Time to go take a hike in Scottsdale area

3 BEST TRAILS IN NORTH SCOTTSDALE

GRANITE MOUNTAIN LOOP TRAIL

How to reach it: Access from the Granite Mountain Trailhead,136th Street and Lone Mountain Parkway.

What to expect: There is parking and easy access to the Granite Mountain Loop Trail, though the site has no water or restrooms.

The Granite Mountain Loop "is definitely one of the most scenic in the north area of the preserve," said Scott Hamilton, Scottsdale senior trails planner. "It has lots of granite boulders, huge saguaros and great views of the surrounding desert and distant mountains."

From Loop 101, take the Pima Road exit north to Dynamite Boulevard. Head east on Dynamite, then north on 136th Street.

BROWN'S MOUNTAIN TRAIL

How to reach it: Brown's Ranch Trailhead, a little more than a mile north of the intersection of Alma School Parkway and Dynamite Boulevard.

What to expect: Reach the top of scenic Brown's Mountain via this trail.

It is a 3-mile round-trip hike to the top and back, Hamilton said.

"You also have the option of hiking to the top and then going down the north side of the mountain and returning to the trailhead via either the Upper Ranch Trail or Brown's Ranch Road," he said. "You can make a loop out of it."

It is one of the most popular hikes from the Brown's Ranch Trailhead, which opened in 2013.

CHOLLA MOUNTAIN LOOP TRAIL

How to reach it: Brown's Ranch Trailhead, 30301 N. Alma School Parkway.

What to expect: This trail is a little farther to reach, but worth it, Hamilton said.  "It lives up to its name, with lots of teddy bear cholla, especially on the east and south sides of Cholla Mountain," he said.

The path passes by a spot known as Cathedral Rock. The boulder formation has bedrock metates, where Native Americans would grind food such as mesquite pods, Hamilton said. Hikers also will pass another interesting rock formation called the Amphitheater, he said.

To reach the trail, take the Brown's Ranch Road Trail to the Corral Trail.