Dreamy Draw Paradise Valley Loop

Getting to the starting point

Park in the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area, SR-51 and Northern Ave lot, and make your way to the Dreamy Draw Bikeway. It's south of the parking lot.

The ride

The ride begins on the Dreamy Draw Bikeway. It's just past the bathrooms. Turn left (east).

Be careful, this is a well used bikeway with the potential for a mix of fast and slow cyclists, hikers, joggers, dog walkers, horses and unsupervised children.

At 32nd St & Mountain View Rd the Bikeway ends. Continue east on Mountain View.

There are many green "Bike Route" signs on this ride. Sometimes the ride aligns with these signs, sometimes it does not. Your next turn is left (north) at 37th St. DO NOT turn at 36th St (yep, there's a green sign there). Here's your left.

Right turn (east) on Via Estrella, then another right at 39th St. Next turn comes soon, it's a slight left on Ocotilla Lane. Watch for horses in this neighborhood. Please be courteous.

In a few blocks, it's a right at 40th St and a quick left at Fanfol. Ocotilla and 40th St

If you need a restroom or want to see a beautiful trailhead to the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, continue south on 40th St. for less than a mile. It dead ends at the Trailhead. Come back and rejoin the route at Fanfol.

Follow the winding cues to the intersection of Fanfol Dr. and Tatum Blvd. This is the connector route local riders use. Be extremely cautious crossing Tatum; it is wide, busy and cars tend to drive fast on Tatum in both directions.

You are entering the town of Paradise Valley, a bicycle friendly community with beautiful homes and nice roads. Trivia, look who lives (or lived) in PV.

Roundabout at 52nd St and Mockingbird Lane

The terrain is flat until you turn onto Mojave Rd, where we start a little climbing and the scenery is incredible! This area is well ridden by local cyclists.

View from the highest point on the ride. Good place to stop and enjoy a great panoramic view of Scottsdale and the northeast Valley. We are about to descend quickly. Stop sign ahead, be careful.

At the bottom of the hill, turn right (south) on Mockingbird Ln. If you feel like a sprint, here to Lincoln Dr. is a good place.

Follow the cues, watch on your right (west) side for uncommon looks at Camelback Moutain from the east. Slightly downhill and easy riding through a usually calm neighborhood.

Be careful crossing Camelback Rd. This route has a traffic signal but be careful. It can be busy and drivers run red lights sometimes.

You are now back in Phoenix and in the Arcadia neighborhood. This used to be orange groves. At the roundabout, make your first right (west) onto Lafayette Blvd, another road frequented by cyclists.

Important: You will soon have to ride a few blocks on 44th St. to Campbell Ave. If 44th St is busy, you can use the sidewalk on the east side of 44th to get to Campbell and cross 44th with a traffic signal.

La Grande Orange or LGO on the southwest corner of 40th St and Campbell Ave has food, bathroom, coffee, etc. and a nice outside area to hang out. LGO also runs a burger joint, Ingo's, on the northwest corner.

Be careful on 32nd St, it can be busy.

Residents in the Biltmore area are good about letting cyclists use their private streets to avoid nearby busier thoroughfares. You will see The Arizona Biltmore Hotel then ride a short distance on a smooth but unpaved path alongside the Arizona Canal. Ride here, just past the second entry to the Biltmore Resort.

In a few blocks, you will cross over and ride on the other (north) side of the canal for a while. Cross the canal on this bridge.

Be careful at the 24th St. underpass. After the underpass, the path is paved. No more unpaved sections!

Cross back to the other (south) side of the canal at Maryland Ave.

An opportunity to stop at a coffee / bike shop comes before you enter the underpass to cross Glendale Ave/Lincoln Dr. Before entering the underpass, Sprouts Farmers Market and Trailhead Bike Cafe are on your left.

Almost immediately after the underpass, turn right cross the canal on the footbridge and backtrack a bit along the other (north) side of the canal. Turn left on the sidewak at Lincoln Dr./Glendale Ave then left at @photo 17th St/Dreamy Draw.

Continue north on Dreamy Draw/17th St until you see the bike path on your right. Turn right and follow the path back to your starting point.

Stay on the sidewalk, which is actually not a sidewalk but the Dreamy Draw Bikeway. Welcome back!