Pinnacle Peak (Arizona)

Pinnacle Peak

Pinnacle Peak is a dramatic granite summit rising from the Sonoran Desert in northern Scottsdale, Arizona. Reaching approximately 3,170 feet (966 meters), the mountain is immediately recognizable for its steep summit tower, enormous rounded boulders, rugged granite walls, and slopes dotted with saguaros.

Although Pinnacle Peak is considerably lower than nearby Troon Mountain and the higher summits of the McDowell Mountains, its distinctive shape has made it one of Scottsdale’s best-known natural landmarks.

The mountain lies within Pinnacle Peak Park, a 150-acre City of Scottsdale natural-area park offering hiking, interpretive programs, wildlife viewing, and designated technical rock climbing. The popular Pinnacle Peak Trail passes around the mountain rather than climbing to its true summit, allowing hikers to experience the landscape without requiring climbing equipment.

Modern lidar measurements place Pinnacle Peak at approximately 3,169.5 feet, with about 566 feet of topographic prominence. Its Nearest Higher Neighbor is Troon Mountain, the massive granite summit rising less than two miles to the east-southeast.

⚡ Fast Facts

Feature	Details
Mountain	Pinnacle Peak
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa County
City	Scottsdale
Region	Northern Scottsdale / McDowell Mountains area
Elevation	3,170 feet / 966 meters
Prominence	566 feet / 173 meters
Isolation	1.44 miles / 2.31 kilometers
Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN)	Troon Mountain
Coordinates	33.7275° N, 111.8646° W
USGS quadrangle	McDowell Peak
Protected area	Pinnacle Peak Park
Park size	150 acres
Main trail	Pinnacle Peak Trail
Trail distance	Approximately 3.8–4 miles round trip
Trail high point	2,889 feet
Trailhead elevation	2,570 feet
Summit access	Technical climbing rather than hiking trail
Dominant rock	Granite
Environment	Sonoran Desert

Peakbagger’s modern lidar analysis places Pinnacle Peak at 3,169.5 feet, while older maps sometimes round the summit to approximately 3,171 feet.

🏔️ One of Scottsdale’s Most Recognizable Mountains

Pinnacle Peak is not among Arizona’s highest mountains, but height is only part of what makes a mountain memorable.

Its compact granite summit rises abruptly above surrounding desert terrain, creating a distinctive pointed profile visible from much of northern Scottsdale.

The upper mountain consists of huge blocks of pale granite divided by vertical cracks, narrow chimneys, and steep rock faces.

Below the summit, rounded granite boulders spread across slopes filled with saguaros, cholla, palo verde, creosote, and other Sonoran Desert vegetation.

Residential development now surrounds much of the broader Pinnacle Peak area, but the mountain itself has been preserved as the centerpiece of a dedicated city park.

Nearby Troon Mountain forms an even larger granite landmark to the east, while the northern McDowell Mountains rise behind the pair.

📏 Nearest Higher Neighbor: Troon Mountain

Pinnacle Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor is Troon Mountain.

Peakbagger calculates Pinnacle Peak’s topographic isolation at approximately 1.44 miles (2.31 kilometers).

Troon Mountain reaches approximately 3,520 feet, making it about 350 feet higher than Pinnacle Peak.

The two mountains share obvious geological similarities.

Both are composed largely of ancient granite and display enormous rounded boulders created through long-term weathering along fractures in the rock.

Their recreational situations are quite different, however.

Pinnacle Peak is protected within a public city park containing a heavily used hiking trail and designated climbing routes.

Troon Mountain, by contrast, is not currently open for public hiking or climbing.

This makes Pinnacle Peak one of the best places to experience northern Scottsdale’s spectacular granite terrain legally and relatively easily.

📐 Topographic Prominence

Pinnacle Peak has approximately 566 feet (173 meters) of clean topographic prominence.

Its key saddle lies at roughly 2,604 feet.

That gives Pinnacle Peak enough independent rise to stand clearly apart from nearby desert hills, even though much higher terrain exists only a short distance away.

The mountain’s visual prominence is enhanced by the steepness of its upper granite tower.

From many viewpoints, Pinnacle Peak appears almost like an isolated rocky fortress emerging from a lower landscape of rolling desert foothills.

🗺️ Where Is Pinnacle Peak?

