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Tom's Thumb, Feldspar, and Marcus Landslide Loop

Scottsdale, Arizona

hike Hiking Trail

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15.6 miles NE of Scottsdale, Arizona

Address:	~12941-12999 E Paraiso Dr, Scottsdale, AZ 85255, USA
GPS:	33°41'39.9"N 111°48'6.2"W Maps \| Directions
State:	Arizona
Trail Length:	1.50 miles
Elevation Gain:	206.00 feet
Hike Difficulty:	Beginner
Trail Type:	Loop

Pet Friendly

Hike

This loop links three of the finest trails in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, the enormous protected desert on the northeast edge of Scottsdale, and centers on Tom's Thumb, one of the most iconic rock formations in the Phoenix area, a roughly 140-foot granite spire jutting from the ridge of the McDowell Mountains. The full loop, stitching together the Tom's Thumb, Feldspar and Marcus Landslide trails, makes for a rugged and rewarding desert outing of several miles.

The climb to Tom's Thumb is the headline: a steep, switchbacking ascent up the mountainside past dramatic granite boulders and outcrops to the base of the thumb, where rock climbers are often at work on the spire and the views stretch across the whole Valley of the Sun. Below, the Marcus Landslide Trail is one of the region's best interpretive hikes, an easy, nearly level path with signs explaining the massive ancient landslide that tumbled off the East End of the McDowells, complete with giant tumbled boulders and balanced rocks. The Feldspar Trail connects the two across classic Sonoran Desert studded with saguaro, cholla and palo verde.

This is a popular but genuinely strenuous hike where the Tom's Thumb climb is involved, on rocky, exposed tread with no water and little shade. Summer temperatures in the Sonoran Desert are dangerous, so the cooler months and early mornings are the time to go, and plenty of water is a must. For a combination of geology, granite scenery, a landmark summit and quintessential desert hiking, this McDowell loop is one of Scottsdale's best.

More Information

Fountain Hills, Arizona - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountain_Hills,_Arizona

McDowell Mountains - Wikipedia

The McDowell Mountain Range (Yavapai: Wi:kajasa) is located about twenty miles northeast of downtown Phoenix, Arizona, and may be seen from most places throughout the city. The range is composed of Miocene deposits left nearly five million years ago. The McDowells share borders with the cities of Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, and Maricopa County. The city of Scottsdale has made its share of the McDowells a preserve, and has set up a wide trail network in partnership with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy was established in 1991. The highest peak in the McDowells is East End, at 4,069 feet (1,240 m). This mountain range also serves as a sacred marker to the Yavapai people. The boundaries of the range are generally defined by Saddleback Mountain in the South and Granite Mountain as the Northern boundary. Landmarks include Pinnacle Peak and Tom's Thumb. Although technically a stand-alone, Mt. McDowell (referred to as Red Mountain by Phoenix residents), not to be confused with McDowell Peak, is sometimes listed on maps as a part of the McDowell Mountains.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDowell_Mountains

McDowell Sonoran Preserve - Wikipedia

The Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve is a large, permanently protected, sustainable desert habitat in Scottsdale, Arizona.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDowell_Sonoran_Preserve

Scottsdale, Arizona - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottsdale,_Arizona

Sonoran Desert - Wikipedia

The Sonoran Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Sonora) is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers parts of the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the Southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It has an area of 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 sq mi).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

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Be courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel & camp on durable surfaces
Dispose of waste properly
Leave what you find
Minimize campfire impacts
Respect wildlife
Be considerate of other visitors

Directions

From Scottsdale, Arizona

Head north on N Scottsdale Rd toward E Indian School Rd (276 ft)
Turn right at the 1st cross street onto E Indian School Rd (2.2 mi)
Turn left to merge onto AZ-101 Loop N (10.5 mi)
Take exit 36 to merge onto N Pima Rd toward Princess Dr (0.5 mi)
Turn right to stay on N Pima Rd (0.7 mi)
Keep right to stay on N Pima Rd (4.0 mi)
Turn right onto E Happy Valley Rd (4.2 mi)
Continue onto N 118th St (0.1 mi)
Turn right onto Ranch Gate Rd (1.3 mi)
Turn right onto N 128th St (1.0 mi)
At the traffic circle, continue straight
Destination will be on the left
(0.5 mi)

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The McDowell Mountains, home of Tom's Thumb courtesy of Smconwell↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)

Hiking the McDowell Sonoran Preserve courtesy of Ray Redstone↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)

Spring wildflowers in the McDowell Mountains courtesy of MarcEGottlieb↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)

Sonoran Desert panorama in the preserve courtesy of Nicholas Hartmann↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)

The McDowell Mountains at dusk courtesy of Ray Redstone↗ (CC BY-SA 4.0↗)

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Tom's Thumb Trail

Scottsdale, Arizona

0.0 miles NE

A 4.7-mile out-and-back hike in Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve with 1,200 feet of elevation gain to a unique thumb-shaped granite rock formation — pet friendly, but no water on trail.

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Tom's Thumb, Feldspar, and Marcus Landslide Loop

Scottsdale, Arizona

hike Hiking Trail