McDowell Sonoran Preserve Viewpoint–Tom's Thumb Viewpoint, 11 sights is a 13-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near Reata Pass, AZ. The route passes Gooseneck Tank, Mushroom Rock Scenic Point and Tom's Thumb Viewpoint before reaching McDowell Sonoran Preserve Viewpoint at the turnaround, 6.5 miles in. It climbs 1,667 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 54/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi2,503 – 3,862 ft · steepest grade: 25%14.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Jomax 33.72682, -111.82310
Nearest town Reata Pass, AZ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
McDowell Sonoran Preserve Viewpoint–Tom's Thumb Viewpoint, 11 sights
13 mi · ▲ 1,667 ft · 5 hr 10 min
Elevation 2,505–3,861 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: Jomax · 33.72682, -111.82310
Weather Sep 5: Overcast, high 96°F / low 77° · precip 4% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 6:51 PM
- Start on Jomax, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 250 ftBear left onto Service Road #2, heading E.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Gooseneck Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Saguaro Nest Trail, heading E.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto County Park Connector, heading NE.
- 0.8 miSharp right onto Saguaro Nest Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Gooseneck Tank.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Gooseneck Trail, heading S.
- 2.3 miBear right onto Rock Knob Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Marcus Landslide Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Mushroom Rock Scenic Point.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 400 ftTurn left onto Feldspar Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Tom's Thumb Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miPass Tom's Thumb Viewpoint.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.1 miReach McDowell Sonoran Preserve Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Feldspar Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Marcus Landslide Trail, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 200 ftBear left onto Rock Knob Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Gooseneck Trail, heading E.
- 2.3 miBear right onto Saguaro Nest Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto County Park Connector, heading N.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Saguaro Nest Trail, heading N.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Gooseneck Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left onto Service Road #2, heading W.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Jomax, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.3 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
86% dirt14% unspecified
Weather
OvercastTemperature 96°F77°
Feels like82°Precip4%Wind10 mphUV8Humidity32%
Rained 0.2″ 5 days ago (0.3″ over the last week)
Hourly temperature
100°75°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 6:51 PM
Sun
98°79°
Mon
97°83°
Tue
99°82°
Wed
97°82°
22%
Thu
99°81°
23%
Fri
92°75°
21%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.2 mi in (~177 min). Leave by 3:34 PM for the 6:51 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:43 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from Jomax Trailhead
- Gooseneck Tank–County Park Connector, 5 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 187 ft
- Granite Tank–Gooseneck Tank, 6 sights 5 mi · ▲ 241 ft
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