Longer Hike
Directions: Take I-10 West to exit 161 onto Loop 202. Drive to exit 50A and onto Loop 101. Drive to exit 39 and turn right onto Raintree Drive. Travel 0.7 miles and turn left onto North Thompson Peak Parkway. Drive 2.6 miles and look for the entrance to the park, which is not well marked (The entrance is 0.5 miles north of Bell Road, on the right).
Summary: This is an easy hike in the McDowell Mountains that travels through the flats alongside a housing area then climbs slowly to the Gateway Loop Trail where it climbs a ridge and descends to the valley and loops back to the trailhead. Mike Colton will lead a more strenuous hike in the same area.
History of this area: In 1991 a group of Scottsdale citizens got together to discuss their concerns about a new home and commercial development on the outskirts of the city. They formed the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust and set about to find a way to protect the McDowell Mountains and the surrounding desert from development. It was a landmark moment in 1994 when, as a result of the trust member's efforts, the City of Scottsdale dedicated the initial McDowell Sonoran Preserve, totaling 5 acres. Over two decades of hard work and advocacy by the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy (formerly Land Trust) have led to the development of new trailheads, a complex network of multi-use trails, and even a research initiative to monitor and track the flora and fauna of the preserve. In October 2012, the city celebrated the opening of the Brown's Ranch Trailhead and the incorporation of over 50 miles of new trails.
Check out maps and directions on line.
alltrails
Google Maps East+McDowell+Foothills+Drive,+Scottsdale,+AZ - Desert Park Gateway Loop
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