McDowell Mountain Regional Park

I stayed here 3 years ago and my first review still holds true. This is a great place. We made our reservations for a week a month out and picked our site no problem. When we decided to stay another week we could only get 3 days at a different site. If we wanted to move from site to site we could stay longer.
One draw back, not the park’s fault, is no laundry in the area. Closest one is about 25 miles away. Story goes that there was one close by but the people who live in the high price homes felt it didn’t «fit in».
When we come back again we will be sure to have lots of clean clothes.

In Phoenix and wanted to do some «light» hiking and could not have picked a better spot and the North Trail. Super easy to find the trail in the park [just follow the well-​placed signs]. The trail itself is very, very, well-​marked and easy to do. It’s basically a walk in the dessert — get a booklet at the ranger station and it highlights all the things you’ll pass on the trail. You could easily do this trail in 45 – 60 minutes. .. there’s places on this trail where it’s so quiet and serene, it’s beautiful, especially since Phoenix seems to have gotten so big and added so many subdivisions since when I lived here about 25 [cough] years ago.

This is a wonderful getaway park that’s extremely close to the city. The park was not busy at all, which was perfect for what I was looking for. I really felt like I was in the desert and away from it all.
I went with my mother and aunt. The park has so many different trails to accommodate different levels. We all were able to get exactly what we were looking for with this park.

Great spot close to town to escape for an enjoyable and relaxing getaway in your RV or camping. Bring the Mountain bike ! All Rsites are elec (30 or 50a) and water (w/​pressure regulator) and there is a dump station on the way out. Camp hosts pay meticulous attention to site cleanliness when folks depart and also do a great job on the common area rest room /​showers. Lots of trails right up against the campground and even a kids playground (under reconstruction when we were there over the New Year). Nice little Visitor Center with frequent programs applicable to all ages. Will definitely return again and again.

We visited the McDowell Mountain Regional Park for the first time on Friday night to participate in the Full Moon Hike with Ranger Amy. It was incredible!
The full moon was like a flood light guiding our way through this beautiful desert scenery. It was so peaceful and I didn’t want it to end. Ranger Amy educated us on our surroundings and made the experience great.
I highly recommend this activity to anyone… you won’t be disappointed!

Many people don’t realize there is a campground within the McDowell Mtn Regional Park easily accessible from Phoenix and within the Fountain Hills city limits. Even my friends who camp often when I told them I was taking my son camping here, they give me a blank stare.
A hidden secret of fully supported tent and RV facility including super clean restrooms and showers right next to a playground, this is a perfect place to have a family jamboree or tent up to hike or mountain bike around the many trails that are right next to the campground.
The only downside is there are no shade or large trees on any of the tent sites so bring an EZ pop up to provide some shading or go camping in the fall months when weather is perfect here in Phoenix.

I thought after moving away from my much beloved Cow Canyon trail in Reno that I would never find love again when it came to a place for my tires to make sweet, sweet land love to the ground as my able yet corpulent body pushed the pedals in a perpetual parade of circles intending to thrust me further along Mother Earth’s toasty flesh.
And then I found the McDowell Mountain loops.
«You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension — a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone…»
Well, to paraphrase, you’ve just crossed over into the technical and sport loops at McDowell Mountain Park.
Undulating ribbons of tasty desert single track, each folding seamlessly into the next, as if some sort of madman or mad genius came out with his shovel and designed a desert Twilight Zone for people like me to play with our bikes on. The trail starts with «not a walking trail, this is a high speed loop» to keep dog walkers, puttering senior citizens, idiots of the Birkenstock walking ilk, and families with quad wide strollers off of the trail and out of the unrelenting path of a man on his Yeti hell bent on a dirt roller coaster ride, damn the consequences or the victims!
Yea, its that good. Finger licking, make you wanna slap your momma and your grandmomma good. Good enough to name your first child after the trail, and then to leave the delivery room immediately after his/​her birth because you remembered you promised your one true love, your bike, some quality Terra toboggan time. Damn family, professional, personal or any other interests and their needs, your bike needs to come first, and it needs to come first out at McDowell Mountain.
Its $ 6 to get in, and its worth every penny. There are dirt jumps and a pump track courtesy of GROAZ (
) and a lot of their hard work out there. Bring your DJ and your XC bikes, you can use them all out here.
This place makes even the toast image of Baby Jesus wanna go for a bike ride, deep in my stomach, with some eggs and hot sauce. He died as breakfast for our sins so we could ride somewhere as great as McDowell.

