Desert Spring Park Lake & Desert Park Trail
3.4 mi · ▲ 217 ft · 1 hr 15 min
Desert Spring Park Lake & Desert Park Trail is a 3.4-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near DC Ranch, AZ. The route reaches Desert Spring Park Lake at the turnaround, 1.7 miles in. It is mostly level, with 217 ft of elevation gain, and mostly dirt. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Desert Spring Park Lake & Desert Park Trail
3.4 mi · ▲ 217 ft · 1 hr 15 min
Elevation 1,677–1,894 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.64797, -111.86178
Weather Sep 4: Overcast, high 99°F / low 83° · precip 4% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Desert Park Trail, heading NW.
- 1.5 miReach Desert Spring Park Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.5 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miArrive 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 (~4 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 Park Trail–Horseshoe Trail, 3 sights 2 mi · ▲ 134 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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