Pinnacle Peak lies in northern Scottsdale in Maricopa County, Arizona.

The park entrance is located at:

26802 N. 102nd Way, Scottsdale, Arizona 85262

Nearby mountains and landmarks include:

• Troon Mountain
• Tom’s Thumb
• East End
• Thompson Peak
• McDowell Peak
• Brown’s Mountain
• Granite Mountain
• Apache Peak
• Butte Peak

The Phoenix metropolitan area stretches south and southwest, while the terrain becomes increasingly rugged toward the McDowell Mountains and the central Arizona highlands.

🏞️ Pinnacle Peak Park

Pinnacle Peak Park protects approximately 150 acres surrounding the mountain.

The City of Scottsdale manages the park primarily for hiking, environmental education, natural-resource protection, and technical rock climbing.

Facilities include:

• A trailhead office
• Interpretive displays
• Restrooms
• Drinking fountains
• A paved parking area
• Picnic tables
• A shade ramada
• Bicycle racks
• Designated rock-climbing areas

The park also hosts geology hikes, astronomy evenings, wildlife programs, and special sunset and full-moon hikes.

Unlike the enormous McDowell Sonoran Preserve landscape nearby, Pinnacle Peak Park is relatively compact.

That makes it particularly easy to experience a remarkably intact patch of Sonoran Desert without traveling far from Scottsdale.

🥾 Pinnacle Peak Trail

The Pinnacle Peak Trail is the mountain’s main recreational attraction.

Current City of Scottsdale information gives the route at approximately two miles one way, while the city’s safety information describes the full outing as roughly 3.8 miles round trip.

It is an out-and-back trail, not a loop.

The trail begins at approximately 2,570 feet and reaches a maximum trail elevation of around 2,889 feet.

That is important because the actual summit rises to about 3,170 feet.

The hiking trail does not reach the summit of Pinnacle Peak.

Instead, it crosses the slopes beneath the main granite formation, climbing and descending around the mountain before ending on its western side.

📈 More Climbing Than the Summit Height Suggests

The trail is sometimes underestimated because its highest point is only about 319 feet above the trailhead.

However, the route repeatedly rises and falls.

The City of Scottsdale calculates approximately 1,300 feet of cumulative elevation gain for the full hike.

Hikers climb toward Grandview, descend into saddles, climb again, and then reverse all of those changes on the return journey.

The result is a moderately challenging hike despite the relatively modest difference between the trailhead and highest trail point.

Allow at least two hours for a full out-and-back trip, and considerably longer if stopping frequently for photographs and wildlife watching.

🌄 Grandview Overlook

One of the most popular stopping points is Grandview Overlook.

The overlook provides broad views over the surrounding Sonoran Desert and toward nearby mountain ranges.

City geology programs regularly use this area because hikers can see numerous landforms from a relatively accessible section of trail.

The changing elevation also provides an excellent perspective on Pinnacle Peak’s granite boulder fields.

For visitors who do not want to complete the entire trail, hiking to Grandview and returning provides a shorter option while still delivering substantial scenery.

👁️ High Point and Owl’s Rest

The route contains several named locations that help break the hike into manageable stages.

The High Point is the trail’s maximum elevation at approximately 2,889 feet.

Another prominent stop is Owl’s Rest, located along a lower section of the route.

Interpretive signs throughout the park describe geology, plants, wildlife, and desert ecology.

This makes the trail particularly appealing to visitors who want more than simply an exercise hike.

🧗 Does the Trail Reach Pinnacle Peak’s Summit?

No.

The distinction between hiking Pinnacle Peak Park and actually climbing Pinnacle Peak’s summit is important.

The developed trail remains below the technical summit rocks.

Reaching the actual summit requires rock-climbing skills and appropriate equipment rather than ordinary hiking.

The City of Scottsdale permits experienced climbers with suitable equipment in three designated climbing areas.

Climbers must use official climbing-access routes and follow park regulations.

Anyone without technical climbing experience should regard the hiking trail’s overlooks as the appropriate way to explore the mountain.

🧗 Rock Climbing at Pinnacle Peak

Pinnacle Peak has a long history as an Arizona rock-climbing destination.

Its granite contains cracks, slabs, chimneys, corners, and faces suitable for a range of traditional climbing routes.

