Third Rock-Rodeo-Del Sol Loop

THIRD ROCK-RODEO-DEL SOL LOOP

Exposed slick rock on the Third Rock Trail

If it were possible to mold adrenaline into a hiking path, it might look like the Third Rock Trail.

View from the Rodeo Trail

As one of the newest trail additions to the Turkey Creek area in Coconino National Forest, the twisted route is rife with heart-pumping fun. 

The new trails are well signed

For years, the only official trail in the hilly high desert around the House Mountain volcano was the Turkey Creek Trail, a 4-mile legacy route that’s part single track, part old livestock path.

An edgy segment on the Third Rock Trail

  It’s still a great choice for a slightly under-the -radar wander through a cottonwood cluttered basin and a climb up to the rim of an extinct volcano.  But the isolated route is getting some company in the form of new connecting trails.

A typical scene on the Third Rock Trail

The long under appreciated space in Coconino National Forest south of Cathedral Rock is undergoing a major renovation that will include 21 miles of non-motorized routes by its projected completion date in 2028.

A slick rock ledge on the Del Sol Trail

Opened in January 2026 the Third Rock and Rodeo trails spin off of the Del Sol Trail which was completed in summer of 2025. Del Sol connects with the Turkey Creek Trail and was designed to be a major artery for future trail development. 

Tufted Evening Primrose on the Del Sol Trail

To experience the Third Rock and Rodeo trails, start at the Del Sol trailhead on Verde Valley School Road in the Village of Oak Creek. 

Slick rock passage on the Third Rock Trail

A few yards in on Del Sol, the Third Rock trail bends west, heading easily uphill where it traces red rock cliff faces. The route is a series of hairpin turns, slick rock passages and a few high-steps. It hangs mostly close to the edge with some steep drop offs and excellent views of Cathedral Rock, Capitol Butte, Wilson Mountain and other famous Sedona geological landmarks. 

A steep jump on the Rodeo Trail

Where the trail dips into ravines, junipers, cypress and sugar sumac trees provide welcome shade from the sun-drenched exposed ledges.  At the 1.3-mile point, the Rodeo trail spins off to the right.  The short but tricky segment begins with an immediate 200-foot steep drop. 

Bajada Lupine on the Del Sol Trail

Purpose built for mountain bikers, the twisty path features technical obstacles, jumps and tight turns before reconnecting with Third Rock. Hikers might want to skip this 0.34-mile leg to avoid bike encounters, and stay on Third Rock instead. 

Junipers on the Third Rock Trail

The route meets the Del Sol Trail at the 1.7-mile point. For a 3.7-mile loop, head right at the junction for the final leg back to the trailhead.  Throughout the hike, the sound of vehicles on Verde Valley School Road is a constant soundtrack, but the faint noise is swallowed up in visual distractions. Key points of interest on Del Sol are several slick rock ledges with unobstructed views. Myriad blooming shrubs, cacti and high desert wildflowers add color to all three of these newest additions to the expanding menu of Turkey Creek hiking trails.

The Del Sol trailhead

LENGTH:  3.7-mile loop

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 4, 056-4,304 feet (1,055 feet total elevation change)

NOTES: E-bikes are not allowed. Third Rock and Rodeo are not recommended for horses.

GETTING THERE:

Del Sol Trailhead:

From State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek, go 2.1 miles west on Verde Valley School Road to the parking apron on the left. There are no fees at this trailhead. 

Cow Poke Loop

COW POKE LOOP

Four Peks seen from 136th St. Express Trail

Besides the jaw-dropping views, amazing geology and lush Sonoran Desert vegetation, one of the best features of hiking in Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve is its trail connectivity.

Blackfoot Daisies

  Whether you’re up for a short trek with lots of company, a day-long haul through the preserve’s outer reaches or an easy loop away from the masses, the site’s 200+ miles of interconnected trails offers plenty of options

Boulder passage on the Bootlegger Trail

for customized hikes. Springtime is ostensibly when the preserve’s protected 30,500 acres of pristine desert habitat shines brightest. 

Bursage grows in sandy washes

It’s when balmy weather, clear skies and an abundance of colorful wildflowers, blooming shrubs and cacti add undiluted bliss to the trails.

Christmas cactus

A good recommendation for spring flower spotting that sidesteps the most heavily used routes is a loop hike using the parts of the Bootlegger, Granite Mountain Loop, Cow Poke, Dove Valley and 136th Street Express trails.

Coulter's lupine

  That might sound complicated, but signs placed at every junction coupled with available paper and digital maps, make getting around simple.

Cow Poke Trail

From the Granite Mountain trailhead on the preserve’s far east boundary.

All junctions are signed

Head out on the Bootlegger Trail, which traipses through enormous rock formations and giant saguaros that frame views of the Salt River Valley and mountain peaks in Tonto National Forest.

Desert lavender

Desert hyacinth

At the GM4 junction, head right on the Granite Mountain Loop—for a twisty, undulating half-mile walk where drainages feed pockets of brittle bush, desert lavender, trixis, bursage, scorpionweed, hackberry, wolf berry, wishbone bush and fairy dusters. 

Rock formation on the Granite Mountain Loop

Desert marigold

About halfway through the Granite Mountain leg, a scenic viewpoint on a rocky knoll showcases vistas that stretch all the way to the Superstition Wilderness where the prominent silhouettes of Weaver’s Needle and the Flatiron stand out on the horizon.

Mexican gold poppies

At the GM5 junction, hang a right onto the Cow Poke trail. 

Owl clover

This 0.6-mile leg ditches the boulder-cluttered environ of the first half of the hike in favor of a more pastoral scene. 

trixis

Mostly flat and open to the sun, low-growing wildflowers thrive here.  Look for owl clover, Mexican gold poppies, Christmas cactus, Desert marigolds, Blackfoot daisies, and lupines.

Wishbone bush

At CP1, hang a right for a short walk on the wide, sandy Dove Valley trail before picking up the 136th St. Express trail for the final leg. The 136th Street Express is replete with yucca, cholla and Palo Verde trees. 

Wolfberry shrub

Views of the Four Peaks hover on the skyline to the east before the trail bends west for the walk back to the trailhead. 

LENGTH: 4.5 mile loop

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 2,547 - 2,766 feet (374 feet of total elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

Granite Mountain Trailhead

31402 N. 136th Street, Scottsdale.

From Loop 101in Scottsdale, take the Pima/Princess exit #36 and do 6.5 miles north on Pima Road jot Dynamite Blvd/Rio Verde Dr.  Turn right and go k5.9 miles to 136th St., turn left and continue 1.8 miles to the trailhead entrance on the left.

Preserve hours are sunrise to sunset daily. 

INFO: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/preserve