If you’re looking for a great photo or view while in Phoenix, you’ve got to make the short drive up to Dobbins Lookout. The views from the lookout are outstanding and so are the hairpins and curves as you climb up the mountain to the lookout. Let’s explore the Dobbin’s Lookout high above Phoenix!
What is Dobbins Lookout?
The Dobbins Lookout is a popular viewpoint that sits high above the city of Phoenix and the Phoenix Valley at a height of 2330 feet. It provides views of the city and a magnificent view of the valley below, but on a clear day, it also provides a panoramic view from the Estrella Mountains in the west to the Superstition Mountains in the east. You can see various landmarks, including downtown Phoenix, Camelback Mountain, and more local mountain ranges.
South Mountain Park and Preserve is a 16,000-acre municipal recreational facility located just 13 miles south of Phoenix. The park consists of three mountain ranges, the Mahatoc, Gila, Gila, and Guadalupe. The park has more than 50 miles of trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. The roadways throughout the park are favored for bicyclists while also providing scenic drives.
Dobbins Lookout sits within South Mountain Park. The lookout was named after James C. Dobbins. He was the driving force as chairman of the Phoenix Planning Commission years ago to purchase the land. And once you get up the Dobbins Lookout, go ahead and park. You can go and see the rest house and all the views that the lookout provides.
Note that the stone rest house was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The government set up a program to utilize the youth and keep them working during and after the Great Depression.
How to get to Dobbins Lookout
To get to Dobbins Lookout, It’s a pretty simple drive, and should take no longer than 35 to 45 minutes if coming from downtown Phoenix, assuming you don’t encounter road construction or otherwise bad traffic.
You’ll want to find Central Avenue and head south, where you’ll be on S Central Ave. It runs through the middle of Phoenix and is kind of the dividing line between east and west. Follow South Central Avenue, heading south, and you will pass through the park’s main entrance gate. That road turns into Summit Road. So keep going, and head south down to Summit Road, which is about a 5. 5 mile drive from the main park entrance.
Summit Road brings you to Dobbins Lookout. Utilize extreme caution on the park’s roadways. Remain aware of the speed limit and people on bicycles or hiking that may be present on Summit Road. There’s no charge to enter the park nor a charge to park up at the Dobbins Lookout parking lot. The entrance gates are open from 5 am to 7 pm daily. The trails close at 11 p.m. So you need to be out by that time.
Alternative: Hike to Dobbins Lookout
An alternative for an avid hiker versus driving to Dobbins Lookout is to hike it.
- This route would start at the Holbert Trailhead.
- You would hike to Dobbins Lookout which would be approximately 2.1 miles.
- From Dobbins Lookout, continue clockwise and head back and take Holbert Trail to the right, cross Buena Vista Road and continue down Holbert Hiking Trail.
- Hike an additional 0.9 miles and start down the National Trail where you will proceed another 3 plus miles to where you can climb up the steps to the National Trail Lookout.
- Come back down from the stairs to the National Trail Lookout, cross the W Telegraph Pass Rd, and head down Kiwanis Trail.
- Take the Kiwanis Trail for approximately 1 mile where you will keep going on Box Canyon Loop Trail until you get back to the start of the trail at the Holbert Trailhead.
- The total distance of the loop is 8.2 miles and is supposed to be a great hike.
Conclusion
Dobbins Lookout was an incredible view as you can tell and well worth the time exploring. Try going for sunrise or sunset. We wish we would have been able to do that. They say that’s incredible. And look, if you like this content, you’ll want to check out all our other videos covering attractions near Phoenix, such as the murals at Roosevelt Scorpion Gulch, and all the other videos we have from our epic Arizona trip.
Also, check out all our other posts covering the many fun and historical attractions we have on our site here covering Arizona Travel, along with our YouTube videos on our Epic Arizona Trip, and much more on our Travel with D & E channel. Do us a favor and subscribe. Like the post, and share it with your family and friends, they will enjoy it as well.
If you’ve stopped here before, give us your thoughts and your opinion on Dobbins Lookout.
Thanks for watching. As always, we will see you in the next post.
Leave a Reply