Mountain Bike Skills Clinic at Pima Dynamite Trailhead New to mountain biking? Looking to refresh your skills, improve your technique, enhance safety awareness, and increase your overall enjoyment on the trails? We begin with a demonstration and presentation by experienced riders covering the basic things you need to know, equipment requirements, and trail etiquette. The […]

Lecture - Wild Kingdom of Scottsdale: Tales of Survival in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve at Scottsdale Civic Center Library Did you know that you have your own Sonoran Desert wild kingdom, right here in Scottsdale? The Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran is home to over 1,000 plants and animals, all with their own unique, strange, and fascinating […]

Lecture - Ecology of Desert Dirt at Mustang Library Rock, dirt, and soil are the foundation for everything that lives in the desert. But what’s the difference between them, and how does one turn into another? Through illustrations and demonstrations, learn what’s unique about desert soil, and the important role dust plays in supporting life […]

Bird Walk at Granite Mountain Trailhead Join the expert on this walk for a good chance to see some of our year-round bird residents such as the cactus wren, Gila woodpecker, ladder-backed woodpecker, Harris’s hawk, verdin or Say’s phoebe - as well as some seasonal arrivals. Bring your own binoculars. Location: Granite Mountain 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. Location: Gateway Trailhead - 18333 North, Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Skill level: Easy Time: ~2 hours Bathrooms are available at the trailheads. Bring water and snacks for the […]

Walk with Natural Resources Coordinator at Pima Dynamite Trailhead Join us on an easy walk with a City of Scottsdale Natural Resources Coordinator as various topics are discussed during the walk in the desert. The material will depend on the season, animals, plants, and will cover whatever is happening in this wonderful environment. Location: Pima […]

Veteran's Day Hike at Lost Dog Wash Trailhead To honor our Veterans, an Easy loop on gently rolling terrain is planned with an elevation gain of about 250 ft. We will hold a special ceremony at the trailhead at the end of the hike. Location: Lost Dog Wash Trailhead - 12601 North 124th Street, Scottsdale, […]

Ride from Granite Mountain Trailhead Come on out and join a ride with us from Granite Mountain. We’ll ride through Coyote Canyon with beautiful swooping terrain and views you may never have known were there. See how you can connect these trails and others together to enjoy a completely awesome ride! This is an intermediate […]

Nature's Medicine Cabinet Educational Walk at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Take a global look at the importance of plants and their physical properties and how they were used throughout the centuries to aid human well-being. We will start globally but then move to look at some of the medicinal plants found in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. […]

Sonoran Sundays - Raptor Rehabilitation at Pima Dynamite Trailhead Wild at Heart, a local raptor rescue organization, will provide an up-close encounter with several rescued birds of prey. Learn why these remarkable birds are rescued, how they can be rehabilitated and released back into the wild, and what can be done to protect their natural […]

Walk with Natural Resources Coordinator at Granite Mountain Trailhead Join us on an easy walk with a City of Scottsdale Natural Resources Coordinator as various topics are discussed during the walk in the desert. The material will depend on the season, animals, plants, and will cover whatever is happening in this beautiful environment. Location: Granite […]

Secrets of the Preserve Educational Ride at Brown's Ranch Trailhead Ready to discover more about what is in the Preserve, besides the excitement of trail riding? This is the ride for you! Join our stewards in exploring the Preserve's recent ranching history and the ancient way of life of the Native Americans in a stunning […]

Lecture- FIREWISE: How to Protect Your Home From Wildfire at Appaloosa Library or Virtual A history of Wildfire in the "Mega Fire" era in the United States, and how a comprehensive Firewise program works to protect homes in Scottsdale from ignition. Presenter: Captain Steve Hunter, Scottsdale Fire Department. Captain Hunter is a 35 year veteran […]

Biodiversity in the Sonoran Desert Educational Walk at Fraesfield Trailhead The Sonoran Desert is the most biodiverse desert in the world, and the closer you look, the more there is to see! Join us for a biodiversity walk along Camino Campana, where we will discover the incredible diversity of the Preserve and learn to see […]

Missions, Massacres & Plagues Educational Hike at Fraesfield Trailhead Join the expert archaeologist and historic preservationist and revisit three hundred years of European-Native American contacts and conflicts, from Coronado to Alamo (1540-1850). Location: Fraesfield Trailhead - 13400 East Rio Verde Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill level: Moderate Distance: ~4 miles Time: ~3 hours Bathrooms are […]

Flora in the Preserve Educational Walk at Brown's Ranch Trailhead The Preserve is located in one of the most biodiverse areas of the Sonoran Desert. Learn about the plant life that thrives in this area. Note: If you have the iNaturalist app on your phone, it would be a helpful tool to identify different flora. […]

Wildlife Monitoring in the Preserve Educational Walk at Fraesfield Trailhead Join us for an easy walk to learn what it takes to do wildlife research in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Citizen scientists will discuss locating wildlife corridors, camera placement, and everything needed, including lots of patience, to produce research data. Location: Fraesfield Trailhead - 13400 […]

Bike/Hike the South from Quartz Trailhead Join us on this ride and hike from the Quartz Trailhead. We will ride the Quartz Trail west to the Westworld Trail, go around the golf course and head uphill east on the Taliesin Trail to its intersection with the Quartz Trail. This will take us to the next […]

Preserve Origins Educational Walk at Fraesfield Trailhead The McDowell Sonoran Preserve is the largest continuous urban preserve in North America. It is part of the Sonoran Desert, the most biodiverse desert in the world. It encompasses over a third of the City of Scottsdale. How did all this happen? How did the people of Scottsdale […]

Walk with Natural Resources Coordinator at Lost Dog Wash Trailhead Join us on an easy walk with a City of Scottsdale Natural Resources Coordinator as various pertinent topics are discussed during the walk in the desert. The material will depend on the season, animals, plants, and will cover whatever is happening in this beautiful environment. […]

Women's Bike Ride at Fraesfield Trailhead This bike ride is a beginner skills and moderate cardio ride. Perfect for those that identify as women. Location: Fraesfield Trailhead – 13400 East Rio Verde Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85262 Skill Level: Easy Distance: ~9 miles Time: ~3.5 hours A bike with wide knobby tires is required. Please, no […]

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, and more--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 […]