Piestewa Peak, formerly known as Squaw Peak, is 2,610 feet above sea level. It is the second-highest point in the Phoenix Mountains, after Camelback Mountain, and the third-highest in Phoenix, Arizona.
Piestewa Peak is located in the Piestewa Peak Recreation Area within the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, near Piestewa Parkway.
Piestewa Peak is named in honor of Army Spc. Lori Ann Piestewa, the first known Native American woman to die in combat in the U.S. military and the first female soldier to be killed in action in the 2003 Iraq War.
Since this was my first hike in a few months, I was looking for something not too difficult. The info I found on this made it sound like it was perfect, and it was. However, it is a 1,208 elevation gain in just 1.2 miles, like climbing a really long staircase. It was the perfect “first hike” of the season, on a stunningly perfect day.
And the views were well worth the effort.
