Stoner Phoenix
The vibe
Head north on 7th Street past Sunnyslope, climb the little pass between the mountains, and the city just exhales. Moon Valley sits in a natural basin, with the private country club in the middle and long, low houses fanning out around it. Big lots. Big palo verdes. People who actually water their citrus trees.
North Mountain and Shaw Butte rise on one side, with the radio towers blinking on top. Lookout Mountain sits on the other. You get mountain views from the grocery store parking lot, which never stops being funny.
It is quiet. Like, really quiet. That is either exactly what you want or the reason you will be back on the I-17 headed south by Friday night.
Who lives there
Families who wanted a yard and a mountain without moving to the far edges of the Valley. Retirees who have been here since these houses were new. Golfers. A growing crowd of thirty-somethings who bought the fixer-upper ranch and are slowly turning the gravel yard into a backyard hangout with a fire pit and a string of lights. Hikers who time their whole day around the trail.
Translation: lots of private backyards, which is exactly where a legal sesh belongs anyway.
Best munchies
Moon Valley is not a food destination, and nobody here pretends it is. You eat at the neighborhood bars and the strip-mall spots along 7th Street, Thunderbird and Greenway, and when you want a real food crawl you head south.
Bar food done right
Lookout Tavern on Greenway Parkway is the north side's sports bar and patio hangout, with wings, burgers and a lot of TVs, and it stays open late. The rest of the bar scene is a few neighborhood grills with patios and the game on. All of them are the kind of place you go after a hike, freshly showered and very ready for fried food.
Worth the short ride
The best eating is a few minutes south on 7th Street in Sunnyslope: brisket, tortas, Greek, donuts. Get a sober friend to drive or call a ride. Our Phoenix munchies guide has the full citywide list, broken out by area.
The fancy one
Different Pointe of View sits on top of a hill at the Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort, a little east of here, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a patio aimed straight at the sunset. It is a special-occasion dinner, not a munchies run. Bring someone you want to impress and maybe don't show up too cooked.
Things to do baked
Honestly, the best things to do in north Phoenix up here start in your own backyard. Moon Valley is far enough from the central city glow that you can see a decent spread of stars on a clear winter night. Lie in a lawn chair, look up, think about how big everything is. That is a full evening.
Stop by the North Mountain Visitor Center on 7th Street. Volunteers there know the trails, the wildlife and the strange history of the area, including its old use as a campground. It is a calm, air-conditioned, low-key spot, and they will happily tell you which trail fits your energy level today.
Walk the neighborhood loops at dusk when the mountains go purple. Catch a game and a plate of wings at the tavern. Our guide to things to do high in Phoenix has more ideas when you want to leave the bubble, and the Phoenix seasons guide tells you when the trails up here are actually pleasant (hint: not July at 2 p.m.).
Transit is thin. The light rail's northern end is at Metro Parkway, out west by the old mall site off the I-17, which is a hike from here. Plan on rideshare. The I-17 runs along the west side and the 101 loops across the top, so getting in and out is easy for the sober driver.
Best mountain or sunset spot nearby
The North Mountain hike
The North Mountain National Trail starts from the Maricopa Trailhead on 7th Street, near North Mountain Park, and climbs steeply to the paved tower road near the top. It is short but it is honest work. Shaw Butte, next door, starts off Central Avenue and loops around a ridge with old ruins and a big view of the whole Valley. Heads up: North Mountain Park itself is slated to close for a long renovation, but the visitor center and the preserve trailheads are staying open, so check the city's notices before you go.
Lookout Mountain Phoenix
This is our pick for sunset. The trailhead is at 16th Street north of Greenway. The summit trail is barely over half a mile but it climbs hard, and the circumference trail wraps the whole mountain if you'd rather keep it mellow. At the top you see North Mountain, Shaw Butte, Shadow Mountain and the lights of the north side coming on. Small mountain, big payoff.
Reminder, once (general info, not legal advice): Phoenix mountain preserves are smoke-free year-round, and that covers cannabis too. Sesh at home, hike after. Our Phoenix mountains guide ranks every peak, and where to sesh in Phoenix covers the legal side.
The good and the annoying
The good
Three mountains within a few minutes. Real quiet. Big yards and backyard privacy. Starry winter nights. Easy access to Uptown and North Central for date night, and up to Desert Ridge for a movie and a mall pretzel.
The annoying
Almost nothing open late except the bars. No light rail anywhere near you. The 7th Street pass is a bottleneck at rush hour. Trailhead parking fills up the second the weather turns nice in fall, and every snowbird in the state seems to discover Lookout Mountain on the same Saturday morning.
Also, the mountains block a lot of breeze. In August, the basin bakes like a pizza stone.
