LATIGO-ROCK
TANK-HAWKNEST LOOP
McDowell
Sonoran Preserve
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| Palo verde trees shade the Latigo trail |
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| Black Mountain seen from Rock Tank Trail |
Outdoor
recreation opportunities continue to expand in the McDowell Sonoran
Preserve. The permanently protected
swath of Sonoran Desert in north Scottsdale that has over 220+ miles of trails
that wind through more than 30,000 acres of pristine territory recently gained
a new trailhead.
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| WAPA power lines on Powerline Road |
Located in the preserve’s
northwest corner, the Pima-Dynamite trailhead that opened earlier this year, is
part of the City of Scottsdale’s Phase 3 Trail Corridor Plan. The roomy access
point is bordered by Pima Road and State Trust Land, Dynamite Boulevard and
Stagecoach Pass and has parking for more than 200 passenger vehicles and special
spots for horse trailers. While still under development, several trails in the
Phase 3 project which involves 3,000 acres of land just west of the Brown’s
Ranch trailhead are open for use by hikers, bikers and equestrians. Like all preserve
trails, the new cluster of sustainably-designed, multi-use routes offer safe,
non-motorized access while protecting native plant and wildlife habitats.
To get a
quick look at the Phase 3 sector, make a loop hike on the Latigo, Rock Tank,
Hawknest and Powerline Road trails.
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| New trails in Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve |
A
map kiosk at the trailhead shows the system layout as well as its connectivity
with old-favorite preserve trails to the east.
The circuit begins with a short walk on Powerline Road to the Latigo
Trail junction. The 1.1-mile Latigo leg is dominated by views of the Western
Area Power Administration high voltage powerline. Not exactly anybody’s idea of a perfect hiking
visual experience, the looming spider-like metal structures have an odd,
other-worldly presence.
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| A stony passage on the Hawknest Trail |
When framed by the gangly arms of ocotillo and the
gnarly branches of dead ironwood trees, the towers embody technology imitating
nature. The juxtaposition of wires and wilds elicits mixed responses from trail
users. Is the high-voltage canopy a necessary co-existence or an omen of
doom? It’s a dialectic best not explored
when disparaging the juice conduits while pulling up trail apps on your
phone.
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| Bizarre granite rock forms are common site along the trails |
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| Creosote shrubs line the Rock Tank Trail |
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| Granite boulders on the Hawknest Trail |
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| Wires and wilds on Latigo Trail. |
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| Desert Senna blooms April - October |
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| Hawknest Trail swerves around a granite rock garden |
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| An old mesquite tree on Hawknest Trail |
The hike
isn’t all power lines, though. As the
route dips and bends, the wires are swallowed by big desert vistas of
surrounding mountains and the distinctive forms of Cone Mountain, Pinnacle Peak
and Black Mountain. Hang a left at the
Rock Tank trail junction where acres of saguaros, shrubs and hilly terrain mark
the transition into a maze of mountain bike routes to the north.
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| Sonoran Desert vegetation of Rock Tank Trail |
The twisted paths of Dare A Sarah, Scorpion and Snake Eyes trails form a loopy challenge course in an area that,
as of this writing, is signed to advise users to use caution because the area
is not yet mapped. The trails are indicated on the trailhead kiosk, though.
Continue on to the Hawkneck trail junction, turn left and get ready to hike
though some narrow stone corridors with bizarre granite outcroppings. Although
this leg of the hike also parallels the power lines, Palo verde, ironwood and
mesquite trees do a good job of hiding them from view.
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| Technology imitates nature on the Latigo Trail |
The final
miles back to the trailhead meld swerving singletrack paths with the straight-shot,
bulldozed power line road that is both a backbone trail for pristine back country
hikes and an access route for maintenance crews that tend the wires that send power
to mobile devise charging stations. The
paradox abides.
LENGTH: 3-mile
loop
RATING:
easy
ELEVATION:
2,339- 2,453 feet
GETTING
THERE:
Pima-Dynamite
Trailhead: 28777 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale.
From Loop 101 in Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess exit 36,
go 6.5 miles north on Pima Road to Dynamite Blvd., turn right and continue 0.1-mile
to the trailhead on the left. No facilities at this time. The preserve is open
daily from sunrise to sunset.
INFO:
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
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