There are a lot of cool animals on the trails around Arizona. But there are also a lot of dangerous ones in the desert. 

Pay attention to your surroundings and be alert whenever you're hiking because you never know what you will see. 

Ringtails

The place where I have consistently seen the ringtail has been at night on the summit of Piestewa Peak. Unfortunately, they have become habituated to people. Especially people who think it is cute or fun to feed them trail snacks. If you sit silently, the ringtail may approach you. I do not feed them and encourage you to do the same.

Lizards

Scorpions

Buying a couple of blacklights has made night hikes very interesting during the warmer months. It's really cool to find scorpions along the trail and see how they glow. 

Snakes, Nope Ropes, and Danger Noodles

Bobcat at Camelback Mountain along the Cholla Trail

Chipmunks