118 m • very close
  • Other area
    193 m • short walk
Parking details

🅿 Parking

Large parking area
~393 spacesEstimated capacity
4 parking locations
No known parking fee

Parking generally sufficient for peak times.

Map & Route

Trail layout, trailheads, parking, and dog-relevant points of interest

Map

Explore More

Highlights, viewpoints, and bailout options

Highlights

5 highlights on or near the trail

🏛️ HistoricHistoric · 0.7 miold stone houses · 0.7 mi0 mi2.8 mi12

Highlights

5 total
Closest: Ruins · 68 m

Ruins

Historic · Ruins

Close
68 mfrom trail
Open OSM

Ruins

Historic · Ruins

Close
68 mfrom trail
Open OSM

old stone houses

Historic · Ruins

Nearby
94 mfrom trail
Open OSM
Bailout & exit options

Exit options (Bailouts)

Bailout: mediumScore: 0.4

Fast exits if you need to shorten the route.

Actionable: 4Dead ends: 0Closest Start: 1 m
Method + full metrics

Based on trail graph connectivity and nearby exits.

Total spots: 4Actionable exits: 4Dead ends: 0Closest near Start: 1 mClosest near Midpoint: 18 mClosest near End: 0 m
🚪 ExitsTrail entrance / exit · Trail entrance / exitTrail entrance / exit · 1 m from startTrail entrance / exit · Trail entrance / exitTrail entrance / exit · Trail entrance / exit0 mi2.8 mi1.4 mi
4 actionable exits· closest 1 m from start
  • Route structure (network) supports alternate exits.
  • Entrance count is estimated from graph topology (proxy).
  • Graph-based route structure estimate using stored segment geometry.

Top exits near Start

Trail entrance / exit

Near Start · 1 m from start

EntranceDead End
1 mGoogle Maps OSM unavailable

Rules & Safety

Dog policy context, emergency resources, and trail hazard overview

Current hazard level is marked as low. 5 nearby emergency veterinary options mapped where available.

Dog Emergency

Emergency help nearby

Nearest vet: 1.5 mi

Phoenix Veterinary Center

1.5 mi from trail · Veterinary

South Point Animal Clinic

1.6 mi from trail · Veterinary

Banfield Pet Hospital

2.1 mi from trail · Veterinary

Ahwatukee Commons Veterinary Hospital

2.3 mi from trail · Veterinary · 4902 East Warner Road, Phoenix, 85044

Banfield Pet Hospital

2.3 mi from trail · Veterinary

Hazards

Updated:

Low
Water: 2

Primary concerns: Water crossings (2)

Show hazard breakdown
Road crossings
Total: 0
Water crossings
2
Cliff / steep edge
0
Bike conflict
0
Off-leash conflict proxy
0

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about dogs on this trail

Are dogs allowed on Pima Wash Trail?

Yes, dogs are allowed on the Pima Wash Trail.

Do dogs need to be on a leash on Pima Wash Trail?

Yes, dogs are required to be on a leash at all times on the Pima Wash Trail, as per the blanket Phoenix city park leash policy.

Is there drinking water available for dogs along Pima Wash Trail?

Yes, there is one drinking water amenity available along the Pima Wash Trail.

Is Pima Wash Trail mostly shaded or sun-exposed?

The Pima Wash Trail has high shade coverage, with a shade proxy percent of 1.

What is the trail surface like for dog paws on Pima Wash Trail?

The Pima Wash Trail is primarily an unpaved surface, with 99.2% being natural surface.

How muddy does Pima Wash Trail get after rain?

The Pima Wash Trail has a medium mud risk, primarily due to its mostly gravel/compacted surfaces.

How crowded does Pima Wash Trail get, and when is the best time to visit?

The Pima Wash Trail is considered high crowd class, with large parking nearby and many trailhead amenities contributing to this. The best time to visit is not specified.

What is the parking situation at Pima Wash Trail?

There are 4 parking areas with an estimated capacity of 393 vehicles at the Pima Wash Trail. Whether there is a parking fee is unknown.

What amenities are available at Pima Wash Trail (restrooms, waste bins, benches)?

Amenities available at Pima Wash Trail include 8 benches, 4 shelters, 2 toilets, 2 waste baskets, and 1 drinking water source.

Are there any safety concerns for dogs on Pima Wash Trail (heat, terrain, water crossings)?

The Pima Wash Trail has a low heat risk and low roughness risk. There are 2 water crossing points, and the trail surface is mostly unpaved.