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Scottsdale Desert Classic Guided Hiking
4.9
47 Ratings
Scottsdale
Experience a customized hiking adventure in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Explore the Sonoran Desert, enjoy incredible viewpoints, and learn from knowledgeable guides. Safety and fun guaranteed!
Experience a customized hiking adventure in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Explore the Sonoran Desert, enjoy incredible viewpoints, and learn from knowledgeable guides. Safety and fun guaranteed!
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Gateway Trailhead - McDowell Sonoran Preserve - Embark on a timeless hiking adventure in the stunning Sonoran Desert of Scottsdale, Arizona!
This iconic guided hike takes you on a classic loop through the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona. A local, certified, professional guide from Mad Desert Trekking will meet you at the trailhead and…
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Gateway Trailhead - McDowell Sonoran Preserve - Embark on a timeless hiking adventure in the stunning Sonoran Desert of Scottsdale, Arizona!
This iconic guided hike takes you on a classic loop through the McDowell Mountains in Scottsdale, Arizona. A local, certified, professional guide from Mad Desert Trekking will meet you at the trailhead and accompany you on an exciting journey through Scottsdale’s expansive McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the largest city-owned preserve in the world, spanning over 30,500 acres.
Immerse yourself in the vibrant energy of the Sonoran Desert and explore its unique geological formations, along with the native flora and fauna exclusive to this region. Discover the vast open desert, canyons, washes, and mountain ridges.
Climb the switchbacks for breathtaking views of Scottsdale, Phoenix, the Valley of the Sun, and beyond. Reach a mountain saddle for a spectacular view of the surrounding McDowell Mountain range and witness the Sonoran Desert extending over 60 miles to the west.
Adventure Details:
Feel the invigorating energy of hiking through the Sonoran Desert, the most diverse desert in North America. This beautiful trail is a favorite, and it’s sure to become yours as well.
What's Included
- Refreshing cold beverages post-hike
- Complimentary sunscreen
- Bottled water included
- Assorted snacks provided
- Carbonated drinks available
- Backpacks supplied for convenience
- Refreshing cold beverages post-hike
- Complimentary sunscreen
- Bottled water included
- Assorted snacks provided
- Carbonated drinks available
- Backpacks supplied for convenience
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Discover the Scottsdale Classic Hiking Adventure in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The hike will be tailored to your preferred distance, terrain, and difficulty level.
- Enjoy a hike lasting approximately two hours.
- Learn about the geology, flora, and fauna of the Sonoran Desert.
- Unwind at a stunning viewpoint with trail snacks and drinks provided by…
Discover the Scottsdale Classic Hiking Adventure in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The hike will be tailored to your preferred distance, terrain, and difficulty level.
- Enjoy a hike lasting approximately two hours.
- Learn about the geology, flora, and fauna of the Sonoran Desert.
- Unwind at a stunning viewpoint with trail snacks and drinks provided by your guide.
- Every trip is designed to be fun, and our expert guides will reveal hidden gems of the area known only to a select few.
- Spend 2-3 hours on the trail.
- Meet your guide at the trailhead.
- Difficulty ranges from easy to challenging—choose your preferred level!
We supply everything necessary for your hiking adventure:
- Backpacks
- Sunscreen
- Bottled water
- Sports drinks
- Trail snacks
- Refreshing beverages after your hike.
Your safety is our top priority. We promise a safe, enjoyable, and unforgettable experience in the Sonoran Desert.
Location
Gateway Trailhead - McDowell Sonoran Preserve
North Thompson Peak Parkway
Your Mad Desert Trekking guide will meet you at Gateway Trailhead, 18333 N. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Uber and Lyft will conveniently offer drop-off service to the Starbucks.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(47 Ratings)
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Tina_s
Mar 7, 2026
Jennifer is the best - Wonderful hike and Jennifer is great. Educational experience
Beautiful warm sunny day. Provided water
Review provided by Viator
262maurao
Dec 30, 2025
Great Desert Hike in Brown’s Ranch - Scottsdale - We had a great time with Doug Mangum our guide who was wonderful. Our hike was intermediate and we were able summit Brown’s Mountain, which had incredible views of the valley. Doug brought small backpacks and snacks and water for everyone. We enjoyed his engaging teaching style which was personable, warm, and funny as we learned about the various cacti, trees, wildlife, civilizations, and ranching history of the Scottsdale and Phoenix area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bethbh8291wv
Dec 7, 2025
Excellent custom hike. - Doug was an excellent guide. We had an amazing time. The hike was tailored to what we wanted to do. Doug shared all about the history of the area and was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Would definitely do another hike when we are back in town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pbresler56
Nov 11, 2025
Jay is a great guide. Educational, guide was well versed in the local flora and fauna. Highly recommend. - Great experience! Jay was an amazing guide! Highly recommend. He let us and proceed backpacks, cold drinks and snacks.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan_s
Oct 26, 2025
Wonderful and educational afternoon! - Doug was our tour guide. He was very personable, knowledgeable, and fun! We spent 3+ hours learning about the desert - plants, animals, and mountain ranges. We had a great time.
Review provided by Viator
A2410tvdavidb
Aug 27, 2025
Great hike with Mad Desert Trekking - Had (another) great hike with Matt and MDT out of the TomThumb Trailhead in Scottsdale AZ. Matt picks the right level, distance and elevation for my age and the conditions. Also Matt is a fount of information about the desert he obviously loves and knows so well. His enthusiasm is contagious. Highly recommend this unique perspective in a large metropolis.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulfi1158tv
May 11, 2025
Hike in the Desert - This was just an outstanding day in the Scottsdale Desert with Matt. He provided an excellent overview of the landscape and all the wildlife of the area. He interacted with all of us on the hike and he obviously enjoys his work. I would highly recommend it and would do it again if we were back in Scottsdale.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Krispg4393qh
May 8, 2025
Sonora Desert - Really fabulous hike. Great scenery and a great guide. Brown Mountain in the Sonora Desert. Cardinals, desert flowers, and even a snake. Thanks, Curtis!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Holly
Mar 18, 2025
BEST GUIDED TOUR! - This hike was such a wonderful way to explore the trails in Scottsdale! Liz was my guide and she was superb! Liz was so accommodating and pleasant! It made for a very memorable and enjoyable activity! I highly recommend this to everyone!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sara
Mar 16, 2025
Browns Ranch Hike - My cousin and I decided to meet 1/2 way and landed in Scottsdale. While we were here we opted to do several guided hikes, since neither of us are avid hikers and didn’t want to seem too out of place and ask too many strangers questions on the trail. After a ton of research and reading reviews we chose Mad Desert Trekking and sooooo glad we did. I spent a little time chatting with Matt about our goals and physical abilities and decided on 2 separate hikes on different days. Our second hike was a guided tour through a much larger desert north east of scottsdale. Jay was our new guide and as soon as we met him we felt like we struck gold again!! Communication was fantastic and we felt prepared for a longer hike with zero worries. We started off at a visitor center, and Jay explained to us exactly where our hike was going to take us. Within minutes we were learning about the terrain and the mountains around us. His catus knowledge was insane and honestly extremely interesting. There was not a question he couldn’t answer, and it’s exactly what we wanted, to learn about the area. The hike itself was on a wonderful kept, easy walking trail until the clime up to our viewpoint, but still easy enough footing to the top. We enjoyed a fantastic view, snacks and conversation at the top , accompanied by a visiting hawk. We were once again sad when the hike was over. Jay was really a fantastic guide. Any visitor looking for a guided hike will not be sorry they picked this company, class act all the way!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
