Maricopa Madness–Maricopa Trail, 4 sights
15.6 mi · ▲ 1,396 ft · 5 hr 54 min
Maricopa Madness–Maricopa Trail, 4 sights is a 15.6-mile out-and-back in Usery Mountain Regional Park near Fort McDowell, AZ. It climbs 1,396 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 10/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Maricopa Madness–Maricopa Trail, 4 sights
15.6 mi · ▲ 1,396 ft · 5 hr 54 min
Elevation 1,426–2,376 ft
Out & Back · Usery Mountain Regional Park
Trailhead: 33.54525, -111.61278
Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:03 AM · sunset 6:50 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 400 ftSharp left, heading S.
- 0.6 miSharp left onto Scorpion Trail, heading SE.
- 2 miSharp left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Wild Horse Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Maricopa Madness, heading NE.
- 1 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto MT-3554, heading E.
- 350 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Rattler, heading SE.
- 500 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Maricopa Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Rattler, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Maricopa Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Pass Mountain Trail, heading SE.
- 1.2 miBear right onto Talon Trail, heading S.
- 1.1 miReach Maricopa Madness, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.1 miBear left onto Pass Mountain Trail, heading NE.
- 1.2 miTurn left onto Maricopa Trail, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn right onto Rattler, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Maricopa Trail, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Rattler, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto MT-3554, heading N.
- 350 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 400 ftBear left, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Maricopa Madness, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 1 miTurn right onto Wild Horse Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 miSharp right onto Scorpion Trail, heading W.
- 2 miSharp right, heading N.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading NW.
- 50 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 1.9 mi in (~54 min). Leave by 5:36 PM for the 6:50 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:51 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Scorpion Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 53 ft
- Scorpion Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 162 ft
- Bush Lite & Scorpion Alley Trail via Scorpion Trail 5 mi · ▲ 162 ft
- Scorpion Trail 5.9 mi · ▲ 434 ft
- Scorpion Trail 6.3 mi · ▲ 434 ft
- Bush Lite Loop–Bush Lite, 4 sights 7.2 mi · ▲ 356 ft
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