Today, climbing is allowed only within designated portions of the park.

City rules emphasize that:

• Climbers should be experienced.
• Appropriate climbing equipment is required.
• Designated climbing-access routes must be used.
• Other off-trail travel is prohibited.
• Slacklining is not permitted.

These restrictions help protect fragile desert vegetation while keeping recreational use concentrated in areas capable of supporting it.

🪨 Granite of Pinnacle Peak

Pinnacle Peak’s distinctive appearance comes from granite.

The northern Scottsdale landscape contains extensive ancient granitic bedrock, much of it dating to the Proterozoic Eon.

The McDowell Sonoran Conservancy describes Pinnacle Peak, Troon Mountain, Cholla Mountain, and Little Granite Mountain as classic examples of granite peaks that resemble enormous piles of rounded boulders.

This appearance is deceptive.

The boulders were not deposited randomly on the mountain.

They are the weathered remains of solid granite bedrock.

⏳ Ancient Rock Beneath a Modern Desert

Granite throughout the northern McDowell region is roughly 1.4 billion years old.

The modern Sonoran Desert is vastly younger.

When this granite crystallized, molten rock cooled slowly underground, allowing large mineral crystals to develop.

Quartz and feldspar are particularly important components.

For an enormous span of geological time, the granite remained buried beneath other rock.

Erosion eventually stripped away the overlying formations and exposed the granite near the surface.

Weathering then began transforming solid bedrock into the spectacular boulder formations visible today.

🪨 Why the Boulders Are Rounded

Granite commonly develops cracks known as joints.

Water penetrates these fractures and chemically attacks minerals in the rock.

Weathering proceeds particularly rapidly at corners and edges because those surfaces are exposed from several directions.

Over time, angular blocks gradually become rounded.

Meanwhile, decomposed granite breaks down into coarse sand and gravel called grus.

Rain and runoff remove much of the loose grus, leaving the harder rounded blocks exposed.

This process, known as spheroidal weathering, explains the characteristic boulder landscapes around Pinnacle Peak and nearby Troon Mountain.

🏜️ The Pinnacle Peak Pediment

The relatively gentle terrain surrounding Pinnacle Peak is another important geological feature.

Much of northern Scottsdale contains a broad surface known as the Pinnacle Peak Pediment.

A pediment is a gently sloping erosional surface extending outward from mountain fronts.

Water flowing from nearby mountains gradually stripped away rock and carried sediment toward lower basins.

The result is a broad desert landscape interrupted by resistant granite hills and mountains.

Pinnacle Peak rises dramatically from this otherwise much gentler surface.

🌵 Sonoran Desert Ecology

Pinnacle Peak Park protects classic Sonoran Desert habitat.

The landscape may appear harsh, but the Sonoran Desert is among the biologically richest deserts in North America.

Plants found around the mountain include:

• Saguaro cactus
• Cholla
• Prickly pear
• Barrel cactus
• Ocotillo
• Palo verde
• Mesquite
• Creosote bush
• Brittlebush
• Agave

Each species has evolved adaptations allowing it to survive extreme heat and long periods with little rainfall.

The granite boulders create additional microhabitats by providing shade, retaining moisture, and sheltering plants and animals.

🌵 Saguaro Country

Saguaros are among Pinnacle Peak’s most distinctive plants.

The giant cactus occurs naturally only within the Sonoran Desert region.

Mature saguaros can reach impressive heights and live for well over a century.

Their importance extends far beyond scenery.

Birds excavate nesting cavities in their trunks, bats and birds pollinate their flowers, and many animals consume their fruit.

Pinnacle Peak’s combination of enormous granite boulders and mature saguaros creates some of northern Scottsdale’s most characteristic desert scenery.

🌼 Spring Wildflowers

Following wet winters, Pinnacle Peak can become unexpectedly colorful.

Common wildflowers and flowering shrubs around the Scottsdale desert may include brittlebush, lupine, desert marigold, penstemon, globemallow, and poppies.

Conditions vary dramatically from year to year.

Rainfall timing is often as important as total rainfall.

During exceptional seasons, green vegetation and flowers cover slopes that appear almost entirely brown during dry periods.

Late winter and spring are usually the most likely periods for significant blooms.

🦎 Wildlife

Pinnacle Peak Park supports a surprisingly diverse community of desert wildlife.

