PROMENADE-SONORAN
LOOP
Fountain
Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve
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| Ocotillo frame Superstition Wilderness peaks. |
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| Sonoran Trail dips and climbs through rugged foothills. |
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| A Red-tailed hawk glides above the Verde River basin. |
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| Adero Canyon Trailhead officially opened on 11-17-2018. |
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| Stop and smell the desert lavender while hiking. |
With the
restroom plumbing and water lines nearly complete and the access road mostly
paved, the new Adero Canyon Trailhead in the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain
Preserve was officially opened on November 17, 2018.
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| The Promenade Trail follows a wide dirt road. |
After decades of planning and construction,
the roughly 1000-acre preserve now occupies a mountainous sliver of space between manicured
golf communities and the hiking hubs of Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve
and McDowell Mountain Regional Park.
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| Four Peaks seen from the Promenade Trail |
The
mini-but-mighty preserve located in the far northwest corner of town really
packs a punch in terms of varied hiking opportunities. The preserve has more than 11 miles of
non-motorized trails that range in difficulty from very easy to extremely
challenging.
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| Excellent signage keeps hikers on track. |
Perhaps the most tantalizing hiker-gravy of the trail complex is
its connectivity. Although most of the preserve’s routes are contained within
its borders, the Sonoran, Andrew-Kinsey and Dixie Mine trails cross into the
adjacent park and preserve. These
property-spanning paths offer seamless foot travel among the popular northeast
Valley hiking hubs.
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| Brittlebush are prolific bloomers along the trails. |
Although each of the
preserve’s trails has its own character, they all capitalize on their
advantageous location overlooking the Salt and Verde River basin. Here, scenic
vistas come in the form of both low hanging fruit and hard-won jewels.
Ostensibly, the big jewels are gained by clambering up and over the extreme
course of the Western Loop Trail, but a walkabout on the less-arduous Promenade
and Sonoran Trails unpacks similar dramatic scenery.
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| Wolfberry shrubs bear bright orange fruits. |
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| Lacy Tansy-Aster bloom along the trails. |
From the trailhead, the Promenade Trail
follows a wide, edge-hugging road on the preserve’s eastern foothills. Trails
within the preserve are well-signed and outfitted with location markers that
correspond with maps available online and at the trailhead, so getting around
is simple as long as you pay attention.
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| Arching ocotillos shade the Sonoran Trail. |
As it swings around chunky bluffs,
unobstructed views of the iconic Four Peaks and Superstition Wilderness soar
above green valleys and sprawling suburbs. As the route swings northwest,
distant silhouettes of Sierra Ancha Mountains back the rugged expanse of the
Tonto National Forest. At the 0.8-mile point, take either the Sonoran or Lower
Sonoran Trail at location marker ST1/LST1.
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| Junction for the loop portion of the hike. |
Both legs of the difficult-rated loop have
some steep sections and loose rock where the path descends and rises through a craggy
notch. Continue less than a mile to the crossover link at marker LST5 and swing
back on the opposite leg.
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| Sonoran Trail spills into McDowell Mtn Regional Park |
While hiking
the loop, don’t let the big mountain and valley panoramas dominate your
experience.
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| Desert lavender shrubs frame views of Tonto NF mountains. |
A veritable botanical garden of flowering plants tickle the fringes
of the trails. Wolfberry shrubs, cholla cacti, brittlebush and desert lavender drape over the route adding pops of color to the
heady hike.
LENGTH:
3.3 miles
RATING:
moderate-difficult
ELEVATION:
2460 – 2170 feet
GETTING
THERE:
Adero
Canyon Trailhead: 14800 N. Eagle Ridge Dr. Fountain Hills.
From State
Route 87 in Fountain Hills, go 3.2 miles west on Shea Blvd to N. Palisades
Blvd. Turn right (north) and continue 1mile to Eagle Ridge Drive, turn left and
go 2.3 miles to the trailhead.
HOURS:
Sunrise to sunset daily
FEE: no
fees unless you cross into MMRP ($2 per person).
INFO:
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