One of my favorite things about bicycling in Tempe is how well the city has bridged gaps between routes. The city’s extensive bicycle network has become truly well-connected. This makes it a uniquely great place to bike within the metropolitan Phoenix area.

Recently, I wrote about the newly-completed Country Club Way Pathway. That small segment of path has become a core piece of infrastructure for our household. It made me realize that these small projects often go unnoticed by the greater public, but they dramatically improve the quality of life for those who use them.

As a result of this realization, I decided to document my ride yesterday along another underrated connector path: the Highline Canal Multi-Use Path. This portion of my ride was approximately 3 miles.

The Route

The Highline Canal path begins from the north end at the Western Canal near the Kyrene Generating Station. There is a somewhat understated fork in the path which travels between a large fence at the power plant and the Ken McDonald golf course.

Once you’re past the power company’s guard station, you travel over railroad tracks and arrive at a HAWK signal at Kyrene Road (Wikipedia – HAWK Beacon).

The path technically continues straight, but, if you are willing to ride alongside a road with automobiles, you can also take a slight shortcut to the south along Grove Parkway. I take the Grove Parkway bike lane until it reconnects with the pathway shortly later at another traffic signal for pedestrians on the path.

From there, the Highline Pathway continues southbound. It emerges onto a reasonably quiet road which shares access to a Walmart, a QT convenience store (which are the best convenience stores in our region), and an EVgo charging station.

The intersection at Elliot does have a magnetic loop in the bike lane pavement to detect bicycles. However, keep in mind that if you’re on a carbon fiber bicycle, it might not detect you.

Once through the intersection, you’re returned to a car-free pathway which continues to Priest Drive. I should also mention that, as of 2025, you also pass Donut Parlor, which currently has a 4.6 rating on Yelp (Donut Parlor Website).

The pathway ends very close to our IKEA, which has the most bicycle parking that I’ve ever seen in one place. So, if you’ve brought a lock and you’re looking for something more than a donut, the IKEA cafe is not a bad option to grab a full meal.

Park

A primary feature of the route is a tiny park which is found near the southern end of the connector trail. The park is well hidden and located amongst several commercial buildings. It’s basically a corridor which lines both sides of the path with desert-adapted landscaping.

An art installation named “Highline Pinnacles 2019” by Seattle-based artist John Fleming (Link to John Fleming’s Website) provides interest along the route. There are also a couple of benches and shade structures along the path through the park.

Safety

As with most major cities, the pathway had a tumultuous year or two as we emerged from the pandemic. Vandalism became more common. I would frequently see new graffiti or light posts with visibly missing copper wiring. At one point, I was even chased by a man who began yelling at me incoherently from the dark at 4 o’clock in the morning.

A low point for me was when two bicycle repair stands went missing. These stands provided bicyclists with an air pump, a place to work on a bicycle, and a variety of essential tools. Sadly, tools began to slowly go missing. Then, the entire stands themselves disappeared.

I stopped riding this section for about a year because it was sad to see the decline.

Fortunately, as I write this now, the condition of the path has improved significantly. Vandalism has become infrequent, and I haven’t had any recent unsettling experiences riding along this segment. I’m back to riding this route regularly.

Conclusion

The Highline Canal provides a safe and somewhat interesting route for bicyclists traveling through southwestern Tempe.  It does a great job of creating a safe alternative to busy roads with occasional interesting sights.

While it’s not a destination on its’ own, if you’re biking in this part of the city, it can offer great access to other routes and pathways.