Best Hiking Trails in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona — updated August 22, 2026
From the summit scramble up Camelback to a flat, accessible loop in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, here are the Scottsdale-area trails worth the early alarm.
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Scottsdale hiking splits into two kinds of day: the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, where trailheads are free, well signed and open sunrise to sunset, and Camelback Mountain on the western edge, where the climbing is steep and the parking lot is the hardest part. Nearly every trail here runs on the same clock, so the practical question is not which trail but how early you start. Below, the most established options first, with review counts as a rough measure of how settled each reputation is.
1. Gateway Trailhead - McDowell Sonoran Preserve
The main southern access point to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and the most thoroughly proven trail listing in Scottsdale proper: 4.8 across more than 2,300 reviews. Hikers describe wide open desert, rocky trails and long views of the McDowell Mountains, with routes fanning out from a single staging area so you can pick your distance on the spot. The address is 18333 N. Thompson Peak Pkwy. As a general rule the Preserve is open sunrise to sunset, and the city posts official hours, so check before planning a late finish. Come with more water than you think the mileage warrants.
2. Echo Canyon Trailhead
The highest-rated hike in the area at 4.9 from more than 2,700 reviews, and the classic route up Camelback Mountain, one of the most prominent peaks in the Valley. The Echo Canyon Trail is a scramble rather than a stroll, with hand-over-hand sections near the top; figure two to three hours round trip. The trailhead has restrooms, water and parking, though the city posts its own parking and traffic alerts for the lot, which fills early. Hours are sunrise to sunset, dogs are not permitted, and the mountain closes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days with excessive heat warnings.
3. Cholla Trailhead Camelback Mountain
The other way up Camelback, from the Scottsdale side at 5150 N. Invergordon Rd, and the longer of the mountain's two routes. It rates 4.7 across nearly 1,500 reviews, a slightly lower score than Echo Canyon but with enough volume behind it to be reliable. Parking is allowed only from sunrise to sunset, and the lot is small, so plan the start and the finish around that window. Same heat rules apply: the mountain closes between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. when an excessive heat warning is in effect. Choose this one if Echo Canyon's lot is already full.
4. Lost Dog Wash Trailhead
The northeast entrance to the Preserve, at 12601 N. 124th St. at the north end of 124th Street, and the best pick when you want desert without a summit push. Reviewers note a range of trails suiting different ages and abilities, which makes it a workable group hike. There is no entry fee, and washrooms are available at the trailhead. Hours run sunrise to sunset. At 4.8 from 133 reviews, the rating is consistent but rests on a much smaller sample than Camelback or Gateway, so treat it as well liked rather than exhaustively tested. Bring plenty of water.
5. Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt
Not a desert hike but an 11-mile corridor of multi-use paths running through central Scottsdale, linking lakes, parks and golf courses. It is open 24 hours, which makes it the one option here for a walk before sunrise or after dark, and it draws runners, walkers and cyclists alike. The surface is flat and paved, so this is the choice for a long easy distance, a stroller, or a recovery day between climbs. Only 17 reviews are on record at 4.8, thin evidence by the standards of this list, though its role as a daily local route is well established.
6. Bajada Nature Trail 3/1/21
A short, fully accessible interpretive loop within the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, starting from the Gateway staging area on Thompson Peak Parkway. Reviewers call it an easy trail for all types of hikers and suggest setting aside about an hour to walk it. It works as an introduction to Sonoran Desert plants for kids or visitors who are not ready for the Preserve's longer routes, and as a warm-up before a bigger day. The rating is a perfect 5.0, but from just 6 reviews, so read that as promising rather than proven. Preserve hours apply: sunrise to sunset.
What we left off
An art gallery on Main Street appeared in the previous version of this guide. It is not a hiking trail and has been removed. A second Camelback Mountain listing pointing at the same Echo Canyon staging area was also cut as a duplicate; Echo Canyon Trailhead covers that route above.