East End–Mountain Spring, 6 sights
11.8 mi · ▲ 3,045 ft · 5 hr 27 min
East End–Mountain Spring, 6 sights is an 11.8-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near DC Ranch, AZ. The route passes Windgate Pass Viewpoint, Mountain Spring and McDowell Sonoran Preserve Viewpoint before reaching East End at the turnaround, 5.9 miles in. It climbs 3,045 ft, with sections as steep as 34% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 50/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
East End–Mountain Spring, 6 sights
11.8 mi · ▲ 3,045 ft · 5 hr 27 min
Elevation 1,677–4,059 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.64797, -111.86178
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 98°F / low 82° · precip 3% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:49 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 400 ftTurn left onto Saguaro Trail, heading E.
- 350 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Saguaro Loop Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left onto Gateway Loop Trail, heading E.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Windgate Pass, heading N.
- 0.4 miPass Windgate Pass Viewpoint.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Tom's Thumb Trail, heading SE.
- 0.8 miPass Mountain Spring.
- 1.9 miBear left onto Tom's Thumb, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Tom's Thumb Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading E.
- 350 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 450 ftPass McDowell Sonoran Preserve Viewpoint.
- 0.1 miReach East End, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Tom's Thumb, heading W.
- 50 ftBear right onto Tom's Thumb Trail, heading SW.
- 2.7 miTurn right onto Windgate Pass, heading W.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Gateway Loop Trail, heading S.
- 1.1 miBear right onto Saguaro Loop Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Saguaro Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 200 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 (~4 min). Leave by 6:25 PM for the 6:49 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:07 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
- 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
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