Best Trails in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona — updated August 22, 2026
Scottsdale's trail network runs from paved canal path to granite scramble, most of it inside the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Here is how the main trailheads compare, with the review evidence behind each.
Listings verified
Almost every trail worth planning a morning around in Scottsdale sits inside the McDowell Sonoran Preserve or on the Camelback Mountain ridge at the city's western edge, and nearly all of it runs on the same schedule: sunrise to sunset, no entry fee. That means the practical questions are parking, water and heat rather than access. The list below is ordered by how well each trailhead answers the question of where to walk or ride in Scottsdale, with review counts noted so you can tell a settled rating from a thin one.
1. Gateway Trailhead - McDowell Sonoran Preserve
The busiest and best-documented entry point into the Preserve, holding 4.8 stars across more than 2,300 reviews, which is about as proven as a rating gets for a trailhead. It sits at 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. in north Scottsdale, and the network fanning out from it covers open desert and rocky ground with long views into the McDowell Mountains. The Preserve's general rule is sunrise to sunset, so plan a start time rather than a finish time. Because it is the default choice for visitors, the lot fills earliest of any trailhead here.
2. Cholla Trailhead Camelback Mountain
The Scottsdale-side approach to Camelback, at 5150 N. Invergordon Rd., and the longer of the mountain's two summit routes. It carries 4.7 stars from nearly 1,500 reviews, a well-settled figure. Trailhead and trail hours run sunrise to sunset, and parking is allowed only in that window, so plan the descent accordingly. Two things to know before committing: dogs are prohibited on the Camelback trails, and the mountain closes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days with an excessive heat warning. Check the forecast the night before between May and September.
3. Echo Canyon Trailhead
The highest-rated trail listing in this guide at 4.9 stars from more than 2,700 reviews, and the most demanding: Echo Canyon is a scramble to the Camelback summit rather than a walk. The trailhead itself is unusually well equipped, with restrooms, water and a parking lot, though the city posts a standing parking and traffic advisory for it. Strictly speaking the address falls on the Phoenix side, at 4925 E. McDonald Dr., but it is a short drive from central Scottsdale. Hours are sunrise to sunset. Dogs are not allowed.
4. Lost Dog Wash Trailhead
The quieter Preserve access on the east side, at 12601 N. 124th St., at the north end of 124th Street. It rates 4.8 stars, but from 133 reviews, so treat that as promising rather than proven at the scale of Gateway. The draw is range: the trail options here suit a mix of ages and distances, which makes it the easier choice for a group that will not stay together. Restrooms are available at the trailhead and there is no entry fee. Open sunrise to sunset. Carry more water than you think you need.
5. Marcus Landslide Trail
A two-mile out, two-mile back route through the Preserve's geology, past a granite landslide and mushroom rocks. It holds 4.7 stars, but from only 10 reviews, so the number tells you little; the trail's reputation rests more on the landform than on the rating. Trailhead parking is at 23015 N. 128th St. One community roundup ranks it first among 66 Preserve trails, which is one person's ordering rather than a survey, though it matches the trail's billing as the geological standout in the area.
6. Bajada Nature Trail 3/1/21
The accessible option, running from the Gateway Trailhead address at 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. It is an easy interpretive loop through the desert, described as suitable for all types of hikers and worth about an hour. The five-star rating comes from just six reviews, which is too few to mean much, so judge it on what it is: a short, flat, all-access introduction to the Sonoran landscape rather than a workout. Good pairing with Gateway if part of your group wants distance and part does not.
7. Tom's Thumb Trail
One of the named routes in the northern Preserve, off Tom's Thumb Trail in the 85255 zip. We have no rating or review data for this listing, so it appears here on the strength of the location rather than on measured feedback. Preserve hours apply, sunrise to sunset. Anyone heading up should plan for a full morning and carry water: this is high-desert terrain with no shade to speak of, and the same heat cautions that apply across Scottsdale trails apply here.
8. Arizona Canal Trail
The flat alternative to everything above, following the canal through Scottsdale rather than climbing anything. There is no rating or review record for the listing, and we have no verified details on surface, length or access points, so this is a pointer rather than a recommendation. It is the entry on this list most likely to suit a rider or a walker who wants continuous, level ground and no trailhead parking lot to compete for. Check a current map before setting out.