Butterfly Walk at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Location: Brown's Ranch Trailhead - 30301 N. Alma School Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Easy Distance: ~0.5 mile Time: ~1.5 hours Learn about the butterflies in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve while walking along the Jane Rau trail with a butterfly expert. Did you know that butterflies taste with […]

Lecture- Geology is Ecology's Destiny at Mustang Library Location: Mustang Library - 10101 N 90th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Geology is ecosystem destiny. Geologic processes create the climate an area experiences, the shape of the land, and the kind of rock and ultimately soil that develops there. These factors are the literal and figurative foundation of […]

Mountain Bike Skills Clinic at Pima Dynamite Trailhead Location: Pima Dynamite Trailhead – 28777 N Pima Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Beginner Distance: ~3-5 miles | Time ~3 hours New to mountain biking? Looking to refresh your skills, improve your technique, enhance safety awareness and increase your overall enjoyment on the trails? Then come […]

Bird Walk at Quartz Trailhead Location: Quartz Trailhead - SW corner of McDowell Mountain Ranch Rd. and 104th St. Skill level: Easy Time: ~2 hours Join us on this easy walk over a rocky trail. In addition to seeing our year-round bird residents, we may see some migrants passing through. Possible sightings include phainopepla, American […]

Walk with Natural Resources Coordinator at Tom's Thumb Trailhead Location: Tom's Thumb Trailhead - 23015 N 128th St, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255 Skill level: Easy Time: 2 hours Join us on an easy walk with a City of Scottsdale Natural Resources Coordinator as various desert topics are discussed. The material will depend on what we see […]

Ride Granite Mountain Loop at Granite Mountain Trailhead Location: Granite Mountain Trailhead - 31402 N. 136th St., Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Intermediate Distance: ~6 miles Time: ~2.5 hours This is an intermediate cardio ride with some climbing and fun winding downhills. If there is a short technical section on a trail, you may walk it. […]

Brown's Mountain Summit Hike at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Location: Brown’s Ranch Trailhead - 30301 N. Alma School Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Difficult Distance: ~4.5 miles | Time: ~3 hours This hike climbs to the summit of Brown’s Mountain and returns via the west side and Upper Ranch Trail. Experienced hikers only. Elevation of […]

Ride from Pima Dynamite Trailhead Location: Pima Dynamite Trailhead - 28777 N Pima Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Intermediate Distance: ~12 miles Time: 3.5 hours This ride includes some moderate climbing and twisty downhills. We will make short stops to regroup if necessary. The is a intermediate skills and high cardio level ride. Please, […]

Yoga Hike at Lost Dog Wash Trailhead Location: Lost Dog Wash Trailhead - 12601 N 124th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85259 Skill Level: Moderate Distance: 2.2 miles Time: 2 hours This hike starts with a mindful yoga warm-up led by a certified yoga instructor then climbs to the Lost Dog Overlook for mindful standing poses and […]

Fraesfield North to Balanced Rock Hike at Fraesfield Trailhead Location: Fraesfield Trailhead - 13400 E Rio Verde Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Difficult Distance: ~8 miles | Time: ~3.5 hours This hike has a moderate rocky uphill portion on the north side of Fraesfield Mountain, but the remainder of the hike covers relatively flat […]

Conservancy Women Open House at Conservancy Office Interested in supporting the Conservancy, connecting with friends young and old, and enjoying new experiences? Come learn about Conservancy Women! Conservancy Women is a membership group committed to raising funds for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy while also appealing to the interests of a wide variety of women from […]

Lecture - Indigenous Rock Imagery of the Sonoran Desert at Mustang Library Location: Mustang Library - 10101 N 90th St, Scottsdale, AZ 85258 Presenter: Aaron Wright, Archeology Southwest Petroglyphs and pictographs are integral to the cultural traditions of Indigenous communities the world over, and especially so in the Sonoran Desert where they abound on the […]

Walk with Natural Resources Coordinator at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Location: Brown’s Ranch Trailhead – 30301 N. Alma School Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Easy Time: ~2 hours Join us on an easy walk with a City of Scottsdale Natural Resources Coordinator as various desert topics are discussed. The material will depend on what we […]

Missions, Massacres & Plagues Educational Hike at Fraesfield Trailhead Location: Fraesfield Trailhead – 13400 E Rio Verde Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Moderate Distance: ~4 miles | Time: ~3 hours Join the expert archaeologist and historic preservationist and revisit three hundred years of European-Native American contacts and conflicts, from Coronado to Alamo (1540-1850). Pets […]

Feldspar and Mesquite Loop Walk at Tom's Thumb Trailhead Location: Tom's Thumb Trailhead - 23015 N 128th St, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255 Skill level: Easy Distance: ~1.2 miles Time: ~1.5 hours Join us for a leisurely walk in the areas below Tom’s Thumb. Slower pace and frequent stops with time to admire the great views and […]

Trailside Naturalist – A Desert Time Machine at Gateway Trailhead Location: Gateway Trailhead - 18333 N Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Time: ~2.5 hours Stop by anytime between 8:30 and 11:00 A.M. to learn about the common pack rat. Ever wondered who lives in those piles of debris with cholla balls on top? The […]

Ethnobotany Walk: Surviving and Thriving in the Sonoran Desert at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Location: Brown's Ranch Trailhead - 30301 N. Alma School Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Easy Distance: 0.5 mile Time: ~2 hours Discover how native Americans used plants to fulfill their basic needs. Pets are not permitted at our activities due to […]

Mountain Bike Skills Clinic at Pima Dynamite Trailhead Location: Pima Dynamite Trailhead – 28777 N Pima Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Beginner Distance: ~3-5 miles | Time ~3 hours New to mountain biking? Looking to refresh your skills, improve your technique, enhance safety awareness and increase your overall enjoyment on the trails? Then come […]

Marcus Landslide Hike at Tom's Thumb Trailhead Visit the Marcus Landslide geological site, second largest landslide in Arizona. The elevation gain is 400 ft. Location: Tom’s Thumb Trailhead - 23015 N 128th St, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255 Skill level: Moderate Distance: ~4 miles Time: ~2.5 hours Pets are not permitted at our activities due to safety […]

Walk with Natural Resources Coordinator at Gateway Trailhead Join us on an easy walk with a City of Scottsdale Natural Resources Coordinator as various desert topics are discussed. The material will depend on what we see in this wonderful environment. Location: Gateway Trailhead - 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Skill level: Easy […]

Desert Park to Gateway Loop Hike at Gateway Trailhead This hike will travel through the Silverleaf community, the Windgate Pass Trail and then a short, steep climb to the Gateway Saddle with its great views. Elevation gain of 700 ft. For experienced hikers. Location: Gateway Trailhead - 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. Scottsdale, AZ 85255 […]

Ride Beginner + Skills Level at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Join us for a fun, moderate cardio, single-track, beginner + new intermediate skill level ride with some climbing and winding downhills. We will make stops to regroup if necessary. Location: Brown’s Ranch Trailhead - 30301 Alma School Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Beginner Distance: ~10 […]

Boo-jada Adventure Walk at Gateway Trailhead When you think about Halloween, it's normal to think of the most well known symbols of Halloween – Spiders, Spider Webs and Bats as spooky and scary. But, if you look at their existence in the Sonoran Desert, you may discover that sometimes the things you fear the most […]