About North Mountain Visitor Center
Welcome to the North Mountain Visitor Center
Times are subject to change de-pending on the availability of our volunteers. Thank you for under-standing.
Daily: 8 A.M. to 2 P.M.
The North Mountain Visitor Center gives guests an up-close, personal tour of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve and the plants and animals that make up the beautiful area surrounding the Center.
Displays, tours, classes, and workshops are offered to help understand the Sonoran Desert found right outside the Center’s doors. Visitors to the Center gain new in-sights into the richness and diversity of this desert landscape.
A series of trails adjacent to the Center mean that desert exploration is just a hiking step away. The Center is also a good stop for those planning longer, more challenging hikes in this part of the Preserve.
Exhibit Hall
The exhibit hall offers interpretive information on the preservation of the Phoenix Mountains, local geology, archaeology, Sonoran Desert plants and animals, and the cycle of the Arizona sun. The Center also features exhibits from affiliated agencies, and work from local artists. Admission is free.
Phoenix Mountain Preserve
North Mountain Preserve area of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve system is rich with history. There are centuries-old Hohokam petroglyphs, evidence of turn of the century campgrounds, and abandoned mines.
Shaw Butte is the tallest mountain in the Preserve with an elevation of 2,149 feet. North Mountain is a close second at 2,104 feet. Throughout the North Mountain Preserve, there are over 100 miles of hiking, biking, and horse-back riding trails.
Visitors will be able to witness the rich desert ecosystem which includes saguaro cacti, Palo Verde and mesquite trees, creosote bushes and 560 other plants. Visitors will also enjoy coyotes, javelinas, jackrabbits, rattlesnakes, chuckwallas, quail, cactus wrens, roadrunners or possibly 261 varieties of birds and 58 varieties of reptiles.
Programs and Events
Coffee House Saturdays are on the third Saturday of the month featuring free coffee and music.
Be sure to check the website for upcoming programs and events at the Visitor Center. Program topics include: Wilderness First Aid, Plants and Animals of the Southwest, Geology, History of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, Hohokam Culture, Rattlesnake education demonstrations, volunteer led hikes and more.
At the Center, Visitors can:
- Find trail maps and talk to the staff for information on hikes or mountain bike rides in the area.
- Pick up brochures and pamphlets on a variety of topics related to the Sonoran Desert and the Mountain Preserve.
- Take a tour through the interpretive exhibit hall.
- Learn about upcoming outdoor programs, lectures, and events.
- Find unique gifts including stone jewelry, field guides, educational books, paintings, Native American made items and local artists crafts.
Organizations that work with Save Our Mountain Foundation in the North Mountain Visitor Center collaboration include:
Located on the west side of 7th Street, just south of Thunderbird Road. Drive in past the gate
12950 NORTH 7TH STREET • PHOENIX, AZ 85022
MAP (click to view) • Phone: 602-343-5125 • www.northmountainvisitorcenter.org