Mountain Biking
Miles of trails through natural desert and gorgeous views await you in the Preserve. And - we've even left some rocks in the trails for you!


My favorite time and place to ride in the Preserve is early mornings in the summer and around Granite Mountain. The sunrise over Four Peaks is breathtaking, the temperatures are in the 60s and I can ride for a couple of hours before heading to the office. If I am lucky, I'll see a jackrabbit, coyote, bobcat or a gila monster. What a great way to start the day!

- Chris, Bike Patrol Steward


The McDowell Sonoran Preserve offers two distinct regions for the mountain biker. The southern
region, currently in the Preserve, and the northern region, within the acquisition boundary for the future
of the the Preserve.

The southern region, with trails such as Sunrise, Lost Dog, Quartz and Paradise, offer moderate challenges with a generally rocky terrain. For a nice introduction to this section start out at the Lost Dog Trailhead. Be aware that on weekends however, this trail will be loaded with hikers too. In addition to these trails, Bell and Windgate provide some challenging passes. These take you up and over the McDowells and connect into McDowell Regional Park. These are best accessed from the Gateway
area, at 104th St and Bell Rd. All of the southern region is closed to motorized users. This area sees
the most foot traffic, so please yield to all users.

The northern region is generally flatter, with decomposed granite trails. These can tend to ride smoother than those in the south, but have lots of moguls and ruts which offer their own challenge.
The best access points for these trails are: (1) the intersection of Pima and Dynamite roads, (2) the north end of Alma School Rd, 1 mile north of Dynamite Rd, or (3) 136th Street, two miles north of Dynamite Rd. Granite Mountain Multi-use Area trail maps can be found at each of these locations.
The north area offers a opportunity to see the beauty of the lush high Sonoran Desert. It is full of
modern and ancient history including Brown’s Ranch, Cathedral Rocks, The Amphitheater, and Balanced Rock. This region is State Trust Land, so don’t forget your permit and remember most
trails are open to dirt bikes and jeeps. 

In the preserve you can have a great experience whether your ride is 30 minutes or all day. Whatever
your skill or ability you will want to come back and continue to explore the preserve on your bike.

Join The Team

There is a mountain bike division of our Stewardship program. This volunteer program is critical to the management of the Preserve as mountain bikers can cover much more terrain than hikers when patrolling. Think about joining this team. You are already in the Preserve – why not help care for it? You will only need to take a 2 day training class. Contact us at volunteer@mcdowellsonoran.org or call480-998-7971 x 105 today.