I am a golfer - but not a good one. One of the unintended consequences of my golfing in Arizona is I spend much of my time in the desert chasing balls. So I thought it would be a good idea to become more familiar with my surroundings - and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve was perfect for that. We went to the Gateway trail head, simply because it was the easiest to get to, and we lucked out. It has a very nice visitor center with restrooms, ample parking, and brochures on the various trails. It also has an interpretative trail with signs, information boards, and examples of desert flora and fauna. This trail is paved and easy to traverse, and I would recommend it for those people that want to see and learn about the desert, but have difficulty walking.
There are a number of other trails throughout the Preserve varying in difficulty and elevation change, so a person has a number of different choices of hiking trails. One can even hike to the top of the mountain. But one of the things I like best about the preserve is that there are a number of trails that children would enjoy and would not be to difficult for them to hike.
I understand this is part of the City of Scottsdale's Park Department, and we should be proud of the preserve. Since our original visit to Gateway, we have tried a number of different trails and trail heads, and have enjoyed them all. Be sure to take your camera, and be careful not to brush up against any of the cacti. My wife accidentally stepped on some when she was taking pictures, and I had to use pliers to pull the barbs out of the soles of her boots.
It's a beautiful area, and the residents of the valley are very lucky to have free access to trails of this caliber. We should all take advantage of it, whether to hike, bike, or simply stroll though the desert scenery. It's beautiful !!!