Pass Mountain Summit Loop

A rough loop that keeps going past Wind Cave on an unmaintained, cairned route along Pass Mountain's ridge, over the summit and back down to the Pass Mountain Trail.

The loop starts up the Wind Cave Trail and keeps going past the cave, where the maintained trail ends. From there it follows cairns along Pass Mountain's ridge, with some scrambling and a narrow, mildly exposed stretch north of the south peak, over the summit and down to the Pass Mountain Trail. There's no water on the route.

Parking

The lot fills quickly on weekends; overflow parking is near the park entrance.

Trailhead: Wind Cave Trailhead.

Fee

$10/vehicle

$5 per person walking, biking or riding in

Dogs

Dogs on leash

Shade

Minimal

Hazards

• Past Wind Cave there's no maintained trail; the ridge route follows cairns and is easy to lose.
• Scrambling on the ridge, with mild exposure on a narrow section north of the south peak.
• No water on the route. Carry all you need.

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

Usery Mountain park map · Maricopa County Parks (PDF)

Sources

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

Photo: neepster · CC BY-SA 2.0

Where each fact comes from

• Usery Mountain Regional Park map — Maricopa County Parks (PDF) checked 2026-09-27
• Trails — Usery Mountain Regional Park, Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-09-24
• Fees — Usery Mountain Regional Park, Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-09-24
• Park Rules — Maricopa County Parks checked 2026-09-24
• Wind Cave Trailhead — OpenStreetMap checked 2026-09-24
• Pass Mountain Ridge Traverse — Earthline: The American West (hiked Dec 2018) checked 2026-10-02
• Best months: normal high under 90°F, Phoenix Sky Harbor 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI) checked 2026-09-24