April 5, 2022 Prehike to Butcher Jones Trail- Saguaro Lake

 Tim and Nancy pre-hiked the Butcher Jones Trail. We drove up the I-10 to Exit 161 B to 202 east. We  took the 101 off the 50 B exit. Then we took exit 50 A onto the 202. We turned at exit 13 to 87 North. This highway goes past Fountain Hills to exit 199 to N Bush Highway. Turn left off N Bush Highway to Butcher Jones Trailhead. 

Click on the pictures to enlarge

Tim had the American Seniors Pass so we didn't have to pay the $12.00 fee to get into the park. 

We could have purchased a pass for $8.00 from Chevron Gass station on Highway 87 and Fort McDowell Roads, at CVS Pharmacy at Ellsworth and Brown or at All Circle K Stations. 

There were pit toilets and ample parking at the trailhead. 

Saguaro Lake's beautiful scenery and sandy beach make it a popular destination for canoeists, fishermen, paddlers, kayakers, and hikers.

The trail begins on the left side of the beach, just past the Butcher Jones Trailhead sign. 

The trail is in the shade at the beginning of the hike until it starts to wind its way up the bank of  Saguaro Lake. It becomes rocky and a little steep around a cove. 

A cormorant in the cove

A cardinal in the tree.

There is a slight elevation that allows for great views of the lake and the inlet to the Salt River. 

The trail is shown on this map 

The trail then winds up through to the other side of the peninsula. It goes down into washes and rocky terrain. 

The other side of the peninsula is a scenic place for lunch. 

This is a short hike of only 5 miles, so it is good to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and stop often. It is important to stop because hikers need to pay attention to the path because of the rocky terrain and may miss the landscapes of the mountains in the distance, the lake, the flowers and birds along the way.  

The way back provides another view. 

It is important not to go on this hike in extremely hot temperatures because there are rattlesnakes on the trail. We encountered one that rattled its tail and was coiled up. 

There is a scenic drive on the way back to Casa Grande by turning left onto N. Bush Highway to Usery Road toward Phoenix. This turns into Ellsworth Drive. Turn right on University Drive and then right onto 202. 

April 1, 2022- Prehike to Desert Park Gateway Loop - McDowell Mountains near Scottsdale

 Maps 

Click on the pictures to make them larger. 

This map is from the McDowell Mountain Park Trailhead 

Gateway Loop Trail to Inspiration Point and back

This map shows Gateway Loop Trail without Windgate trail to Inspiration Point. This map does not have Desert Park Trail either. 

This map shows Gateway Loop Trail, Windgate Pass (without going to Inspiration Point) and back down Desert Park Trail to the trailhead.

John, Tim and Nancy prehiked this trail on April 1, 2022. It was a very hot day so it was hard to evaluate what it would be to hike in January. 

There are several ways we could hike this trail. The medium group could start on Saguaro Trail then turn right onto Gateway Loop trail to go counterclockwise on the Gateway Loop Trail and back to the trailhead. The first half of the loop is rated as moderately difficult, and the second half is rated as easy.  There could be an added 1.1 mile by going on Horseshoe Trail back to the traihead. Horseshoe Trail is flat. This would make the hike 4.7 miles. This sounds like a short hike, but the first half of Gateway Loop Trail has loose rock and slows the pace. 3.6 miles without Horseshoe trail. 4.7 miles with Horseshoe trail. 

Another way the medium group could hike this trail is to start at Saguaro Trail then turn left on Gateway Loop Trail to go clockwise on Gateway Loop Trail and keep going up Windgate Pass Trail to Inspiration Point. This would provide a nice viewpoint and place to eat lunch for this group. This would then be an out and back hike, about 5.2 miles. This would cut off the part of Gateway Loop Trail that is rocky. This hike could include the Horseshoe Trail at the end adding 1.1 miles making it 6.3 miles.

The long hikers could go to Saguaro Trail and turn right onto on Gateway Loop trail (going counterclockwise), then go up Windgate Pass Trail to Inspiration Point for Lunch. They could take Desert Park Trail from a junction on Windgate Pass Trail (6.7 miles) or complete the loop of Gateway Loop Trail (5.4 miles). If they took Gateway Loop Trail, they could add mileage by going 1.1 miles back to the trailhead on Horseshoe trail:7.8 and 6.5 miles total. 

Summary of both long hikes: 

Long hike - Desert Park Trail - Saguaro to Gateway loop Counterclockwise to Inspiration point (via Windgate Pass) and down Desert Park Trail off of Windgate Pass Trail = 7.8 miles

Long Hike - Desert Gateway Loop - Saguaro to Gateway Loop Counterclockwise to Windgate Pass to Inspiration Point and completing Gateway Loop with Horseshoe Trail =  6.5 miles.

Directions to McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Gateway Trailhead. 

Take I-10 West to exit 161 onto Loop 202 and go to exit 50A and onto Loop 101. Go to exit 39 and turn right onto Raintree Drive. Travel 0.7 miles and turn left onto North Thompson Peak Parkway. Go 2.6 miles and look for the entrance to the park, which is not well marked. (It is 0.5 miles north of Bell Road, on the right.) It is 62.5 miles and took 1:15.
There are washrooms, water and ample parking at the trailhead.

John and Tim starting on Saguaro Trail toward Gateway Loop Trail 

Still on Saguaro Trail 

Junction of Saguaro Trail and Gateway loop trail. We went counterclockwise (to the right).

This is the junction of Gateway Loop Trail and Windgate Pass Trail 

It was very hot so we stopped in the shade. 

Inspiration Point 

Just past Inspiration point on Windgate Pass Trail 

Going back down Windgate Pass Trail 

Sign from Windgate Pass Trail to Desert Park Trail (one that Long Hike may choose to take)

Sign showing the trailhead

 Back To Trailhead