Scottsdale Wildlife and Nature Journey

While it is possible to appreciate beautiful scenery from your car or even from the inside of your rental home, the only way to truly appreciate it is to immerse yourself in it—to get outside and hike up or through the mountains or into the desert. Here are a few suggestions to kick start your Scottsdale wildlife and nature journey.

Day 1 – Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center

Start off your journey by scheduling a tour of the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center (SWCC), a non-profit rescue and rehabilitation facility focusing on wildlife that has been wounded, endangered or removed from their original environment. A wide variety of animals are housed at the sanctuary, including black bears, bobcats, coyote, mule deer, foxes, javelin, Mexican gray wolves, mountain lions, porcupines, tortoises, skunks, great horned owls, and red-tailed hawks. This is a great way to introduce kids to native (and non-native) Scottsdale wildlife in a safe, friendly way.

Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center
27026 N 156th St, Scottsdale, AZ
480-471-9109
swcc@southwestwildlife.org

Day 2 – Desert Botanical Garden

Located in nearby Phoenix, with over 50,000 species of native plants spread over 140 acres in the beautiful Sonoran Desert, the Desert Botanical Garden should be on your itinerary. There are five different loop trails, each with a specific focus. Hike to the top of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail for an expansive view of the surrounding mountains. Walk through the Center for Desert Living Trail and submerse yourself in the colors and fragrances that only a desert habitat can produce. Take the Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail to learn how desert plants were used by native people. And, if the season is right, you can watch hummingbirds visiting the vibrant desert wildflowers and blooming cactus as you stroll along the wildflower loop trail.

Desert Botanical Garden
1201 North Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ
1-480-941-1225

Day 3 – Butterfly Wonderland

It’s the largest butterfly pavilion in the country, with thousands of butterflies housed in a controlled environment. After surrounding yourself with thousands of butterflies, make time to visit the honey exhibit, the live ant colony, and on Mondays watch the butterfly release.

Butterfly Wonderland
9500 East Via de Ventura
Scottsdale, AZ
480-800-3000

Day 4 – McDonald’s Ranch

MacDonald’s Ranch offers everything from horseback rides, stagecoach rides and hayrides to a petting zoo. Horseback and stagecoach rides are offered for private and group experiences, and there is also a lovely moonlight tour option for each. The guides will match the right horse to your riding experience, and they have pony rides for the kids, too. The terrain is gentle and the scenery is gorgeous. Your guides will give you the history of the area, and educate you on the flora and fauna while you ride.

MacDonald’s Ranch
26540 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ
480-585-0239
macranch@macdonaldsranch.com

Day 5 – Desert Monster Tours

If hiking or horseback riding through the desert seems too tame, Desert Monster Tours can help you out. Their ATV/UTV tours will have you driving through the sandy washes, streams, and riverbeds, across desert plateaus, along trails winding through the beautiful Sonoran Desert. Try the sunset tour to witness the amazing vibrant desert sunset in the best of Scottsdale nature.

Desert Monster Tours
6424 East Greenway Parkway, Suite #100 – 408
Scottsdale, AZ
info@desertmonsterstours.com
1-866-777-1950

Day 6 – McDowell Sonoran Preserve

The Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve is 30,000 acres of protected desert with over 120 miles of desert trails. Five trailheads start you off on your journey – hike, run, bike, or ride horseback through cacti forests, desert terrain, and mountains. Trails vary in length, difficulty, and terrain so there is a trail for every visitor. There are accessible trails too and designated rock climbing areas. The preserve is packed with desert wildlife including Gila woodpeckers, roadrunners, snakes and lizards, mule deer and javelina.

McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Scottsdale, AZ
480-998-7971
lori@mcdowellsonoran.org

Day 7 – Bartlett Lake Recreation Area

Tired of just desert scenery? Head to Bartlett Lake. Part of the Tonto National Forest, Bartlett Lake Recreation Area is a perfect location for some outdoor fun. Whether you are looking for hiking, boating, water skiing, or fishing, you can do it at the lake. On your hike, you’ll pass many native desert plants—saguaro, mesquite, and blooming ocotillo—and you may encounter some of the local Scottsdale wildlife, like mule deer, bald eagles, javelina, and coyotes.

Bartlett Lake Recreation Area
East Bartlett Dam Road
Scottsdale, AZ
480-221-0503

Day 8 –The Phoenix Zoo

What better way to enjoy and learn about wild animals than the zoo? The Phoenix Zoo is home to a wide variety of endangered species from around the globelike toucans, Asian elephants, cheetahs, Komodo dragons, zebras, African lions, orangutans, and jaguars. Local wildlife like coyotes, bobcats, ringtail cats, golden eagles, and Mexican gray wolves. Native plants are also represented with their own zoo trail. The zoo’s trails highlight animals and habitats of specific regions while the Children’s Trail focuses on farm animals and small animals from around the world; it also has a petting zoo.

Phoenix Zoo
455 North Galvin Parkway
Phoenix, AZ 85008
602-286-3800

Day 9 –Tres Rios Wetlands

How about something totally different? Tres Rios Wetlands is a City of Phoenix environmental project that is set on restoring the vital wetland habitats along the Salt River. Cute little burrowing owls, pelicans, American kestrels, coyotes, bobcats, beavers, snakes, lizards, and toads are just a few of the local inhabitants here in this city park. And Tres Rios isn’t just a pretty little park either; this cool project reclaims water from the wastewater treatment plant, then pumps it out over the wetlands to be filtered naturally. The park has become a premier bird-watching area too, with egrets, white-faced ibis, and more. Tres Rio is such a success that great blue heron have set up a rookery on site.

Tres Rios Wetlands

16 miles SW of Phoenix –there isn’t a specific address, check their website for driving directions and a park map.

602-262-6011 (Phoenix City Hall)

Day 10 – Pinnacle Peak Park

With over 150 acres and several trails, Pinnacle Peak Park is a favorite hiking area. Hike along the rocky trails on your own or take the interpretive tour and learn about the park flora and fauna, Hohokam history, and the park geology as you hike toward the peak. Be sure to sign up for the Full Moon Hike to experience the cool, crisp desert nights, or the Astronomy Evenings where you’ll enjoy a beautiful desert evening under the stars while you listen to a NASA Solar System Ambassador discussing the visible objects in the sky and those visible only through a high-end refractor telescope. Every area visitor should hike the popular Pinnacle Peak Trail. An out-and-back, this moderate trail loop offers beautiful views especially when the wildflowers are blooming. Be on the lookout for Saguaro cacti, rattlesnakes, desert tortoises, Gila monsters, coyotes, grey foxes, mule deer, javelina, and maybe a bobcat or mountain lion if you’re lucky.

Pinnacle Peak Park
26802 N. 102ndWay
Scottsdale, AZ 85262
480-312-0990

ymassman@ScottsdaleAZ.gov

Enjoy Scenic Views of Scottsdale Nature from a Parsons Villa

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