City HikesTom’s Thumb Hike in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Visible from most of Scottsdale, the curious rock knob known as Tom's Thumb stands out among the pinnacles of the McDowell Mountains.
Visible from most of Scottsdale, the curious rock knob known as Tom's Thumb stands out among the pinnacles of the McDowell Mountains.
After decades of planning and construction, the roughly 1,000-acre preserve now occupies a mountainous sliver of space between manicured golf communities and the hiking hubs of Scottsdale's McDowell Mountain Regional Park.
Located adjacent to several classic hiking destinations it's no wonder these lakeside gems live in unheralded obscurity.
There's an easy way to indulge your curiosity and step back in history along the dirt roads and prairies southeast of Williams.
Late summer in Arizona's White Mountains is prime time for wildflower viewing.
A drive along Lake Mary Road is a dramatic tour of Arizona's Plateau Lakes region and the high-country woodlands of Coconino National Forest.
Over its 21-mile course, Railroad Grade Trail passes by five lakes, crosses three streams, and makes a creaky traverse of an old-fashioned trestle bridge.
Campbell Mesa Trail System is a series of five interconnected loop hikes.
Beneath the lake's glassy surface, crayfish stir up mud and are easy to spot congregating under semi-submerged logs.
The russet stone pinnacle known as Red Butte commands the landscape.
The Munds Park Trail System offers a varied menu of both ATV and hiker options enhanced with a plethora of eye candy and points of interest.
Summer wildflowers put on a spectacular show in Flagstaff's Dry Lake Hills area, and a hike along the Little Elden Trail to Schultz Tank is rich in dozens of colorful blooming varieties.
The light, porous cinders that put a roll and crunch in your step on the mountain trail that leads to Crater Lake belie the site's fiery origins.
A rough 4-by-4 road that spins off the Bill Williams Mountain Loop gives a taste of what long-distance travel was like back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
This discombobulated, demolition zone of a trail offers a dour dose of adventure for denizens of danger.