The City of Scottsdale identifies commonly observed animals including:

• Chuckwallas
• Western diamondback rattlesnakes
• Sonoran tiger whiptail lizards
• Cactus wrens
• Gambel’s quail
• Greater roadrunners

Other wildlife in the broader area can include coyotes, bobcats, javelina, mule deer, desert cottontails, rock squirrels, Gila monsters, and numerous other reptiles and birds.

Actual sightings depend greatly on season, temperature, and time of day.

Early morning often provides some of the best wildlife activity.

🐍 Rattlesnakes

Western diamondback rattlesnakes occur naturally throughout the park.

They are an important part of the desert ecosystem and generally prefer avoiding people.

Most encounters become dangerous only when a snake is accidentally approached too closely or deliberately disturbed.

The City of Scottsdale advises visitors to stay on the designated trail and remain alert.

If a rattlesnake is encountered, give it plenty of space and allow it to move away.

Never attempt to handle, move, or provoke a snake.

🏇 No Dogs or Bicycles on the Trail

Pinnacle Peak has stricter recreational rules than the nearby McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Dogs are not permitted on the Pinnacle Peak Trail.

Bicycles are also prohibited.

Motorized vehicles are not allowed on the trail either.

Cyclists can leave bicycles at racks provided near the trailhead, while hikers looking for dog-friendly or bike-friendly options can consider trails around Brown’s Ranch in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

These restrictions reduce trail conflicts and help protect the park’s relatively small natural area.

📜 Preservation of Pinnacle Peak

The modern park exists because local residents, landowners, developers, and the City of Scottsdale worked to preserve the mountain as development expanded northward.

City planning history shows that efforts to protect Pinnacle Peak were underway by the 1980s.

The Pinnacle Peak landmark area was ultimately dedicated for park purposes as surrounding land was developed.

Development temporarily interrupted public access during the 1990s.

After years of planning, trail construction, and access negotiations, the modern Pinnacle Peak Park opened in April 2002.

Today the mountain remains protected even though residential neighborhoods surround much of the landscape beyond the park boundaries.

🏙️ Scottsdale Grows Around the Mountain

For much of the twentieth century, Pinnacle Peak stood amid comparatively undeveloped desert north of Scottsdale.

That changed rapidly as metropolitan Phoenix expanded.

Roads, golf courses, resorts, and residential developments moved progressively northward.

Pinnacle Peak became one of the most desirable landscapes in the region precisely because of its natural beauty.

The challenge became preserving the mountain while accommodating development around it.

The present 150-acre park represents a compromise that permanently protects the summit and provides public access to its desert environment.

🌄 Views from Pinnacle Peak

Pinnacle Peak Trail offers impressive views despite never reaching the summit.

🏔️ East

Troon Mountain dominates much of the nearby eastern landscape.

Beyond it rise Tom’s Thumb and the northern McDowell Mountains.

🌄 Southeast

The higher McDowell Mountains include East End, the range high point, and Thompson Peak.

🌵 South

Northern Scottsdale stretches toward the Phoenix metropolitan basin.

On clear days, mountain ranges across the Valley of the Sun appear along the distant horizon.

🏔️ North

The landscape gradually rises toward Scottsdale’s much wilder northern mountains, including Apache Peak, Gold Hill, and Butte Peak.

🏔️ Troon Mountain

Troon Mountain is Pinnacle Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor.

Its summit reaches approximately 3,520 feet, more than 350 feet higher.

The two mountains make a striking pair.

Both are composed largely of ancient granite.

Both display spectacular rounded boulders and desert vegetation.

Yet their public-access situations could hardly be more different.

Pinnacle Peak is a popular public park with a developed trail.

Troon Mountain is currently closed to public hiking and climbing.

For visitors wanting to appreciate the geology of Troon Mountain without trespassing, Pinnacle Peak Trail provides some excellent viewpoints.

🏔️ East End

Southeast of Pinnacle Peak lies East End, the highest summit of the McDowell Mountains.

East End reaches approximately 4,074 feet, more than 900 feet higher than Pinnacle Peak.

Its rugged high country contains Tom’s Thumb, steep trails, enormous granite formations, and the remarkable Marcus Landslide.

