Boojada Adventure Walk at Gateway Trailhead When you think about Halloween, it's normal to think of spooky and scary symbols like spiders, spider webs, and bats. But if you learn a little more about these creatures in the Sonoran Desert, you may discover that there is not much to be afraid of! So, join us […]
Sonoran Desert 101 - The Hidden Desert at Fraesfield Trailhead. Walking through the desert gives you half the story. There is a hidden world of nocturnal critters. If you look carefully, you can see the evidence of their middens, burrows, and holes. What else is concealed around you? Let us unlock those mysteries on the […]
Bird Walk at Granite Mountain Trailhead. Join our bird experts on this 2-hour walk for a good chance to see some of our year-round bird residents such as: cactus wren, Gila woodpecker, ladder-backed woodpecker, Harris’s hawk, verdin or Say’s phoebe - as well as some seasonal arrivals. Restrooms available at the trailhead, but no water. […]
Geology Along the Campana Trail at Fraesfield Trailhead. This two-hour, leisurely-paced guided walk will highlight some of the geologic features visible from the Camino Campana Trail. We'll discuss the rocks, landscape, and geologic history with reference to how they influence the climate, ecology and human history of the region. No dogs please. Restrooms are available […]
Walk Like a Tortoise Educational Walk at Brown's Ranch Trailhead. Join us as we learn about and look for signs of the Sonoran Desert Tortoise. This leisurely walk of less than 1 mile on the Jane Rau Trail will give us plenty of time to tell stories about the tortoise. We will talk about their […]
Desert Connections Educational Walk at Fraesfield Trailhead. Everything in the desert is connected and always changing. We'll explore how the environment--the mountains, the rocks, the climate, the washes--affects the plants and animals that live here, how living things in turn change the environment, and how climate change and increasing development may impact what we see […]
Nature's Medicine Cabinet Educational Walk at Brown's Ranch Trailhead. Take a global look of the importance of plants and their physical properties and how they were used throughout the centuries to aid in man’s wellbeing. We will start globally but then move to look at some of medicinal plants found in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. […]
Sonoran Desert 101 at Gateway Trailhead. This walk provides a geological and ecological overview of what lives in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, and how the flora and fauna survive and thrive. Restrooms and water are available at the trailhead. Please bring water and snacks for the trail. Plan to arrive 15 minutes before start of […]
The World of Arthropods at Gateway Trailhead Spiders, scorpions, bees, and wasps are just the beginning--there are more species of Arthropods in the world than any other group of animals. Join us on an easy 2 hour walk to discover the fascinating and diverse world of Arthropods and their role in the ecology of the […]