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CHOLLA MOUNTAIN LOOP
McDowell Sonoran Preserve
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| The Ampitheater |
Strewn with relics of an early 20th-century ranching
operation, the flat, sandy acreage of North Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve
is besieged by an arc of rough-edged peaks. The weathered rock mounds rise
abruptly as skyscrapers in molded cones and awkward heaps of mixed stone
scattered like wayward gendarmes on a spent battlefield. Noteworthy among these peaks is Cholla
Mountain. A brand new trail with
two scenic viewpoints circles the north-south-running ridge. At the south end
is a little place called The
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| Cathedral Rock |
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| Cathedral Rock |
HIKE DIRECTIONS:
Maps at the trailhead detail numerous ways to hike around
Cholla Mountain. Here's what we
did:
Hike north on Brown’s Ranch Road to the Corral Trail
junction. Go right and hike to Dry Gulch Trail. Follow Dry Gulch to Cholla Mtn
Loop Trail. Hike the loop and retrace your steps back to the parking lot.
LENGTH: 7.7-mile loop
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 2710' - 2855'
FACILITIES: water, restrooms, bike racks, horse trailer
parking, maps
GETTING THERE:
Brown's Ranch Trailhead, 30301 N. Alma School Pkwy.
Scottsdale 85262
From Loop 101 in Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess exit 36,
travel 6.5 miles north on Pima to Dynamite Road. Turn right and continue 2.7 miles to Alma School, turn left
and drive 1 mile to the trailhead.
McDowell Sonoran Preserve MAP:
McDowell Sonoran Conservancy
MORE PHOTOS:
