One of the 'must do' hikes in the McDowell Mountain Regional Park, this hike lived up to it's name. It WAS scenic. From the desert floor, nicely populated with many of the usual desert suspects, to the views from atop the nearby hills, the hike was a nice mix of level sandy paths, and rocky trails going up into the hills.

The frequent calls of birds promised exciting sightings of new-to-us bird species along with emerging wildflowers of the just getting going 2023 bloom season.

We enjoyed the view of the valleys below, including the spreading bountiful orchards of orange and pecan trees on the Indian reservation nearby. Far in the distance we saw the gushing fountain of the town Fountain Hills, where the fountain gushes forth hourly to as much as 500 feet tall.

We even encountered an extremely rare genetic aberration of nature on this hike! A saguaro cactus called a crested saguaro thoughtfully displayed it's 'condition' facing the trail. Not only did this specimen show it's folded, twisted, form in an arm area, but we also noticed it's double top which we had never sighted before on a saguaro.

We loved our 5 mile stretch of the legs in this new-to-us terrain with it's variety of wildflowers, cactus species, and birds.

Come with us now and enjoy a virtual tour of this hike...

#nvrstphiking