What is the Scenic Trail?
McDowell Mountain Regional Park is known for long rides: the 15-mile Pemberton loop and the Competitive Track. The Scenic Trail is the short option, and the name is accurate.
It’s a loop of roughly 4 to 4.5 miles that starts at the Pemberton Trailhead inside the park. It heads east across open desert to the Lousley Hills, a low line of hills in the middle of the park, climbs onto their ridge, follows the ridge north for a couple of miles and drops back to finish on the Pemberton Trail. The total climb is only about 300 to 350 feet, and the high point is around 2,020 feet, but the ridge gives open views in every direction: the back side of the McDowells to the west, Four Peaks to the east, and a lot of saguaros in between.
It’s shared by hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders, and it’s inside a county park, so you pay to get in: $10 per vehicle or $5 for walk-in, bike or horse entry under the county’s 2026 fees. The gate is open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from November through April and 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. from May through October.
How to hike it
Start at the Pemberton Trailhead. Enter the park at 16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr., pay at the gate and follow the park road to the Pemberton Trailhead lot; the Scenic Trail can also be reached from the horse staging area. Head north on the Pemberton Trail. Within a few hundred yards the Scenic Trail branches off to the right.
Flats first, then the ridge. The first section crosses flat desert toward the Lousley Hills. After the junction with the short Cinch Trail, the Scenic Trail climbs into the hills, with views opening up to the south. It then follows the ridge north for a couple of miles. This is the best part: big saguaros and a view of almost the whole park. The loop descends around the north end of the hills and finishes on the Pemberton Trail back to the lot.
Which direction. Most guides describe it this way, leaving the Pemberton early and returning on it. Going the other way works too; the climbing is about the same either direction.
Watch the footing and the traffic. The trail is mostly smooth singletrack with rocky stretches on the climb and descent. Bikes come through fast on the downhill sections, so stay alert, and step aside for horses. The county warns hikers to watch for rattlesnakes.
Carry water. There’s none on the trail. The county’s advice is to turn around when half your water is gone. In summer, start at the 5 a.m. gate opening and be done early; see our summer sunrise hiking rules. In monsoon season, avoid the open ridge when storms are building; the monsoon field manual explains why.
Want more? Add the separate Lousley Hill Trail nearby, or stay on the Pemberton for the full 15-mile loop. On the Fountain Hills side of the range, the Dixie Mine Trail and the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve are other options.
The view from the middle of the park
The Scenic Trail works because of where the Lousley Hills sit. McDowell Mountain Regional Park is mostly a broad, gently sloping bajada running down from the McDowells toward the Verde River. The Lousley Hills rise out of the middle of that slope, just high enough to see over it. From the ridge you get the whole layout: the range to the west, the Pemberton loop circling the park below, the campground and trailheads, and the mountains east of the Verde.
That view also shows the park’s history. The county has held this land since a 1958 lease, decades before Scottsdale started buying its side of the McDowells. In July 1995 the lightning-caused Rio Fire burned nearly two-thirds of the park, according to the county, and the main park page explains how that fire still shows in the uneven spread of saguaros across the bajada. From the ridge you can see how open the country is, and why a fire could cover so much of it.
The fee is part of the experience too. Under the schedule Maricopa County approved in December 2025, it’s $10 per vehicle and $5 for walk-in, bike or horse entry, with the vehicle fee set to rise to $12 on January 1, 2028. Annual county passes are available. The fee keeps the crowds down compared with Scottsdale’s free trailheads, which is part of why the Scenic Trail is quieter than similarly sized hikes in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Why it matters
Not every hiker wants a 15-mile loop or a steep summit. The Scenic Trail is the park’s best answer for a two-hour walk: a short, moderate loop with a real view, on the less crowded side of the McDowells. It’s also a good introduction to the park before committing to the Pemberton.