Are you aching for mountain scenery and quintessential Arizona landscape? Look no further than Maricopa County’s McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Here, your scenic views will be complimented by towering cacti, roaming wildlife, and breathtaking seasonal wild flowers. With beautiful surrounding land and a plethora of available activities, this park offers something for hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians, and those who are simply looking to enjoy the fresh air at leisure.
Keep reading to learn more about what McDowell Mountain Regional Park is known for, the must-see spots, available hiking trails, entrance fees and opening hours, camping information, and nearby accommodations.
1. What McDowell Mountain Is Known For
McDowell Mountain Regional Park is located northeast of Phoenix within the lower Verde River basin. Spanning over 20,000 acres, the park has elevations up to 3,000 feet and showcases far-off views of surrounding mountain ranges and the Phoenix and Scottsdale skylines. Up close, you’ll find an array of wildlife and serene desert landscape. In addition to the park’s gorgeous scenery, locals and outdoor enthusiasts flock to McDowell Mountain every year because of its history, competitive bike tracks, multipurpose trails, and picnic area.
History
McDowell Mountain Regional Park has a rich history that spans many centuries. Over time, Hohokam Indians, Mexican immigrants, Spanish settlers, and United States troops all came across this land and struggled to peacefully coexist. Still today, park visitors are able to view ancient Indian petroglyphs and historic areas — such as hunter-gatherer sites and the Dixie Mine — inside of the park. Ask a park ranger for more information!
Competitive Biking Track
The McDowell Mountain Competitive Bike Track contains three loops totaling 15 miles. There is a loop for the experts, one for intermediate riders, and one for the average rider. Each offers a variety of obstacles to test the rider’s skills — including steep inclines, swooping turns, technical descents, and rugged terrain. The track is used for competitive events from time to time but is open to all interested visitors otherwise. In addition to mountain bikers, McDowell Mountain park allows joggers and equestrian riders to utilize the track as well.
Multipurpose Trails
Visitors will be pleased to find over 40 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails at McDowell Mountain. All trails are clearly marked and easily accessible from parking lot areas within the park. Visit McDowell Mountain’s park website for more information on trail lengths and difficulty levels.
Picnicking
McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers two picnic areas totaling 88 individual picnic sites. All picnic sites include a picnic table and barbecue grill with restrooms and playgrounds nearby. McDowell Mountain’s picnic sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Ironwood picnic area is open year-round, while the Paloverde picnic area is closed from May through August.
2. Top Spots to See in McDowell Mountain
If you’re visiting McDowell Mountain Regional Park, you’re undoubtedly going to see some of the most majestic mountain views that Maricopa County has to offer. However, if you’re interested in learning about the must-see spots that won’t be around every corner, you’ve got to check out the Dixie Mine and the ancient petroglyphs etched into stone just a couple of hundred feet away.
Dixie Mine
What is now referred to as Dixie Mine was originally established in 1877, and is owned by Red Mountain Consolidated Copper Mines Company. Here, mining scouts noted vast amounts of red quartz in the area. Red quartz often leads to gold and silver deposits, so a mine was quickly established. McDowell Mountain Regional Park visitors are able to hike to the Dixie Mine (via the Dixie Mine Trail) and take in what it once was. Two mine shafts are clearly visible.
Although the mine is now protected by an iron gate for safety reasons, the views from the site are unbeatable as you glance across the foothills. From here, visitors can even see the infamous Fountain Hills Fountain that erupts on the hour for 15 minutes at a time.
Dixie Mine is also known to boast some incredibly vibrant wildflowers during certain times of the year. Ask a park ranger about their peak season!
Ancient Petroglyphs
Once you reach the Dixie Mine, you can keep walking up beyond the tunnel entrances to find rocks covered in indecipherable petroglyphic markings. These incredible petroglyph drawings were left over time by various groups and date back as far as 800 years.
3. Hiking/Trails Information
McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers over 40 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails ranging from 0.5 miles to 15.3 miles. This park has over twenty trails to choose from, and they’re all worth checking out! Here are some of our favorites:
- Wagner Loop Trail: Easy 1.1-mile hike with great views and minimal elevation gain.
- North Trail: Moderate 3.1 mile hike that’s great for the whole family.
- Scenic Trail: Lovely 4.5-mile trail that’s mostly smooth and offers great views. Perfect for joggers and bikers!
- Pemberton Trail: Strenuous 15.3-mile trail ideal for those looking to give themselves or their horses a good workout.
All McDowell Mountain Regional Park trails are multi-use unless otherwise designated. Grab your hiking boots, mountain bike, or horse saddle, and get out there! But don’t forget to bring lots of water.
4. Park and Camping Information
Park Hours and Entrance Fees
McDowell Mountain is open 365 days a year, from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 6:00 am to 10:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Check out the park’s website for information about park entry fees.
Camping Information
If you’re hoping to camp out, McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers 76 individual sites for tent or RV camping inside of the park. Each campsite is equipped with a large parking area, water, electrical hook-ups, a picnic table, a barbecue fire pit, and a dump station. There are campground restrooms available with flushing toilets and showers.For bigger crowds, there are three large group campgrounds within McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Each of these Group Campgrounds offer parking areas that can accommodate up to 30 RV units for day use or overnight camping. These sites also come equipped with flushing toilets, hot water showers, a covered ramada with 6 picnic tables, a large barbecue grill, and a large fire ring.
McDowell Mountain also offers a Youth Group Area campground for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and other youth groups. This designated youth area is complete with a large parking area, port-a-johns, water spigots, picnic tables, a flagpole, and a large fire ring.
All campground reservations can be made on the Maricopa County Parks website.
5. Where To Stay
McDowell Mountain’s location makes it the perfect spot for a weekend getaway. Visitors can easily spend their day roaming around the park and their night enjoying hotel or Airbnb accommodations in Phoenix, Fountain Hills, or Scottsdale.
The best thing about McDowell Mountain Regional Park is that it’s just as enjoyable for an afternoon as it is for a long weekend. Whether you’re planning a scout camping trip, a family getaway, a solo day-hike, or some simple Arizona sightseeing, McDowell Mountain will welcome you every time with breathtaking scenery, fascinating history, and high-quality park amenities.
