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McDowell Mountain Park Mountain Bike Trail
Phoenix, Arizona
MTB TRAIL STATS
Avg Rating:   |
18 trail reviews |
| Status: |
Difficulty:  Intermediate |
| Length: 13 miles | Global Rank: #742 |
| Tread: Singletrack | Configuration: Loop |
| Ridden: 87 | Wishlist: 39 |
| Avg. Speed: 9.23 mph | Avg. Time: 1hr 35min |
| Elevation Gain/Loss: +3,469/-3,153 ft (based on partial GPS data) |
Mountain Bike Trails in the McDowell Mountain Park Trail System
Directions:
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Description: This trail is great. It is not as rocky as other Phoenix area trails( ie: Trail 100, National, Estrella Mtn Park). Twisty singletrack on rolling contour. The surface consists of small pebbles which make a nice ripping sound as you careen through the turns. These are one way loops, there are three total. The sport, technical, and long loop. Distances are ~ 3 , 3 , 6.5. Enjoy.
added on December 14, 2004 by 
SIMILAR TRAILS
Riders who liked this mountain bike trail also liked:Templeton/ Baldwin Loop in Sedona
Schultz Creek in Flagstaff
Granite Basin Loops in Prescott
Cathedral Rock Trail in Oak Creek
TRAIL REVIEWS review this trail
reviewed by denniswebb on January 17, 2012
Rode the loops for the first time this weekend. I enjoyed the one way, fast trails. Definitely did not miss the hikers or horses. Great for all skill levels.
reviewed by tiger32101 on March 24, 2011
The competitive loops are the best trails around. I ride the sport loop until out half way it Y's and I go to the technical loop(to the right). This my favorite route around. There is a huge drop in the beginning and a huge drop near the end if you take this route. I highly recommended McDowell Mountain.
reviewed by norski on February 22, 2011
This trail is most commonly known as the McDowell Competitive Track" because a lot of mountain bike races are held there. McDowell Mountain Regional Park has quite a few other singletrack trails -- including Pemberton Trail, and the Coachwhip Loop.
* Review edited 2/22/2011
reviewed by pernicious on December 16, 2010
Did this ride last spring. There is nothing better than a MTB only area. Though not super technical or with any climbing it was truly a blast. NO moron's with dogs and a 20' leash, or ton's of horsecrap on it. I'd give it a 3.5. Did I mention MTB only trail.
reviewed by cklinerun on October 5, 2010
Great easy trail with some nice drops for excitement. Did this trail in my spring break 2010 and found it easier than the rockier ones done in previous times. Again, a great trail and park. Willing to do it again.
reviewed by rjwayne on February 8, 2010
Beautiful area with 4 peaks and the Supersitions in view. Awesome single tracks that aren't near as rocky as other trails in Phoenix. Many additional trails besides the 3 competitive ones. Now $6 to get in. They do have a welcome center, bathrooms, showers. Wish this place was in my backyard. (Review hurdaddy's review for better directions - we got lost our 1st time out)
* Review edited 2/8/2010
reviewed by AK_Dan on January 8, 2010
After camping out here at the McDowell Mt Regional Park for several days I want to add here that in addition to the three Bike-specific loops described above (which are a lot of fun!). The park also has 50+ miles of other trails that are also open to MTB. Most of these are what I call ‘Big Ring’ riding, meaning they are generally not that technical and are fairly fast. Most would be great for novices or a more leisurely, social type ride, although I see a lot of advanced riders using them for the long aerobic workout. I know a lot of people visit this area especially in the winter, if your new to the Sonoran type desert and curious about it at all drive to the end of the road and ride the 3 mile North Loop tr. This is one of them self guided tour things. By stopping and reading the signs along the way, 3 miles and 30 minutes later you will know more about the desert than most people ever will.
reviewed by TMWJR777 on November 15, 2009
Fun singletrack loops in the desert. Nothing to tough, but there are occasional drops and jumps to keep it interesting.
reviewed by GiantRiderX4 on October 7, 2009
Three loops to choose from, do all for good mix of riding. Clean tracks, Tons of fun
reviewed by GSXRScott on December 1, 2008
Fantastic ride. Costs a dollar to ride but it's more than worth it. Lots of big air opportunities. Cambered turns. Flowing single track that winds its way through washes and cacti. Dont let the howling of the Coyotes scare you. They wont bother you if you dont bother them.
reviewed by Feltrider on October 12, 2008
My understanding is there are 4 main trails (technical loop, sport loop, long loop and Pemberton). According to the Park employee, Pemberton is a pretty easy ~15 miles around the park with little elevation change. I rode the sport to technical to long loop for approximately 10 to 11 miles then did the entire technical loop (~3 miles). I thought the trails had good variety with uphill climbs and fun descents along with flat washes. I liked the well marked trails and signs alerting of good size descents. Can get pretty rocky on a few parts of the long loop and the uphill at the beginning of the technical loop, but all in all trails are pretty smooth. I also like the loops so you can mix it up for varieties sake and also based on how much time you have for a ride. At the end of the day I feel like a got a pretty good work out and had fun at the same time! FYI...this is also known as the Cactus Cup course. There are reviews under this name as well.
* Review edited 10/12/2008
Similar Trail: Hawes is probably a little more technical, but they had the same feel to me.
reviewed by Emer50 on October 3, 2008
Now that it is getting cooler this trail is prime for riding. Watch the first drop (dry river bed tends to throw you over the handle bars). The entire ride is good climb followed by great singletrack, followed by uphill climb. Repeat this sequence about 5-7 more times.
Similar Trail: Trail 100
reviewed by muppetfreak on September 23, 2008
Three loops in the park. The 8.2 mile long loop. The 3 mile sport loop. The 2.9 mile technical loop.
reviewed by Rob_Scott on October 28, 2007
If this is the best Phoenix has to offer then Phoenix riding sucks. Don't get me wrong it isn't a bad place to go riding but coming from Santa Cruz CA makes these trails and the views a little on the weak side. I suggest not going on weekends as having to pay $6 to ride is just plain wrong. Now if there were lifts or tractors to take you to the top of a tall mountain then that would be different. I guess I was just a little bit spoiled getting to see the ocean from the trails and having as many as 17 different named trails to choose from at one park. Getting dropped off at the top and ride down approx 20-30 miles of awesome single track ending at the beach is the sh*t and getting to do that for free is even better. Next to try out South Mountain and hope for some better riding.
reviewed by Russp17 on June 29, 2007
Sweet ride, fast and can really push the pace. Not too tech or rock, just good fast single track. Best ride in the Phoenix area.
Similar Trail: East loop and west loop at south mountain
reviewed by trailblaze1 on August 1, 2006
McDowell Competitive Track is the official name and the trails located in the main park entrance area are for bikers only. These trails are excellent fast tracks that have short burst climbs requiring minimal technical challenge, however, the trails further down the road require more water and dedication but I will say that the Pemberton Wash Trail has some beautiful desert scenery and once you pass the Granite Tank then the payoff begins. The next 5 miles consist of catching downhill speeds of 17-23mph with the last two springing into a series of quick curves and dips that simulate the sensation of being on a mini roller coaster and is definitely worth the grind requirement for the first half of the trail.
reviewed by hurdaddy on November 27, 2005
Awesome singletrack!! The Sport Loop is real fun and fast! A quick note for the directions; when driving on Shea Blvd you'll actually turn left onto "Fountain Hills Road" and follow for aprx. 8 miles before turning onto McDowell Mtn. Park Drive.
Similar Trail: Fantasy Island, Tucson Arizona
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