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All 150 Scottsdale Attractions »

McDowell Sonoran Preserve

18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ
Ranked #1 of 89 attractions in Scottsdale
4.5 of 5 stars 55 Reviews
Type: Nature/ Wildlife Areas
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55 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Phoenix, Arizona
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 21, 2012 NEW

Great in-town area for hiking, mountain biking, horse back riding. Terrific trails. Very popular...always somebody on the trails so its relatively safe for solo female. More

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See 3 more reviews by MerSamson for Scottsdale
Bonita Springs, Florida
Top Contributor
72 reviews 72 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed May 18, 2012

Peaceful hiking trails, full of wild life, and native plants. The saguaro were in bloom while I was there. Take your camera, you don't want to miss the opportunity to photograph what you see. Don't miss it, take water and good hiking shoes. More

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See 2 more reviews by CaribeAzul1 for Scottsdale
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 12, 2012

multiple trails to choose from depending on your time and how hard a workout you desire. More

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See 2 more reviews by mikealey for Scottsdale
New York, New York, United States
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed May 4, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

The full loop (which took us about 4 hours, door to door) was exactly right for a group of 8, ranting in age from 6 to 64. The terrain was varied, with enough uphill slope to be at least slightly challenging and there total climb afforded some extraordinary views. Just beautiful. More

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See 2 more reviews by AbeWachs for Scottsdale
Cincinnati
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 30, 2012

Everything from a short nature trail with a lot of information on the local flora and fauna, to hard-core long steep hikes. I saw one mtn bike, so I assume they are allowed. We stumbled upon this facility almost by accident. GREAT way to spend a day in the desert!!!! More

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Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Contributor
17 reviews 17 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 29, 2012

Several trailheads, multiple trails of varying difficulty, excellent trail maps with accurate ratings. No shade, bring more water than you think you will need. More

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Phoenix, Arizona
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 27, 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This preserve has some of the best maintained trails with spectacular views in all of the valley. There are all difficulty levels represented here, but I encourage one to push themselves. It is worth it! More

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Central WI
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 23, 2012

This Preserve was just minutes from our hotel in Scottsdale. We drove over one morning and had a fantastic hike. I wish that we would have been there long enough to go back and try other trails. More

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See 2 more reviews by Klthoestpt for Scottsdale
Phoenix, Arizona
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 22, 2012

Whatever your hiking/walking or mountain biking ability, the preserve has something for you. From the interpretive trail which we did with my 75 year old mom or the upper passes, there is so much to offer. Run mostly by volunteers in partnership with the City of Scottsdale, this desert paradise is truly a hidden treasure. There is plenty of party... More

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See 3 more reviews by KGtraveler622 for Scottsdale
Washington DC, District of Columbia
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed April 21, 2012

It's really an silent peaceful place to relax and forget one's all worries. It offers all levels of hike from easy to difficulty. It's also very enjoyable hike. More

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See 5 more reviews by Buddha86 for Scottsdale

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