The official East End Trail is among the more difficult hikes within Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Together, Pinnacle Peak and East End provide two very different ways to experience Scottsdale’s mountain landscapes.

📡 Thompson Peak

Thompson Peak reaches approximately 3,984 feet in the main McDowell Mountains.

Communications towers on its summit make it easy to identify from Pinnacle Peak.

Unlike Pinnacle Peak’s rounded granite summit tower, Thompson Peak belongs to a more geologically complex portion of the McDowells containing ancient metamorphic and volcanic rocks.

The contrast is visible even from a distance.

🏔️ Apache Peak and Butte Peak

Farther north, the terrain rises toward Apache Peak and Butte Peak.

Apache Peak reaches approximately 4,561 feet, while Butte Peak reaches roughly 4,876 feet.

The latter is recognized by Scottsdale as the city’s highest point.

These mountains form part of the increasingly rugged corridor linking northern Scottsdale with the central Arizona Transition Zone.

From Pinnacle Peak, they represent the direction in which the familiar Scottsdale desert gradually gives way to much higher and more remote mountain terrain.

🌅 Sunrise and Sunset

Pinnacle Peak is especially beautiful during the first and last hours of daylight.

Low-angle sunlight emphasizes every joint, crack, rounded boulder, and cliff in the granite.

The rock can shift visually from pale gray or tan to gold, orange, pink, and reddish brown.

Saguaros become dark silhouettes against the horizon.

Because park hours vary seasonally, visitors hoping for sunrise or sunset conditions should check the current City of Scottsdale schedule before arriving.

The evening closure procedure begins before the posted closing time, so hikers should not plan to reach their vehicles at the very last minute.

☀️ Best Time to Hike Pinnacle Peak

🌼 Spring

Spring is one of the most popular seasons.

Temperatures are generally pleasant, and wildflowers may be excellent following a wet winter.

☀️ Summer

Summer can be dangerous.

The City of Scottsdale notes that temperatures can exceed 100°F (43°C) between April and November.

June is particularly hot and dry, while July through September adds monsoon humidity and thunderstorms.

🍂 Autumn

October and November bring progressively cooler temperatures and excellent hiking conditions.

❄️ Winter

Winter may be the best overall season.

Daytime temperatures are often comfortable, skies are frequently clear, and desert visibility can be outstanding.

Early mornings can be surprisingly cool.

⛈️ Monsoon Season

Arizona’s summer monsoon introduces several hazards around Pinnacle Peak.

Thunderstorms may bring:

• Lightning
• Strong winds
• Heavy rain
• Flash flooding
• Slippery granite
• Rapid temperature changes

Granite can become particularly slick when wet.

The exposed trail and climbing areas should be avoided during thunderstorms.

Because desert storms can develop quickly, hikers should check weather forecasts before starting.

💧 Bring More Water Than You Think

Desert hiking can cause dehydration much faster than visitors expect.

Dry air allows sweat to evaporate rapidly, sometimes disguising how much water the body is losing.

The City of Scottsdale recommends carrying at least one quart of water per person for the Pinnacle Peak hike.

During warm weather, many hikers will need considerably more.

A hat, sunscreen, sturdy shoes, food or salty snacks, and a charged phone are also sensible additions.

Turning around before water supplies are half depleted is an excellent desert-hiking rule.

🚗 Getting to Pinnacle Peak Park

Pinnacle Peak Park is located at:

26802 N. 102nd Way
Scottsdale, Arizona 85262

The park has a paved parking area with approximately 90 automobile spaces.

Because Pinnacle Peak is extremely popular during Arizona’s cooler months, parking can become limited during peak morning periods.

Arriving early generally provides cooler temperatures, better wildlife activity, softer photographic light, and a better chance of finding parking.

Opening and closing times vary throughout the year.

Check the current schedule before visiting.

⚠️ Pinnacle Peak Safety

Visitors should remember that this is genuine desert terrain despite the developed trail.

Important hazards include:

• Extreme heat
• Dehydration
• Rattlesnakes
• Cactus
• Loose rock
• Lightning
• Steep trail sections
• Slippery granite
• Limited shade

Stay on the trail.

Do not remove rocks, plants, or other natural materials.

Experienced climbers should use only designated climbing areas and official access routes.

All visitors must leave the park by the posted closing time.

