McDowell Peak
McDowell Peak rises to 1,230 m in Arizona. Apache Peak stands 1,375 m to the north, 15 miles off. The nearest named place is Drinkwater Peak, a peak 0.4 miles away. Apache Trail Historic Road passes 23 miles off.
The story
McDowell Peak is located in the McDowell Mountains, to the northeast of Phoenix, Arizona. Its height is 4,036 feet (1,230 m). McDowell Peak is located approximately half a mile north of the easily recognizable Thompson Peak, and shares a ridge with Drinkwater Peak. It is bordered on the south by Bell Pass, and on the north by Windgate Pass. The peak is in Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve, owned and operated by the city of Scottsdale. By local ordinances "all preserve users must remain on designated and posted trails..." As of August 2016, there were no trails to the summit of McDowell Peak meaning that access was restricted.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q6801022, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1230 m
How to reach it
- 22.5 mi off the Apache Trail Historic Road
Named places within 25 miles
- Drinkwater Peak: 0.4 mi
- Thompson Peak: 1.1 mi
- Horseshoe Ridge: 1.4 mi
- Tom's Thumb: 1.6 mi
- East End: 1.7 mi
- Mountain Spring: 0.9 mi
- Agua Chiquita Spring: 12.2 mi
- Blue Mountain Spring: 13.2 mi
- Grapevine Spring: 14.1 mi
- Sandstone Spring: 14.3 mi
- Foundation: 2.1 mi
- Frank Lloyd Wright Spire: 6.3 mi
- Veterans Memorial: 7.3 mi
- USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River: 8.9 mi
- Jim Hart Memorial Monument: 9.0 mi
- Water Tank: 2.1 mi
- Marcus Landslide Loop: 2.3 mi
- Morrell's Boulder: 2.3 mi
- Marcus Landslide Loop Trailhead: 2.3 mi
- Whitman Square: 4.0 mi
- Gateway Trailhead: 2.6 mi
- Ethel's Garden: 2.6 mi
- Tom's Thumb Trailhead: 2.7 mi
- Homestead Park: 2.7 mi
- Arroyo Park: 2.8 mi
- Impulsion: 3.9 mi
- Mountains and Rainbows: 4.0 mi
- Our Lady of Lourdes & Saint Bernadette Grotto: 7.8 mi
- The Big Derailment: 10.4 mi
- Industrial Pipe Wave: 11.0 mi
- The Potted Plant Inc.: 6.2 mi
- Fountain Hills Community Garden: 6.8 mi
- Scottsdale Community Garden: 10.6 mi
- Xeriscape Demonstration Garden: 10.8 mi
- Putting Green: 10.8 mi
- Penske Racing Museum: 6.3 mi
- River Of Time Museum: 6.7 mi
- Museum of Illusions: 8.0 mi
- Model Railroad Building: 10.4 mi
- Scottsdale Railroad Museum: 10.4 mi
- Kiwanis Ramada: 7.2 mi
- Chuparosa Ramada: 7.2 mi
- Ironwood Ramada: 7.2 mi
- Red Yucca Ramada: 7.3 mi
- Golden Barrel Ramada: 7.4 mi
- Pinnacle Peak Park: 5.7 mi
- Reach 11 Recreation Area: 8.8 mi
- Buffalo Ridge Preserve: 12.9 mi
- Black Mountain Summit Preserve: 13.0 mi
- Echo Canyon Recreation Area: 13.1 mi
- Gardeners Wall: 1.6 mi
- Morrells Wall: 2.0 mi
- Sven Slab: 2.6 mi
- Coon Bluff: 12.4 mi
- Blue Point: 15.7 mi
- Sandy Beach: 21.3 mi
- Illinois: 22.5 mi
- Goldfield Ghost Town: 23.5 mi
- Wranglers Roost: 25.0 mi
- Camp Creek Falls: 15.0 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 15.8 miles of McDowell Peak. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Peak | N 354° | 1,375 m | 15.3 mi |
| Continental Mountain | NNW 344° | 1,356 m | 15.8 mi |
| East End | NE 35° | 1,240 m | 1.7 mi |
| Thompson Peak | SSE 163° | 1,214 m | 1.1 mi |
| Tom's Thumb | NNE 13° | 1,196 m | 1.6 mi |
| Drinkwater Peak | W 279° | 1,192 m | 0.4 mi |
| Granite Mountain | N 5° | 1,072 m | 8.6 mi |
| Brushy Mountain | NNE 30° | 1,072 m | 15.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:32 | 18:06 | 18:39 |
| June solstice | 05:18 | 19:05 | 19:42 |
| September equinox | 06:16 | 17:53 | 18:26 |
| December solstice | 07:29 | 16:45 | 17:24 |
Local time (America/Phoenix).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Oct–May.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 53 | 55 | 60 | 66 | 74 | 84 | 88 | 87 | 82 | 72 | 61 | 53 |
| Precip in | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.4 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Pinnacle Peak, 5 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/359282079
Day trips start here
- Fountain Hills · 6 mi
- Scottsdale · 13 mi
- Mesa · 16 mi
- Phoenix · 18 mi
- Tempe · 18 mi
- Gilbert · 21 mi
Take the scenic way to McDowell Peak.
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