Posted by Rod Kissinger on March 26, 2012 at 10:14 AM
Great news, I'm going to be able to spend 3 days in the Phoenix area while my lovely wife toils away at her job.
Any 'not to miss' places around Phoenix that you would suggest.
I do need to return to Phoenix each night to console my wife about how hard her job is. Really, she does work hard.
Thanks in advance and if you ever want to come to the Central States I'd love to show you the 'secret' places.
Rod
Posted by Doug Koepsel on March 26, 2012 at 10:48 AM
Will you be able to shoot sunset and return after dark, or will you need to be back by 5 in time for dinner with the wife? I am wondering how far you can drive each day and what part of Phoenix you would be staying. Sedona is about a two hour drive north.
Posted by Rod Kissinger on March 26, 2012 at 12:17 PM
I am staying at the Firesky resort in Scottsdale. I will mostly be shooting mornings but I do have one evening that I will be free to drive to a sunset location.
Thanks again.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on March 26, 2012 at 1:13 PM
Hey Rod, at Firesky you're just a 10-minute drive from a great spot at the foot of the McDowell Mountains. There's a bunch of cholla cacti there and just before the sun rises there are several peaks that light up nicely. Have a peek at our RMNP cover (click "Home" above) and you see a shot I got of that location at sunrise. It's so easy to access I almost feel guilty, lol! Here's how you get there:
- Hop on the 101 Northbound and get off at the Bell Rd exit (it's a combo exit with another street)
- When you exit the 101, you’ll still drive north on the service road at least 1/4 mile or more until you finally reach Bell rd. This includes going through intersections with traffic lights.
- Once you get to Bell, make a right. You’ll be heading east, straight at the McDowell Mtn range. It’s not like mountains in Oregon and Colorado, but they’re almost 4,000 feet which is high enough to be attractive.
- You want to drive east until 104th street. At 104th you’ll see what looks like a normal right turn that’s paved that goes into a subdivision. You don’t want that; instead, turn LEFT which puts you into a tiny dirt parking lot for hikers and dog walkers. That’s the spot!
This is a great time to come down here because the weather is infectious and the sun rises at the right spot behind the mountains. The sun is popping up about 6:55am right now but definitely get there at least a 1/2 hour before to scope where you want to set up. It's still cool enough in the mornings where rattlers shouldn't be an issue. You'll have the place to yourself, I never see other photographers there which baffles me. BTW, the sun rises FAST down this way, by 7:30am it's high in the sky, so if you plan of getting a sunrise as soon as it pops over the peaks, be prepared to shoot quickly.
Enjoy!
Posted by Doug Koepsel on March 26, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Red Mountain off of Power Road in Mesa, AZ may be a good morning shot. Try looking in Google Earth for sample shots.
Just chiming in to say "ditto" to Paul D's spot. I was in Phoenix the weekend of the 17th and he was kind enough to meet me there and share his "secret" spot. Lots of sunrise and sunset opportunities there.
Whenever I visit the area I always make time to head east to Apache Junction then northeast on the Apache Trail. The highway runs past Lost Dutchman State Park and continues up the mountain with some great viewpoints along the way.
South of town, about an hour from where you're staying, is San Tan Mountain Park. It's 5 minutes from my daughter's house so I shoot there quite regularly. Usually better for sunrise but it does offer a lot of opportunity to get the quintessential silouhetted Saguaros that we all seem to have. Enjoy and please post some of your images here when you get home.
Posted by Peter Coskun on March 26, 2012 at 5:43 PM
As Paul mentioned the Mcdowell's are a great spot that don't really get the attention like the superstitions do. While his location is a great one, I find myself photographing the lost dog wash area which is off via linda and 124th st. Basically just around the corner from his spot. Both are great sunrise spots and offer PLENTY of cactus and vegetation to photograph as well as desert mountain vistas. Four peaks road is another great spot, with expansive desert views and views of the four peaks, weavers needle, and the superstition mountains themselves. This is off the beeline hwy northeast of fountain hills. It's about a 30 minute drive from Scottsdale. However, the superstitions are a must for a sunset shoot (Especially if there are dramatic clouds in the sky). Cave creek offers some nice views as well and there are some neat rock formations at the sears kay ruin site (Be sure to get a tonto pass if you plan on parking in a recreational area, signs will tell you if you need one displayed on your dash). There are plenty of places to see and photograph that are great for sunrise and sunset near phoenix, the hard part is figuring out where to shoot.
Discussion
6 repliesAny 'not to miss' places around Phoenix that you would suggest.
I do need to return to Phoenix each night to console my wife about how hard her job is. Really, she does work hard.
Thanks in advance and if you ever want to come to the Central States I'd love to show you the 'secret' places.
Rod
Recent post about Phoenix area locations.
Phoenix
Thanks again.
- Hop on the 101 Northbound and get off at the Bell Rd exit (it's a combo exit with another street)
- When you exit the 101, you’ll still drive north on the service road at least 1/4 mile or more until you finally reach Bell rd. This includes going through intersections with traffic lights.
- Once you get to Bell, make a right. You’ll be heading east, straight at the McDowell Mtn range. It’s not like mountains in Oregon and Colorado, but they’re almost 4,000 feet which is high enough to be attractive.
- You want to drive east until 104th street. At 104th you’ll see what looks like a normal right turn that’s paved that goes into a subdivision. You don’t want that; instead, turn LEFT which puts you into a tiny dirt parking lot for hikers and dog walkers. That’s the spot!
This is a great time to come down here because the weather is infectious and the sun rises at the right spot behind the mountains. The sun is popping up about 6:55am right now but definitely get there at least a 1/2 hour before to scope where you want to set up. It's still cool enough in the mornings where rattlers shouldn't be an issue. You'll have the place to yourself, I never see other photographers there which baffles me. BTW, the sun rises FAST down this way, by 7:30am it's high in the sky, so if you plan of getting a sunrise as soon as it pops over the peaks, be prepared to shoot quickly.
Enjoy!
Whenever I visit the area I always make time to head east to Apache Junction then northeast on the Apache Trail. The highway runs past Lost Dutchman State Park and continues up the mountain with some great viewpoints along the way.
South of town, about an hour from where you're staying, is San Tan Mountain Park. It's 5 minutes from my daughter's house so I shoot there quite regularly. Usually better for sunrise but it does offer a lot of opportunity to get the quintessential silouhetted Saguaros that we all seem to have. Enjoy and please post some of your images here when you get home.