Phoenix Mountain Preserve, Protected mountain areas in Phoenix, United States.

Phoenix Mountain Preserve is a group of protected areas in Phoenix encompassing over 7,000 acres of desert terrain with mountain peaks, native plants, and wildlife throughout. The land is crossed by multiple access points with parking facilities, from which more than 20 miles of trails branch out for various skill levels.

The park system began with Piestewa Mountain Park (then Squaw Peak) and North Mountain Park as county parks; Piestewa Peak was later designated a Phoenix Point of Pride. Most of the municipal park system was acquired in the early 1970s, when Phoenix's expanding development threatened these mountainous areas.

The preserve's name comes from the Phoenix Mountains, the low range it protects; Piestewa Peak park, the first unit preserved, is a designated Phoenix Point of Pride. The peak was long called Squaw Peak before its renaming. Trails lead past ramadas and picnic tables, and some trailheads sit near stables where horses can be rented and ridden into the park.

The trails require different levels of preparation depending on which route you choose, so it helps to check the difficulty beforehand. Comfortable hiking shoes, plenty of water, and sun protection matter on all paths since the desert sun is intense.

The preserve's parks interrupt Phoenix's flat, gridded street pattern, and most peaks rise to about 3,000 feet above sea level from a valley floor near 1,000 feet. Piestewa Peak, formerly Squaw Peak, was the first park preserved and is a designated Phoenix Point of Pride. Two of the parks rank among the world's largest city parks.