Tom's Thumb–Mountain Spring, 6 sights is a 10.7-mile out-and-back in McDowell Sonoran Preserve near McDowell Mountain Ranch, AZ. The route passes Windgate Pass Viewpoint, Mountain Spring and Tom's Thumb before reaching Tom's Thumb Viewpoint at the turnaround, 5.4 miles in. It climbs 2,573 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 50/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi1,706 – 3,849 ft · steepest grade: 22%11.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 33.64777, -111.85812
Nearest town McDowell Mountain Ranch, AZ
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Tom's Thumb–Mountain Spring, 6 sights
10.7 mi · ▲ 2,573 ft · 4 hr 51 min
Elevation 1,705–3,848 ft
Out & Back · McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Trailhead: 33.64777, -111.85812
Weather Sep 6: sunrise 6:06 AM · sunset 6:48 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Bajada Nature Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Saguaro Trail, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 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.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Tom's Thumb Trail, heading NE.
- 0.8 miPass Mountain Spring.
- 1.9 miBear left onto Tom's Thumb, heading NE.
- 0.1 miPass Tom's Thumb Viewpoint.
- 0.1 miReach Tom's Thumb, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 450 ftBear right, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Tom's Thumb Trail, heading NW.
- 2.7 miTurn right onto Windgate Pass, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Gateway Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 1.1 miBear right onto Saguaro Loop Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Saguaro Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Bajada Nature Trail, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 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
100% dirt
Weather
Sunrise 6:06 AMSunset 6:48 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.2 mi in (~146 min). Leave by 4:02 PM for the 6:48 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:49 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
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
- Gateway Saddle–Gateway Loop Trail, 5 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 659 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
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