Desert Park Trail–Horseshoe Trail, 3 sights
2 mi · ▲ 134 ft · 44 min
Desert Park Trail–Horseshoe Trail, 3 sights is a 2-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near DC Ranch, AZ. It is mostly level, with 134 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Desert Park Trail–Horseshoe Trail, 3 sights
2 mi · ▲ 134 ft · 44 min
Elevation 1,677–1,811 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.64797, -111.86178
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 98°F / low 82° · precip 4% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Desert Park Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Horseshoe Trail, heading NE.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Gateway Loop Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Saguaro Loop Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Saguaro Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 300 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~3 min). Leave by 6:27 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:09 PM — 7 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Very Large Cactus–104th Street Spur, 3 sights 1.4 mi · ▲ 107 ft
- Desert Spring Park Lake & Desert Park Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 217 ft
- Windgate Pass Viewpoint–Saguaro Trail, 3 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 657 ft
- Gateway Saddle–104th Street Spur Loop, 4 sights 4.6 mi · ▲ 695 ft
- Gateway Saddle–Desert Park Trail Loop, 5 sights 5 mi · ▲ 702 ft
- East End–Mountain Spring, 6 sights 11.8 mi · ▲ 3,045 ft
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