Gateway Saddle–Gateway Loop Trail, 5 sights
4.5 mi · ▲ 659 ft · 1 hr 50 min
Gateway Saddle–Gateway Loop Trail, 5 sights is a 4.5-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near DC Ranch, AZ. The route reaches Gateway Saddle at the turnaround, 2 miles in. It climbs 659 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 19/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Gateway Saddle–Gateway Loop Trail, 5 sights
4.5 mi · ▲ 659 ft · 1 hr 50 min
Elevation 1,712–2,380 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.64938, -111.85914
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 98°F / low 82° · precip 4% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 6:49 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn left onto Saguaro Trail, heading NE.
- 400 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Saguaro Loop Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left onto Gateway Loop Trail, heading E.
- 1.6 miPass Gateway Saddle.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto Paradise Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Levee trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftBear left onto Crossover Trail, heading W.
- 300 ftBear left, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Saguaro Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.1 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 right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:29 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 6:49 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:15 PM.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- 104th Street Spur–Levee trail, 3 sights 2.4 mi · ▲ 134 ft
- Levee trail–Paradise Trail, 3 sights 2.8 mi · ▲ 249 ft
- Windgate Pass Viewpoint–Saguaro Trail, 3 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 639 ft
- Windgate Pass Viewpoint–Desert Spring Park Lake Loop, 5 sights 5.2 mi · ▲ 606 ft
- Mesquite Tree–Javelina Trail, 5 sights 8.7 mi · ▲ 635 ft
- Inspiration Viewpoint–Windgate Pass Viewpoint Loop, 8 sights 8.9 mi · ▲ 2,030 ft
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