Pipeline Canyon Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

A day use fee of $7 per vehicle is require at the park entrance.

The park is open 24 hours. Trails are open from 6am to 8pm Sunday through Thursday, and from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

This trail offers some nice desert scenery as it wanders along a shallow canyon on a clearly marked path. It can be used as an out-and-back hike or point-to-point if you can arrange transportation at the parking lots on either end. The trail also connects with Yavapai Point, which is a beautiful trail that I highly recommend.

Starting at the trailhead by parking area #4, the trail is wide, well-maintained and descends gradually as it makes it’s way along the canyon down to the lake. If lakeside hiking is your goal however, this trail may not be what you’re looking for. After you cross the lake in a narrow cove on a floating metal bridge, you’ll begin a gradual climb through the desert, getting only a few glimpses of the water from a distance. The lake is largely blocked from view by the mountains along most of this trail. The path itself has quite a few softball to football sized rocks embedded in the ground that poses possible tripping or ankle rolling hazards in some areas, so wearing some sturdy shoes is recommended.

After you pass the connecting trail to Yavapai Point, the trail begins to wind in and out of a few little washes until you reach the trailhead at parking area #3.

A variety of desert plants and cacti are plentiful. Watch for wild burro, squirrels, rabbits, birds, and rattlesnakes.