It’s March and in less than sixty days, you’ll be headed for the beach.
Uh, one slight problem.
You’ve been in kind of a funk lately, eating way too many desserts while your only form of exercise has been limited to deciding which pair of sweats to wear any given day.
Well it’s time to bust out of that funk and here’s how.
Hiking at McDowell Mountain Park, aka; The Gateway.
You want a tight butt? One that’ll finally grace a string bikini and not a ruffled onesy?
This is your place.
Dust off those jorts and come here to begin your summer shape-​up /​hiking regimen, choosing from any one of fifteen or so trails ranging from beginner to difficult.
Try this for the next sixty days and watch the magic unfold.
Your legs will soon begin to resemble those of a Swedish weight lifter; you know, the ones with last names with all vowels?
You’ll get nice and tan too, another bonus.
There are other benefits too.
The next time some so-​called ‘Stanford undergrad’ says he’s taking pictures of the ceiling features at Axis-​Radius, only to discover your up-​skirted business is all over the web the next day, those thick legs will come in pretty handy when this time, the only thing his lens is going to capture will be a couple of huge thighs concealing your girly mystery.
You’ve got this, girl.
Hike till you’re tighter than a nun’s clam at MMP.

My boyfriend and I went for an afternoon ride and had a good time: the sunset was beautiful and our wrangler was very knowledgeable and friendly. However, the horses were kinda slow and would just stick to the track, which wasn’t very exiting… even for beginners.

The place is beautiful! Wonderful trails. Great to go hiking with your friends or spouse. I’d like to ride my bike there. Enough said. Check it out.

I’ve hiked the Gateway trail off Thompson Peak now a couple of times. It’s not as tough as Camelback etc because it’s not as steep. Overall though it’s fun and a decent workout if you push your pace.

So beautiful! This park is the perfect place to come to pretend you are in the middle of nowhere and admire the great natural beauty of Arizona. Even before entering the park it’s easy to feel like you’ve left society and heavy development behind, because all you can see are rocky mountains and miles of cactus and all you can hear is nature. My boyfriend and I did the North Trail, which was very scenic. There are trail markers around & a trail guide at the beginning so you can do a self guided tour, but most of the stops were kind of boring or the plant that was supposed to be there was dead. I think it would be really great for kids, but adults can probably skip it. My only complain about the trail (and it’s really not a valid complaint) is that the entire trail is flat so it was too easy. The park is really well maintained, as in the bathrooms are clean & stocked with toilet paper and soap. The rangers are really nice & helpful and will definitely help you figure out a good trail for you.

We absolutely love hiking here! There are tons of trails, and many of them are very easy to access — not to far away from Scottsdale. While you are close to the city, it definitely feels like you are far away. The trails are varying lengths and difficulties, which is great! You can also see plenty of wildlife while hiking here. The views of the sunset are also very incredible!

Looking for hiking that’s close to the city, but still makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere? Try the McDowell Mountains! Just 8(ish) miles past Fountain Hills, it only take about 25 minutes to drive there from the heart of Scottsdale, and you literally feel like you’re out in the wilderness. There are covered picnic areas and restrooms at the base of the trails, and the trails are excellently maintained. Some paths are wide enough to accomodate horseback riding, if that’s your thing. It’s pet friendly (just clean up after them!), and the trails go on for miles. You can do a 3 mile trekk (to the top and back), or even go crazy and do the 20 mile loop! It is rare to run into others on the mountain, which is a nice break from the chaos that is Squaw Peak or Camelback during peak hiking season. I can’t remember the name of the trail I like to do, but it’s about 3 miles long and takes you to the top of a small mountain that has a beautiful stone bench at the top where you can sit and enjoy a sunrise or sunset with 360 degree views. It’s remote, and absolutely stunning. I took my boyfriend there for a romantic sunset picnic on his birthday, and we had an amazing time! I definitely recommend this place for all nature lovers and hikers.

