Less than an hour from Phoenix, this hike to Broadway Cave offers a flat meandering trail through towering saguaro cacti, a moderate ascent and a deep cave to explore with phenomenal views of the East Valley.
The Monument Canyon and Broadway Cave hike is roughly 4.3 miles and is considered easy to moderate. To get to the cave, there is a moderately challenging ascent with a few boulders to get over. Otherwise this trail is relatively flat with wonderful desert scenery the entire way. This hike took us about 2 hours with plenty of stops for water, and some extra time to hang out and explore in the cave.
Details:
Directions (Google Maps): To get to the Monument Canyon and Broadway Cave trailhead, search for the Broadway Trailhead or near Apache Junction, AZ or click here.
Directions (old school maps): From Phoenix, get to Highway 60 and head east for roughly 35 miles. Get off at Mountain View Road and turn left. Go for 1.7 miles and turn right on Broadway. 1 mile up the road will be a small parking area near the trailhead.
Driving Info: This is all easy paved road. The trailhead is in a residential area so please be considerate of the neighborhood.
Time & Weather: We did this hike in February. This is hot desert area all year long, even in the dead of winter (although it can also get very cold!). But once you get moving, and especially the last mile which ascends the mountains, you will heat up quick.
Gear: This trail is very rocky, so hiking boots are recommended. Similarly, hiking poles will help with balance since some of the rocks are large and require walking across them without setting foot on any solid dirt. Bring sunscreen and plenty of water. Also, there is a ton of cacti on this trail, and some of it is very close to the edges of the footpath. It’s recommended to wear pants for extra protection, or at least tall socks.
Trail Navigation: The trail has a few junctions but there are simple signs to follow. The trail itself can be tricky to see, especially when you’re hiking up the mountain. Often times if you veer off you’ll quickly merge back with the official trail. Just keep a lookout for cacti (actually, everything is thorny) and also rattlesnakes when it’s hot out.
Water & Food: As is the case for any desert hike, bring plenty of water and stay hydrated. Food isn’t really necessary for this short of a hike, unless you’d like to hang out in the cave up the mountain and eat some snacks.
Trailhead Info: The parking lot for this trailhead is small, and there are a few other trails that start here so it’s not uncommon for it to fill up. If that’s the case pay attention to parking signs and be considerate of the neighborhood.
Pictures of the Monument Canyon and Broadway Cave hike:
If you came to the desert for cacti, look no further. These iconic cacti come in all sort of funky shapes and sizes. They live to be more than 150 years old!
In the distance (middle of the picture) you can see Monument Cave. This is shortly after you start ascending up the mountain. You’ll slowly weave your way up the mountain, in between all the saguaro cacti.
The desert has so many beautiful colors. These small thorny cacti have pinks and reds.
After you’ve ascended to the cave, you can walk back about 100 feet. This is the view looking back out.
Here’s the view walking up closer to the edge of the cave. The views run for 100 miles through the East Valley outside of Phoenix.
If you look closely you can see the thousands of saguaro cacti littering the landscape below.
Heading back down the mountain, take it slow and watch your footing. You can see the size of the saguaro cacti here. They can grow to 50 feet tall!
There are a few turns you can make at the junctions on this trail. Jacob’s Trail runs for more than 12 miles in this area, so if you’re looking for some extra mileage you can always tack that on to this hike.
