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The Indian Bend Wash Path—also sometimes referred to as the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt or the Scottsdale Greenbelt—follows the banks of Indian Bend Wash between Scottsdale and Tempe. Along the way, the paved 12-mile path connects a number of public parks, schools and businesses.
About the Route
There are two discrete sections. The northern segment runs almost 4.5 miles from Venturoso Park through Phoenix Indian Bend Wash Park down to E Shea Blvd in Scottsdale.
The southern segment is longer, spanning more than 7.5 miles. A highlight of the route is Scottsdale's Eldorado Park, which is located about mid-trail. The 60-acre park offers a swimming pool, fishing lake, athletic facilities, skate park, playgrounds and picnic areas. Farther north, the lake in Chaparral Park offers a popular place to fish and walk around.
Connections
The path is also an important link in the local trail network as it connects to the Rio Salado Pathway at its southern end (which follows both of Tempe Town Lake's shores) and both the Arizona Canal Path (which heads west to Phoenix) and Central Arizona Project to Arizona Canal Trail at its northern end.
The Indian Bend Wash Path is in two sections: it runs between Venturoso Park (Phoenix) and E Shea Blvd (Scottsdale), and between the Scottsdale Nature Area (Scottsdale) and E Curry Rd (Tempe).
Parking is available at:
Visit the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
An all time favorite bike pathway with connections west to Phoenix or south to Tempe. Well-maintained and great scenic views through the parks. Best time- early am.,
Nice ride from Horizon Park or E Cactus Road to Tempe Town Lake at the Pedistrian Bridge
We took off midway at the park, very nice and scenic. Only thing we hoped for is a loop around Tempe Town Lake which we found out doesn't exist.
This is an excellent trail with great underpasses for smooth cruising. A bit congested at some of the parks on a Sunday’s in April.
We liked the trail. Started at the Tempe Marketplace and rode Rio Saldo Path North side till it met the Indian Bend Pathway. We were stoked to see the Horse Head display Called Watermark by Laura Haddam as seen on the photo gallery for this trail.... NOT!! The Watermark feature is on an off-shoot Rd/trail adjacent to the Indian Bend Wash Path. If you want to see it, do your homework first.
On a great note, traillink shows Indian Bend Wash Path in two segments, it does continue in the void area but it is sidewalk along major roads of Scottsdale.
Lastly, when you get the Cholla Blvd, the trail signs stop... DON'T STOP here. The trail continues but the signs say Maricopa Trail.
We did not have any electronic device to help us thru, we just winged it and had fun. Lot's of people using the trail.... Love It!!
It was 104 @ 9:30, when my wife and I started our ride. It did not matter. The trail winds through parks, golf courses, playgrounds and neighborhoods. You pass people fishing, playing disk golf, kids playing in a water park. It seemed the interesting sights were endless and the terrain was easy. We loved it! But, don’t make the same mistake we did. Turn around at the end of the official trail. We continued on to the 202 bridge, a homeless “hotel”. Then to Tempe Lake. The trail character changes rapidly. Just enjoy the main trail, unless you like more adventure than I do.
This path is great for biking. It winds through neighborhoods and parks. The path is very green as you pedal through the parks, beautiful landscapes, water features, and clean. I enjoy this path as often as I can. Slight uphill grade going north, you will find the path mostly flat and an easy ride. What is nice is that the south end connects to other trails. Highly recommended.
Most of the Phoenix's bike paths fall into one of three categories
1) pathway right next to a busy road
2) follow a not too particularly scenic canal for miles on end
3) cycle along barren open desert for miles
This one puts you along the entirety of three long skinny golf courses, greenway the entire way. I still think the Tempe Town Lake trails "Rio Salado Paths" are the more interesting ride, but the two trails link together and you can combo the two up for the most epic pathway ride in all of Phoenix IMO.
4/5 stars because while miles and miles of golf course makes for a pretty interesting ride it's not as visually compelling as some of the more notable trails of the American Southwest.
This beautiful and well maintained trail runs along lakes and golf courses. It is the most pleasant ride I've had.
It's a great trail that has several bypasses to go under major roads. It also links up to a few other bike trails.
As noted in the earlier reviews, the trail has underpasses for almost all road crossings. This makes it an excellent choice for traversing Scottsdale without having to cross any major (high traffic) roads. The surface is concrete, like a wide sidewalk. It is a bit rough for high-pressure tires but well maintained. It passes through many golf courses and parks so watch for flying golf balls when you pass the tee-boxes.
The wash itself is a very innovative and successful solution to monsoon floods in the area. Using it as a wide greenspace prevents significant flood damage while adding considerable value. Other communities that are prone to periodic flooding should take notice and follow the Indian Bend Wash example.
The directions to parking areas at each end were less than worthless. The south end directions led us to the on-ramp for a freeway and the north end directions took us to the canal itself where there wasn't any parking available. There are many places to park in the many parks along the trail. We parked at Agua Linda Park, at the corner of North Pima Road and East McDonald Drive in Scottsdale.
There's an excellent visitor center for the Indian Bend Wash located just north of Indian School Road on the east side of Hayden Road. The visitor center has a large parking lot and you can access the trail from there via an underpass under Hayden Road.
There are golf courses, parks, and lakes all along the wash. This ride would be great for families, you can make it short, or for avid riders, very long. There are parks all along this trail where you can park your car and start the ride. Fully paved. We park at McDowell Rd where there is a skate park and little kids can bring scooters to practice, they have a separate area.
Golf courses, parks, and spring training baseball leagues run along side this wash. As you go further north the scenery changes, really interesting to observe.
I have ridden this trail twice and found it to be very easy to negotiate. The scenery is beautiful including water fowl, golf courses, beautiful homes and many (for this part of the U.S.) trees.
The start point is somewhat difficult to see but is about 0.6 mile north of McDonald Drive at the Arizona Canal. There is off-road parking just across the canal.
There are underpasses (and one overpass) the entire route allowing you to avoid traffic on major streets and it is mostly downhill making it easy for inexperienced riders. The trail follows the wash which has water in it during summer rain storms (two or three times a year).
The bottom end of the trail abuts Tempe Town Lake, an artifically created lake in the Salt River bottom. This area is being developed for recreation where triathlon and other events are held.
As an alternative to going to Priest Drive where the trail ends, I cross the old Mill Avenue bridge (one mile east of Priest) and head into downtown Tempe near Arizona State University. This area is a beautiful example of urban renewal.
hdprofessor
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