Black Mountain (Cave Creek)

A short, steep climb from a Cave Creek neighborhood straight up Black Mountain, with a false summit before the top and wide views over the north Valley.

Black Mountain rises right behind the towns of Cave Creek and Carefree, and its trail is a popular local workout. From a few designated parking spaces near Schoolhouse Road, you walk up a paved road through a neighborhood to a brown trail sign at the dead end. From there the trail heads almost straight south up the mountain, climbing more than 1,000 feet in about a mile on steep, rocky ground. A false summit comes first; the real top, with a flag, is a short way past it.

Parking

A few small dirt lots near Schoolhouse Rd. hold about 10 cars. There's no parking at the trailhead itself, at the end of the road.

Trailhead: Black Mountain Trail (end of N. School House Rd.; park near E. Mark Way).

Fee

Free

Dogs

Dogs on leash

Shade

Not confirmed yet

Hazards

• Steep and rocky in places; wear shoes with good grip.

Best months

1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D

October to April, when the average high in Phoenix is under 90°F.

Trail map

Cave Creek Trail Network map · Town of Cave Creek

Sources

7 sources · last verified Oct 2, 2026. Report a change

Photo: Chapm4sam · CC BY 4.0

Where each fact comes from

• Cave Creek Trail Network map, June 2024 — Town of Cave Creek (PDF; shows "Black Mtn Summit") checked 2026-10-02
• Trailhead pin from Owen Hektner (2026-10-02), shown on OpenStreetMap checked 2026-10-02
• Hike Black Mountain (Cave Creek) — Stav is Lost (Mar 2024) checked 2026-10-02
• Hiking Black Mountain Trail in Cave Creek — Karabou Adventures (undated) checked 2026-10-02
• Black Mountain Trail — Cave Creek Guide (undated; "Dogs are permitted if they are always on a leash") checked 2026-10-02
• Cave Creek's Black Mountain Trail — AZ Utopia (undated; "FEES: none") checked 2026-10-02
• Best months: normal high under 90°F, Phoenix Sky Harbor 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI) checked 2026-10-02