Papago Park & Tempe Lake E-Bike Tour with Hole in the Rock

4.92

(158 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to laugh so much at a bike helmet mirror, but our guide (I think his name was Dave?) had one stuck on sideways and said it made him look like a “desert cyborg.” We started pedaling out of Old Town Scottsdale—green parks everywhere, golfers waving, that faint whiff of sunscreen and cut grass. The e-bikes felt weirdly easy, almost like cheating, but after the first little hill I was grateful for it. There were only six of us, so it never felt rushed or crowded.

Tempe Town Lake surprised me—so blue against all that Arizona brown. We stopped near the marina and watched a couple of kids try (and fail) to launch a kayak. Dave pointed out Camelback Mountain in the distance—he called it “the city’s compass,” which I liked. The path wound under these cool tunnels where your voice echoes if you shout (I tested this, sorry). Then suddenly everything changed: cactus everywhere, rocks turning deep red as we rolled into Papago Park. I saw a roadrunner darting across the path—those birds are way smaller than cartoons make them look.

We parked by this odd pyramid—apparently Arizona’s first governor is buried there?—and then locked up the bikes for the short hike up to Hole in the Rock. It wasn’t tough, just a bit dusty with loose gravel. Standing inside that ancient lookout spot, you get this weird hush even though Phoenix is right there below you. The light through the rock makes everyone look golden for a second. I took about fifty photos but honestly none really caught what it felt like up there.

The ride back hugged the canals (who knew Phoenix had canals?) and we passed behind the Desert Botanical Gardens—just flashes of greenhouses and prickly pear shadows sliding over concrete. By then my legs were wobbly but happy. If you’re looking for a day trip from Scottsdale or want to see Papago Park without sweating buckets on a regular bike, this e-bike tour is pretty much perfect—even if you do end up yelling in a tunnel or two.