Iconic Tom's Thumb Guided Hiking Adventure in Scottsdale, Arizona

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Visit the most iconic landmark in the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve! Spend your morning or afternoon on an expert-led hike to the famous Tom's Thumb formation in the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve. A local guide from Mad Desert Trekking will greet you at the trailhead and hike with you through the incredible terrain of the Sonoran Desert. During the course of your hike, you will be presented with unique geological features, as well as native flora and fauna that are unique to the Sonoran desert. Experience this incredible feature up close and personal. Ascend the switchbacks and take in the incredible views of the Scottsdale Sonoran Preserve while we make our way up to the famous granite monolith called Tom's Thumb. Once up top you will be able to expore the unique terrain around "the Thumb" and be presented with beautiful views of Scottsdale and the surrounding areas.

   3 hAdmission included

2. Experience the energy of the desert in McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Scottsdale, Arizona, the largest city-owned preserve in the world.

   3 hAdmission included

3. Scottsdale is a desert city in Arizona east of state capital Phoenix. It's known for its spa resorts and golf courses, including TPC Scottsdale. Farther north, trails wind through McDowell Sonoran Preserve, a desertscape of hills, rock formations and cacti. Nearby is Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s former home and studio. Downtown's Old Town Scottsdale has 1920s buildings and 19th-century olive trees.

   3 h

4. Phoenix is the capital of the southwestern U.S. state of Arizona. Known for its year-round sun and warm temperatures, it anchors a sprawling, multicity metropolitan area known as the Valley of the Sun. It's known for high-end spa resorts, Jack Nicklaus–designed golf courses and vibrant nightclubs. Other highlights include the Desert Botanical Garden, displaying cacti and numerous native plants

   Passes by

5. Gateway Loop Trail is a 4.4 mile loop trail located in Scottsdale, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and cacti and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and mountain biking and is accessible year-round.

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6. The Marcus Landslide Trail runs along the east edge of McDowell Sonoran Preserve to a massive landslide that scientists believe occurred 500,000 years ago. An estimated 194 M cubic feet of rock and vegetation slid off the side of East End Peak, the second largest known occurrence in Arizona.

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7. The Sonoran Desert National Monument contains magnificent examples of untrammeled Sonoran Desert landscape. The national monument is the most biologically diverse of the North American deserts, and the monument captures a significant portion of that diversity. The most striking aspect of the plant community within the monument is the extensive saguaro cactus forest.

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Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 49 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Scottsdale

• Its from-price is 30% below the median of the 170 experiences we list in Scottsdale.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 40 of 170.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Scottsdale

Scottsdale is a desert city next to Phoenix, in Arizona's Sonoran Desert, with a Western-style old town, art galleries, resorts and mountain trails.

Scottsdale lies east of Phoenix in Arizona, among the saguaro cacti and rocky hills of the Sonoran Desert. Old Town is a district of Western-themed shops, galleries and restaurants, and the city calls itself the West's Most Western Town. Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and desert school, is part of a World Heritage listing for his work.

Top-ranked sights in Scottsdale: Old Town Scottsdale, Pinnacle Peak Park.

See all 170 experiences in Scottsdale