I love the McDowell Mountains! A wonderful place to hike. My two favorite places to start are:
— Gateway (near DC Ranch): This is relatively new and is a great place to start a hike — amazing views, friendly people, a welcome center and a large selection of trails (and lots of help choosing the right trails). If you have not been here, you MUST try it. This is the best place to start hiking.
— Sunrise: On Via Linda, the half or the whole hike up to Sunrise is a perfect challenge.
McDowell Mountain has the perfect variety of trails and amazing views!

As a kid growing up in the desert, it represented a few things… an obstacle between me and the carnival to traverse at night with no flashlight and a pant leg full of cholla needles, the place where my dog kept disappearing to, and my single mother’s idea of a great family outing consisting of metal detecting and rattlesnake hunting.
The desert was the place I would leave and to which I would never return. In a cruel twist of fate, I’m back. But as an adult, I’ve come to appreciate a lot about the deserts. The best sunsets and lightning shows, plant and wildlife that defies all odds, and relative solitude.
My husband and I finally decided a proper desert outing was in order and headed to McDowell Mountain Park for a «hike.» Check out Norm R’s excellent review with all the details about this park. We opted for the North Trail, an easy 3-​mile loop that will not test your endurance and is suitable for all fitness levels. Much to my husband’s dismay, there are benches along the loop. If I see a bench, my ass will sit on it, whether I need to or not, under the pretense of taking in the scenery. And there is much to take in here. As we were out fairly early for this time of year, we only saw two other people and their delightful Rhodesian Ridgebacks on the trail as they jaunted past us. Otherwise, it was just us, the desert, the birds, the rabbits, and the deer. Yes, I saw a deer again! Granted it was not grazing outside my office or jumping over my car, but there it was, a deer, in the middle of the desert. I was happy to not see a snake or a scorpion which is why January is the perfect time to visit the park.
On the way out, we stopped at the visitor center and purchased an annual pass for $ 75 which allows access to all Maricopa County Parks except Lake Pleasant. I was hesitant with the summers lasting so long, but with the picnic areas and night programs, I’m thinking we can get our money out of this. I’m just hoping this park stays open!

Just outside of Fountain Hills, at the eastern base of the McDowell Mountains, you’ll find this showcase of Sonoran Desert beauty. The park has over 50 miles of trails, great views of mountains and valleys, and is also an excellent area for watching desert wildlife. Vehicular entrance fee is $ 6 and the park roads lead to several trailheads. You’re well advised to stop by the visitor center first and ask for special events, such as guided walks or stargazing, or for finding out which trail would be best for you. My friend and I arrived early in the afternoon and we were advised to try the 5-​mile Scenic Trail, which takes you to varying elevations, none of which are too challenging, and which turned out to be aptly named. The vistas of the mountains and valleys were gorgeous! Periodically we had to stop, sit down and take in the beautiful scenery. Be warned, though — if you take your dogs on the trails or the picnic ramadas, it is best to keep them on a leash so they won’t stray away from you. A ranger there told us the story of a lady who brought her poodle to a picnic ramada and let the dog run freely, only to witness a coyote dash out of a nearly shrub, grab the little dog and run away with it. Yes, wildlife here is wild indeed. Make sure you take the necessary precautions for desert hiking: bring sufficient water for drinking, wear sunscreen and/​or a wide-​brimmed hat, and make prudent choices regarding which trail to take. And don’t forget to bring your camera; you’ll be glad you did.