Mountain Spring McDowell Sonoran Preserve Scottsdale Arizona

I am at Mountain Spring, just north of McDowell Peak near Windgate Pass in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. This spring used to supply water to Brown's Ranch.



Today the water is flowing free and down the mountainside! I understand the City of Scottsdale will be working with Arizona Game & Fish Department to plan on future uses for this Scottsdale natural spring. This natural spring in the McDowell Mountains is a win win situation for the City of Scottsdale!!

Silverleaf Thompson Peak Parkway

Here is the busy corner of Windgate Pass Drive and Thompson Peak Parkway. This corner is the location of one of the enty ways into the DC Ranch Silverleaf subdivision and the Scottsdale Unified School District K-8 Copper Ridge School.

Just don't be in this North Scottsdale neighborhood in the early mornings. Service people going to work, visitors, and golfers have longs waits getting inside this pricey neighborhood . The Silverleaf subdivision security patrol has to stop each car going into the development.

A nice trail starts on the east side of Thompson Peak Parkway a little ways south of Windgate Pass Drive. Take the sidewalk on the school side of the road and head south along Thompson Peak and then take the tunnel under the road to the other side. A nice Scottsdale hiking trail that goes up into the McDowell Mountains starts here.

McDowell Mountains Preserve 124th Street & Bell Road

Tourist travel to Arizona to enjoy the Scottsdale hiking trails and the great sunshine. This is the trailhead at the McDowell Mountains Preserve located at 124th Street and Bell Road in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Maybe 8-10 cars could fit in this pint sized Scottsdale parking lot deep in the McDowell Mountain Ranch master planned community.



Plenty of trailhead signs are posted everywhere along the trails. Cell phone reception along the trails is on and off. No food, water, or rest rooms are available on this hiking trail. A few grocery stores are located nearby for supplies.

This Arizona hiking trailhead is near all the major Scottsdale resorts including: the Scottsdale Princess Resort, Four Seasons, JW Marriott's Camelback Inn, Phoenician, and the Scottsdale Valley Ho.

Trailhead DC Ranch Village Health Club & Spa

A nice Windgate Pass Trailhead that goes into the Scottsdale McDowell Mountain Preserve is located at the DC Ranch Village Health Club & Spa. This health club is located in the DC Ranch golf course community. Plenty of parking for hikers in this large health club parking lot. It is recommended you park in the southeast corner of the parking lot. The health club has given the o.k. for local Phoenix area residents and visitors to park in health club parking lot. A major trail into the McDowell Mountain Preserve and Windgate Pass starts right next to the parking area at the southeast corner of the lot. Look for the brown McDowell Mountain Preserve signage. The Windgate Pass trail is well marked with direction signs. If your hiking group involves young children I recommend that they wear a helmet! This is to protect them if they trip while hiking on this rocky trail. A bicycle, mountain bike helmet, or rock climbing helmet would protect the head in the event of a fall or trip hiking on the trail.



DC Ranch Village Health Club & Spa is located at 18501 North Thompson Peak Parkway Scottsdale, Arizona 85255. The trailhead parking area is in the southeast corner of the parking lot.

Flying Over the McDowell Mountains

A nice sunset flight over DC Ranch, Silverleaf, and the McDowell Mountains.



Check out Windgate Pass off in the distance in this video.

Did you know how some local Scottsdale Realtors are selling high dollar Scottsdale Real Estate? No they are not hiking up the trails to see these houses. These Realtors are showing expensive Scottsdale houses from airplanes and helicopters!