McDowell Sonoran Preserve FAQ
There is a great deal of interest in preserving the beauty, deserts and
mountains that led most of 
us to first visit and then move to
Scottsdale. These FAQs are provided as a service to the community by Friends of the
Scenic Drive. We will be adding new questions and expanding answers as events unfold
and time permits.
1. What is the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
2. Who serves on the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission?
3. Who belongs to the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust?
4. What role does the City of Scottsdale play in relation to the Preserve?
5. How big is the Preserve and what is its status?
7. What are some of the best known places in the Preserve?
9. Where can I hike in the Preserve?
10. Can I camp in the Preserve?
11. Can I hunt in the Preserve?
12. Can I ride a horse in the Preserve?
13. What is being done to guard against fires in the Preserve?
14. How did the Preserve get started?
15. How can I learn more about the Preserve?
FAQ Answers
1. What is the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
Scottsdale, Arizona is located in the Sonoran Desert. The McDowells are Scottsdale's most striking physical feature, rising to over 4,000 feet and covering an area of 25 square miles. The McDowells are important to residents, the tourist industry and the plants and animals that call them home. The vision for the Preserve is to maintain scenic views, preserve plant and wildlife, while providing appropriate public access and passive outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors. The Preserve will provide an open space link between the Tonto National Forest and Maricopa County's McDowell Mountain Regional Park.
Situated in the central part of Scottsdale, the McDowells serve as a visual backdrop from all directions. The mountains provide a unique habitat for desert plants and animals. Scattered throughout the mountains are pre-historic artifacts and petroglyphs. More recently the mountains have experienced increasing passive recreation use including hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and rock-climbing. Many of Scottsdale's renowned resorts and golf courses provide spectacular views of the McDowells.
2. Who serves on the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission?
Scottsdale has many commissions made up of civic-minded residents. The commissions provide direction to city staff and advise Scottsdale City Council. Commission members are appointed by the Scottsdale City Council for period of four years and serve without pay. Members come from all parts of Scottsdale. Commission members come for many different walks of life such as finance, legal, education, computer technology, marketing and land management. Commission members share an interest in preservation and a record of activism on various preservation issues.
Important issues related to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve are brought before the commission by city staff, residents or other interested parties. The commission which meets monthly interfaces with other commissions, such as the Parks Commission, on matters of joint interest. From time to time the Scottsdale City Council asks for recommendations or guidance on preservation issues. The commission also establishes task forces to study particular issues. As an example, the Desert Task Force is now working with staff to devise standards for scenic corridors. Commission meetings are open to the public and input from interested residents is an important part of every meeting.
The Scottsdale City Council appointed the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission in January 1994 to implement the concept of the Preserve that had been developed previously by a task force.
3. Who belongs to the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust?
The volunteers of the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust played an important role in promoting the vision of, and then establishing the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The Trust is dedicated to the preservation and stewardship of the Sonoran Desert and its mountains through the creation of a natural open space system that can be enjoyed by students, hikers, just about everyone - for generations to come. The Trust is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation. To learn more about the Trust visit our Links to Other Sites in the Newsroom.
4. What role does the City of Scottsdale play in relation to the Preserve?
The Preserve falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Scottsdale. The City is responsible for the Preserve's management.
5. How big is the Preserve and what is its status?
The Preserve is in its infancy, growing and taking shape. Land is still being added to the Preserve and policies that will govern it future management are beginning to take shape but it is still early in the process.
The City of Scottsdale established the initial Preserve in October 1994 on 2,860 acres of city-owned land. The Preserve "shall maintain a character of openness, emphasize conservation and contain mostly passive recreational activities," stated Resolution #4103 which established the Preserve. Today, more than 36.000 acres - more than 50 square miles of land - are targeted for preservation.
6. Who pays for the Preserve?
The initial 2,860 acres included in the Preserve were owned by the City of Scottsdale.
In 1995, a 2% privilege and use tax increase was approved by the Scottsdale voters to fund land acquisition for the Preserve. In June 1998 the City of Scottsdale completed the largest single bond sale in city history, worth $77 million. This was a key step in an agreement to preserve 5,275 acres - more than 8 square miles - in the Preserve.
Proceeds from the bonds will be used to partially fund the $95 million purchase of land that resulted from the February agreement between the city and DMB and the Corrigan-Marley family, the developers and owners of DC Ranch. The remainder of the $95 million purchase will be paid in cash and through a $10 million installation financing agreement with DMB and the Corrigan-Marley family. The bonds will be repaid with the collections from the 0.2 percent preservation sales tax mentioned above.
