Hole in the Rock Mountain
by Jane St. Clair

Hole in the Rock Mountain in Phoenix is easy to miss. The reason is two bigger attractions, the Phoenix Zoo and Phoenix Botantical Gardens, are right near Hole in the Rock Mountain.

Personally I like this little roadside attraction very much because it’s unique.

Usually when you hike in Arizona mountains, you’re on some trail that goes sideways, up or down. It’s rare that you come to a big hole with a view.

It’s like your own personal window in a big red rock. How cool is that?

The climb to this window is pretty easy. Some manmade steps go up the trail, which is less than a third of a mile. Your award for climbing is a truly neat view of the city of Phoenix and its surrounding desert.

Especially at sunset.

Archelogists tell us that ancient people not only enjoyed messing around in Hole in the Rock Mountain, they made it into a science project. The Hokoham figured out that a ray of sunlight coming into the Hole from its ceiling changed position based on the sun’s movements. By marking the changing light, they’d track summer and winter soltices as well as the equinoxes. Equinox happens twice a year, when night and day is the same length of time.

This mountain is probably over two million years old.

Although people like to climb for the view, I just like looking at these strange gigantic rocks. They’re bright red because they’re made of sandstone. If you look hard enough, you can see all kinds of patterns that turn into faces and other things, sometimes spooky, sometimes playful.

Hole in the Rock Mountain is in Pagago Park, 1500 acres for hiking and biking. That’s not counting the zoo, botanical gardens, Hall of Flame Museum, a sports complex, and a golf course.

For more posts about hiking go to Sedona: Where Castles Come From, Ramsey Canyon: A Walk in the High Country or Catalina State Park: Romero Ruins.