"A" Mountain Challenge
A Mountain Challenge by Downtown Tempe has sunset for our team but that doesn't mean it needs to stop for you!
Are you ready to take on the Challenge? Test your limits and support Downtown Tempe merchants!
A Mountain Challenge was created in the midst of the COVID-19 shutdown as a way to bring people back into our Downtown and help the local businesses that desperately needed foot traffic. Now, A Mountain Challenge lives on as a personal event. Challenge yourself between the months of March and April each year to climb A Mountain as many times as you can and support a local business of your choice while you're here.
Feel free to take your time to the peak or challenge yourself with this short and surprisingly steep hike. It's a great way to get a good workout in if you challenge yourself or slow it down and enjoy the viewing adventure in the midst of a college town.
Tag @downtowntempe with #AMountainChallenge to keep the challenge alive!
Where Should I Park?
Mission Palms Parking Lot: by Tempe Mission Palms Hotel is $3 and hour or $15 maximum.
201 S Ash Garage across the street: FREE if entering Monday – Friday any time after 6PM and before 6AM. Otherwise $3 the first hour and $2 every hour after. Max $20. The garage is FREE all day Saturdays & Sundays (excluding special events).
On-Street Meters: There are 400+ on-street meters in Downtown Tempe. Rates vary by location & time. All on street meters are FREE on Sundays & Holidays.
Challenge yourself further by parking across the lake at Watermark Tempe free parking garage and walk or jog in! See photo for one option with approximate distance and path.
Bonus points if you run, bike, scooter, or light rail in.
“A” Mountain Fun Facts
Did you know that the “A” on “A” Mountain used to be an “N?”
In 1918, the letter “N” was built on the mountain by Tempe Normal School’s senior class. When the school’s name changed to “Tempe State Teacher’s College” in 1925, the “N” was transformed into a “T.” The “T” stood strong for three short years until the school once again changed it’s name to “Arizona State Teacher’s College.” A decade passed before the first sighting of the “A” appeared. The letter was originally made from loose rocks in 1938 but was later destroyed by vandals with dynamite in 1952. In 1955, it was recreated using reinforced steel and concrete and stands 60 feet tall from top to bottom. All these years later, students at ASU are still involved with the larger-than-life letter. If you ever see the “A” change colors, you have students at ASU to thank! Each year, they paint the “A” white to symbolize a fresh new start to the academic year before painting it back to gold following the season’s first football game. Today, a variety of organizations paint the “A” to bring awareness to their causes.
How tall is “A” Mountain?
The highest point of “A” Mountain stands 1,496 feet in elevation and the base stands at 1,150 feet in elevation. Compare it to other hikes local and famous:
- Camelback Mountain: 2,707 ft. = 4 times the elevation gain of A Mountain.
- Humphreys Peak: 12,633 ft. = 10 times the elevation gain of A Mountain.
- Mt. Rainier: 14,411 ft. = 25 times the elevation gain of A Mountain.
- Mt. Everest: 29,032 ft. = 40 times the elevation gain of A Mountain.
There are several ways to start your hike and only one way to finish it. Try out new routes to get to the peak!
Native American Land Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge that Tempe Butte and the land surrounding it is sacred to local tribal communities and is part of the ancestral homelands of the O'odham (Pima) and Piipaash (Maricopa) peoples. Tempe Butte is known as Oidbaḍ Do’ag (oyd∙bət daw∙ahg) in O’odham and Xwe Nykuuly (khwe nyə·kool) in Piipaash.
You can find the City of Tempe’s resolution recognizing the lands that comprise present-day Tempe as being culturally affiliated with the O'odham and Piipaash at the Native American Land Acknowledgement. The land continues to be spiritually and culturally important to these communities and we ask that you respect the butte as you enjoy the views by staying on the trail, not disturbing the landscape, and leaving no trace.
See The Hayden Flour Mill Project for an inside look at the future of Hayden Flour Mill and A Mountain hiking trails.
Questions? Email events@downtowntempe.com.