Funding mechanisms are being studied to acquire the more than 19,000 additional acres that were approved by the voters in 1998 for addition to the reserve.
7. What are some of the best known places in the Preserve?
Wingate Pass is one of the McDowell Mountains' most recognizable and sentimentally cherished features. It is located on land that is currently within the Preserve, along with three of the four highest peaks (McDowell, Thompson, and the landmark Tom's Thumb). "The heart and soul of the Preserve has now been protected for this and future generations," remarked Mayor Sam Campana in February 1998.
8. Can I visit the Preserve?
There is not visitor's center for the Preserve but you are free to walk in many areas within the McDowells.
9. Where can I hike in the Preserve?
Yes. Several there are numerous trails through the McDowells. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission's Planning Subcommittee has recently completed work on the planning of a trails system for the Preserve and will be presenting its recommendations to the Commission late spring or early summer. If you are interest in hiking the McDowells, contact the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust. The Trust organizes periodic guided hikes into the McDowells. Visit our Library for a link to their Web site.
10. Can I camp in the Preserve?
There are no established campgrounds in the Preserve. The camping policy regarding the Preserve is being developed at this time. If camping is allowed at all, it will probably be on a very limited and controlled basis because of the danger of campers causing a disastrous fire and/or damage to the fragile environment. For these reasons, the City of Phoenix does not allow camping in their South Mountain Preserve today.
11. Can I hunt in the Preserve?
The possibility of allowing hunting with a bow and arrow is being discussed. No other hunting will be allowed.
12. Can I ride a horse in the Preserve?
Yes. People have been riding their horses in the McDowells since Scottsdale's earliest days. There are several trails. The most famous one is the trail that over Wingate Pass.
13. What is being done to guard against fires in the Preserve?
To reduce fire hazards and prevent damage to plants, the Planning Subcommittee of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission approved the following recommendations on June 1, 1998:
Prohibit all wood fires in the Preserve with the exception of activities led by staff in designated areas.
Cooking with charcoal or stoves may be permitted only in designated areas.
No collecting fire wood.
Manager may declare a fire emergency to institute more restrictive policies such as no smoking, no staff led campfires and no cooking fires.
In addition to the usual protection that Rural Metro provides, the City had a single-engine plane on standbye at Scottsdale Airpark during the peak of the '98 fire season. The plane was to be a first line of defense against fires that small trucks could not get to. Fortunately, the plane did not have to be used. There is also a tanker plane and helicopters available for service to Valley cities on a first-come-first-serve basis.
14. How did the Preserve get started?
The residents of Scottsdale have consistently identified the importance of open space in the physical development of the community. The attitude was present in the late 1960's where the concept of the Indian Bend greenbelt was initially defined. More recently, through the Visioning process and CityShape 2020 (General Plan update process) dialogue, citizens identified the Sonoran Desert and meaningful open space as a very significant component of what makes Scottsdale a desirable community.
In Visioning, the Sonoran Desert was identified as one of four dominant themes for creating the city's future. During CityShape 2020, one of the six guiding principles that emerged is to preserve meaningful open space: "The City of Scottsdale is committed to promoting the acquisition, dedication, and the preservation of both natural area and developed open space as a community amenity and in support of the tourism industry in Scottsdale."
Early on Scottsdale relied primarily on zoning regulations to protect the mountains and desert character, first through the Hillside District and more recently through the Environmentally Sensitive Land Ordinance. Recently, the community and elected officials have come to the realizations that zoning alone could not achieve the broad community vision of preserving the McDowell Mountains and other large areas of mountains and desert. When the Arizona Supreme Court ruled against the Scottsdale Hillside Ordinance it appeared that some of the most beautiful parts of the McDowells would be lost to development and efforts to buy the land for preservation purposes escalated.
Citizen activists including the McDowell Sonoran Land Trust led the effort to save the McDowells. The Desert Preservation Task Force established by the City of Scottsdale formally submitted the idea of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. In January, 1994 the Scottsdale City Council appointed the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission to implement the Preserve.
15. How can I learn more about the Preserve?
Call the City of Scottsdale Preservation Division at (602) 994-7013. You can also visit the Web sites of the City of Scottsdale and McDowell Sonoran Land Trust for information. You will find them both in our Library Links.