🧭 Why Pinnacle Peak Is Worth Visiting

Pinnacle Peak succeeds because it offers an unusually complete Arizona mountain experience within a compact and accessible park.

Visitors can see ancient granite, enormous weathered boulders, mature saguaros, desert wildlife, distant mountains, and spectacular sunsets within only a few miles of hiking.

At the same time, the trail has enough climbing and descending to provide a genuine workout.

For geologists, the mountain is an outstanding example of granite weathering.

For wildlife watchers, its protected desert provides habitat for reptiles, mammals, and birds.

For rock climbers, designated routes provide access to the dramatic upper granite.

And for anyone exploring Mountain Field Guide’s growing Scottsdale mountain cluster, Pinnacle Peak forms an especially useful link between Troon Mountain, East End, Thompson Peak, and the increasingly high mountains farther north.

Pinnacle Peak may rise only a little above 3,000 feet, but few Arizona mountains of comparable elevation possess such a recognizable profile or such an appealing combination of geology, desert ecology, recreation, and accessibility.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How high is Pinnacle Peak in Arizona?

Modern lidar data reported by Peakbagger places Pinnacle Peak at approximately 3,169.5 feet (966 meters) above sea level.

Where is Pinnacle Peak?

Pinnacle Peak is located in northern Scottsdale, Maricopa County, Arizona.

What is Pinnacle Peak’s prominence?

The mountain has approximately 566 feet (173 meters) of clean topographic prominence.

What is Pinnacle Peak’s isolation?

Peakbagger calculates approximately 1.44 miles (2.31 kilometers) of true isolation.

What is Pinnacle Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor?

The Nearest Higher Neighbor is Troon Mountain to the east-southeast.

Is Pinnacle Peak higher than Troon Mountain?

No. Pinnacle Peak reaches approximately 3,170 feet, while Troon Mountain reaches approximately 3,520 feet.

Is Pinnacle Peak part of the McDowell Mountains?

Pinnacle Peak lies immediately north of the main McDowell Mountains and within the same broader granite landscape. Some geographic descriptions associate it with the McDowell Mountains area rather than treating it as part of the range proper.

How long is the Pinnacle Peak Trail?

Current City of Scottsdale information describes the trail as approximately two miles one way, with the full hike roughly 3.8 to 4 miles round trip.

Is Pinnacle Peak Trail a loop?

No. It is an out-and-back trail.

Does the hiking trail reach the summit?

No. The highest point on the hiking trail is approximately 2,889 feet, while the summit reaches about 3,170 feet.

Can you climb to the summit?

Technical rock climbing is permitted for experienced climbers with appropriate equipment in designated climbing areas. Ordinary hikers should remain on the established trail.

How much elevation gain is there?

The City of Scottsdale lists approximately 1,300 feet of cumulative elevation gain for the full hike because the trail repeatedly climbs and descends.

Are dogs allowed?

No. Dogs are prohibited on Pinnacle Peak Trail.

Are mountain bikes allowed?

No. Bicycles are not permitted on the trail.

Are there rattlesnakes?

Yes. Western diamondback rattlesnakes and other snakes inhabit the park. Give them space and remain on the designated trail.

What is Pinnacle Peak made of?

The mountain is primarily ancient granite, weathered into the enormous rounded boulders and rock formations visible today.

What is the best time to hike Pinnacle Peak?

Late autumn through spring provides the most comfortable conditions. Summer heat can be dangerous, particularly during the middle of the day.

🔗 Related Articles

• Troon Mountain
• East End (Arizona)
• Thompson Peak (Arizona)
• Mount McDowell
• Apache Peak
• Gold Hill
• Butte Peak
• Kentuck Mountain

📚 Sources

• Peakbagger — Pinnacle Peak, Arizona
• City of Scottsdale — Pinnacle Peak Park
• City of Scottsdale — Pinnacle Peak Park Rules and Safety
• City of Scottsdale — Pinnacle Peak Park FAQ
• City of Scottsdale — Pinnacle Peak Annual Opening and Closing Times
• City of Scottsdale — Pinnacle Peak Trail Map
• City of Scottsdale — Parks and Recreation Master Plan
• McDowell Sonoran Conservancy — Geology of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
• McDowell Sonoran Conservancy — Flora and Fauna of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve
• Friends of Pinnacle Peak Park — Experience the Park