North Mountain Park at 7th Street and Peoria Avenue is about to close for the longest stretch in its history. The renovation will also change how people use it. In its November issue, North Central News reported that the park closes on Tuesday, Dec. 1. A Parks spokesperson told the paper the project should be finished by winter 2027-28. When the gates reopen, the top of the park will belong to people on foot.
The paved loop and drive-up picnic setup are being redesigned around walkers, the trail system and Tower Road. That makes the next year or so a useful preview. The trailheads that stay open during construction already work the way the rebuilt park is meant to.
Three weeks, then a long closure
The City of Phoenix's trail alert says North Mountain Park "will be closed from December 2026 through early 2028 for renovations." It also says other trailheads in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, including the North Mountain Visitor Center, will stay open. The City's North Mountain Park renovation page was last updated Sept. 25, 2026. It gives a construction start of winter 2026/2027 and an estimated completion of winter 2027/2028.
The project covers about 37 acres on the west side of 7th Street at Peoria Avenue. North Mountain Park started in the 1950s as a Maricopa County park and joined the Phoenix system in the 1970s. Its most popular feature is Trail 44, a 1.6-mile route that circles the park, according to North Central News. Back in 2023, Parks deputy director Jarod Rogers told North Central News that Trail 44 drew "a little over 4,000 hikers a month." Once the park closes, those hikers will need somewhere else to go.
Picnic ramadas at North Mountain are reserved in person at a Phoenix Parks facility. If you had a 2027 birthday or family reunion in mind for those ramadas, call Phoenix Parks to ask about your options.
What the rebuild trades away, and what it adds
City records list the project at a budget most neighborhood parks never see. On Dec. 17, 2025, the Phoenix City Council authorized a construction-manager-at-risk contract with Valley Rain Construction Corporation, capped at $30 million. J2 Environmental Design began final design in July 2025.
The biggest change is the pavement. Rogers told North Central News in April that excess asphalt will be removed and cars will no longer have access to the top portion of the park. Replacing the asphalt with natural surfaces should mean a cooler walk for hikers, with no vehicles to dodge. The City's 90% concept plan still shows three parking areas with 298 spaces in total. Parking stays. It just moves out of the upper park.
Most of the other improvements push the same way, toward the trail network and people arriving on foot:
- A walkable front door. The City lists an improved entry from the 7th Street and Peoria Avenue intersection, plus a new pedestrian connection south of Peoria from 7th Street.
- Walkers off the roadways. The plans include pedestrian improvements designed to move walkers away from park roads.
- A new link to Tower Road. A more sustainable trail alignment will connect North Mountain Park to Tower Road, the paved route hikers use to reach the summit. The concept plan also shows a new Trail 44 route.
- A relocated Penny Howe trail. The Penny Howe Barrier Free Nature Trail will be redesigned as an ADA-accessible path. It moves to the southwest portion of the park, with new interpretive exhibits and interactive signage.
- Desert where the pavement was. The City's scope includes removing excess pavement, restoring Sonoran Desert and building new trails.
The family side of the park gets attention too. Three new restrooms, including family and ADA-accessible options, are planned, along with expanded shade canopies and picnic areas with more shade, tables and grills. The playground closed about two years before that April report because of its age and condition. It returns with a nature theme and a shade structure. North Central News also listed chilled drinking fountains with bottle fillers, automatic gates, a new irrigation system, and ice machines to help first responders during rescues.
Those ice machines and bottle fillers are summer features. A Phoenix trailhead built for hikers coming down hot needs them.
The trailheads that already work this way
During the closure, the best substitutes share the same traits as the rebuilt park: trail-first access, nearby parking, and a quick start on the mountain itself. In April, Rogers pointed residents to the North Mountain Visitor Center, Lookout Mountain and Dreamy Draw. Here is how those and a few others stack up, using the City's listed addresses and hours.
| Where | Address | Hours listed | What it offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Mountain Visitor Center | 12950 N. 7th St. | Center open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, subject to volunteer availability | Trail 100 access on the other side of North Mountain |
| Shaw Butte Trailhead | 12898 N. Central Ave. | Check City trail page | Shaw Butte Trail |
| Mountain View II Park | 9901 N. 7th Ave. | 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Maxine Lakin Nature Trail |
| Lookout Mountain Trailhead | 15600 N. 16th St. | Lot sunrise to 7 p.m. or sunset, whichever comes first; trails 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Circumference and summit trails |
| Dreamy Draw Recreation Area | 2421 E. Northern Ave. | Trailhead 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., trails 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Access to the Piestewa and Dreamy Draw trail system |
| Piestewa 302 Trailhead | 2701 E. Piestewa Peak Dr. | Check City trail page | Freedom and Summit trails |
If Trail 44 was your loop
The Visitor Center is the closest swap, farther up the same street at 12950 N. 7th St. The City has said in writing that it stays open during the renovation. The City's North Mountain and Shaw Butte trails page lists Trail 100, the Charles M. Christiansen Memorial Trail, as accessible from there. Shaw Butte Trailhead at 12898 N. Central Ave. is the starting point for the Shaw Butte Trail.
If you came for the easy, flat walk
The Penny Howe Barrier Free Nature Trail was the gentle option at North Mountain Park, and it closes along with everything else. The closest nature-trail alternative is the Maxine Lakin Nature Trail at Mountain View II Park, 9901 N. 7th Ave. The park's listed hours run from 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., which suits after-work walks once the evenings cool off.
If you want a summit
Lookout Mountain Trailhead at 15600 N. 16th St. has both a circumference trail and a summit trail. Piestewa's 302 Trailhead at 2701 E. Piestewa Peak Dr. lists the Freedom and Summit trails. Dreamy Draw Recreation Area at 2421 E. Northern Ave. closes its trailhead lot at 7 p.m., though its trails stay open until 11 p.m. If you plan to finish after sunset, park somewhere you won't be locked in.
The Visitor Center becomes the mountain's living room
For more than a year, the North Mountain Visitor Center will be the main public place on this side of the mountain. A nonprofit runs it, and its calendar already gives regulars reasons to stop by besides hiking.
- Nov. 12, 4 to 7 p.m.: Phoenix Writers Club Centennial Celebration
- Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to noon: Phoenix Old Time Music Society
- Nov. 21 and Nov. 28, 9 to 11 a.m.: Coffee House Saturdays
The Nov. 28 Coffee House falls on the last weekend before the park closes on Dec. 1. That makes it a good morning to hike from the Visitor Center, finish with coffee, and get to know the trailhead you'll probably be using until 2028. The center's hours depend on volunteer availability, so check its website before you plan a visit around them.
Comfort upgrades on this side of the mountain have been asked for before. At a June 26, 2025 Parks and Recreation Board meeting, a resident asked for updates on parking, heat-safety signage and a chilled water-bottle filling station at the Visitor Center. Chilled fountains with bottle fillers are now part of the North Mountain Park plan, according to North Central News.
For updates on the closure and schedule, use the City's North Mountain Park renovation page, the same page North Central News sends readers to.
If you live near 7th Street and Peoria and want to talk through how the North Mountain renovation could figure into a future sale or purchase, Rebecca Smith Real Estate is happy to walk through it with you over coffee. Request your free home valuation whenever you're ready.
