Scorpions Glow Blue-Green on a Night Hike Above Phoenix
A 90-minute guided night hike in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, where a borrowed UV flashlight makes scorpions and rocks glow and the city lights spread out below.
The trick behind this hike is simple. Under ultraviolet light, a scorpion's shell glows blue-green, and in the dark you can spot one several steps away. The guide hands everyone a UV flashlight in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, waits until the only light left is stars and the city, and then the group starts looking.
The operator says in writing that scorpion sightings are not guaranteed. Hikers report anything from a dozen to more than sixty on one walk. One wrote that hotter days bring out more of them, and a December hiker counted a dozen and called that "not a given in December."
The card below books the shared night hike. As of November 5, 2026, the booking calendar priced adults at USD 75 and children aged 5 to 14 at USD 35. A full refund is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start.
Phoenix Mountains Preserve Night Glow Hike90-minute guided night hike with UV flashlights, from the south end of 32nd Street in north Phoenix.www.viator.comWhat Lights Up Besides the Scorpions
The listing names glowing insects, minerals and fossilized algae as the other things the purple beam picks out, none of which show up in daylight or under a normal torch. The route climbs a gently sloped trail with Piestewa Peak, the second tallest summit in Phoenix, above it, and near the high point the lights of the Valley of the Sun stretch out for miles.
Wear white or blacklight-friendly clothes, because the UV light makes the rest of the group glow too. The listing suggests it, and hikers add short sleeves, comfortable hiking shoes and a phone charged for photos.
In Winter, Seven O'Clock Is Already Full Dark
The listing describes meeting "just before dusk," and the operator's own page says "nightly at dusk." The booking calendar is more exact. From November through February every departure is at 7:00 PM, and in March and April it moves to 7:30 PM. Phoenix winter sunsets come well before seven, so expect to start in the dark and go straight to the flashlights.
Several November nights and December 23 to 25 are already closed on the calendar, so pick your date there first. The walk itself is 90 minutes on the listing, with about an hour of it out on the trail.
Two Miles of Rocky, Hilly Trail at Night
The operator calls it a moderate 2-mile hike. The listing is firmer about who should come. Every hiker should be able to walk 2 miles on rugged, hilly terrain without assistance. It also flags the hike as a poor fit for anyone with poor night vision, bad knees or ankles, poor balance, a spinal injury or poor cardiovascular health, and it is not recommended during pregnancy.
Hikers split on how hard it feels. Some call it an easy walk, and one wrote to be prepared for a bit of a workout. The slow pace of stopping to look for scorpions helps.
What Comes With It and What to Bring
- Included: a guide and an ultraviolet flashlight for each hiker
- Not included: transportation, snacks, bottled water and gratuities
- Bring your own water, closed hiking shoes and a charged phone
- An adult has to be on the booking, and children from age 5 have their own ticket price
- One booking takes up to 12 travelers
📍 Meet just east of 3143 E Puget Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85028, where 32nd Street ends. Drive south on 32nd Street from State Route 51 or Shea Blvd until the street runs out. The hike returns to the same spot.
The map pin on this page marks the Phoenix Mountains Preserve entry on Piestewa Peak Drive, about 900 meters southwest of the meetup, so head for the end of 32nd Street. Two hikers who came by Uber wrote that the guide waited with them until their ride showed up.