Anyone that has been in Scottsdale for any length of time has seen the McDowell Mountains, which dominate the horizon of the Northeast Valley.

Housing developments skirt the bottom of the range, but multiple rounded but rugged peaks stretch for 10 miles, and the summits approach 4000 feet, half a mile above the big valley floor. And thanks to the Scottsdale voters who approved purchasing and preserving this massive chunk piece by piece, in 1990, 94, 98, and 2005, almost one third of the city’s land area is reserved for nothing but hiking and biking.

57,000 Acres

This extraordinary desert playground comprises 36,000 acres of prime terrain, and a slew of hand engineered trails of all difficulty levels. Now this side of the McDowells can be accessed all the way across the crest of the range to connect with another 21,000 acres of fat tire bliss, in Maricopa County’s McDowell Mountain Regional Park. The sum of these two parts is off the charts by any standards, and roughly the size of metro Honolulu. Bikers can batter themselves slowly or rapidly, cover tons of ground and occasionally pick it up and tote it if necessary. The quality of the new trails is amazing, though some of the sportier parts feature faces better suited for downhill skiing. This network is the result of years of tremendous foresight and labor, and any biker with energy and a day to burn will feel good work has been done.


360 Degree Knockout View

The newest section of the park is entered at the Gateway Trailhead, easily accessed from Thompson Peak Parkway just north of Bell Rd. This is where you can park, use the restroom, fill up the Camelback, and pick up an excellent, and more or less compulsory, trail map of the preserve. The options are staggering, with 26 separate trails available, three of which lead steeply across the crest of the range. Needless to say, many could keep busy out here for weeks. The preserve has two other visitor centers with water and parking, along with three other trailheads with limited parking.

From Gateway, I recommend starting due north on the Desert Park trail, a gradual easy climb through some swank golf real estate. 3 miles in, and just past the last of the houses the size of hotels, a very tiresome quarter mile climb connects to the Wingate Pass trail. A right turn here starts a very nice three-fifths mile downhill, where it becomes the sublime Gateway loop, a 3-and-a-half miles of good rollin'. However, I strongly advise a left, and grinding another 500 vertical feet to the top of Wingate Pass, with a knockout view in every direction. This slow slug of a stretch also offers an optional, even more gruesome climb up Tom's Thumb trail, leading a very serious 3 miles up to the famous landmark. Only professional extremists should even consider riding this, however it makes for a tremendous day hike.


Bell Pass

Continuing east down from Wingate Pass, a sensational mile long drop converges with the Bell Pass trail and another choice. Left a few hundred meters intercepts another black diamond, the truly disturbing East End trail, which switchbacks straight up through some incredible boulders to eventually connect to the Tom's Thumb trail. Much heavy lifting is obvious from the construction of this section, and I am grateful for those who toiled on our behalf. Dropping to the east the Wingate here becomes the Windmill, and in another terrific mile becomes the Coachwhip, heading further into McDowell Mountain Regional Park, where another 50+ miles of sweet shred await.

My personal choice at the junction of the Windgate and the Bell is to hang a right, and start going back up, gradually at first, bound for Bell Pass. This requires a 275 foot gradual climb, and the 3204' pass summit provides yet another big view, and a nice place to relax before tackling the most exciting section of all, it's a 2 mile downhill, dropping 1200 feet, and the pitch at the top is the desert equal of Jackson Hole. I strongly advise getting way back on the bike, hope your brakes are in good working order, and stay directly in the moment. The steepness eventually eases and this epic trail connects with the Gateway Loop. Left takes one flat mile back to the visitor center, but a right takes it back up 250 vertical feet in about 3/4 of a mile, to Gateway Saddle, another fine vista. From here it's a sensational sweep back to the center, dropping 600 feet in a mile and a half. Of course, over achievers can opt to hang a right back on to the Wingate Pass trail and conquer it from the south before coasting back on the Desert Park through golf utopia. Regardless of the route, appetites will be very healthy.


Prospector, Lost Dog and More

There are other fine tracks in this section of the preserve, like Prospector, 1.3 miles of twist that connect Bell Pass trail with the Dixie Mine in the regional park. The rugged Toms' Thumb trail is 5 miles long and its north terminus marks the site of a future access area. All of this lies in just the northern half of the preserve, with the south sporting another dozen paths fanning out in every direction. My personal favorite in this section is the Lost Dog, a mellow two and a half miles out that can be upgraded and expanded many more miles by linking to the Old Jeep or Ringtail trails. Another posh visitor center is available at the Lost Dog Wash access area, with parking for hundreds, facilities, water and shade.

The sheer quantity of potential pleasure is massive: 10 outstanding trails, with another dozen all stars over the ridge in McDowell Mountain Regional Park. This spread of pristine high desert is also significant wildlife habitat with reptiles, mammals and birds galore, and wide varieties of flora, including some of the most complex Saguaro cactus specimens anywhere. To have such a gigantic, lush, untrammeled wild area so close to an urban metropolis is rare, and this is the place to get the city off your mind. Be prepared, yield to critters, and play the day away.


MORE INFORMATION:
www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov/preserve
www.maricopa.gov/parks/mcdowell