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Tom's Thumb Trailhead
Where will the trailhead be located?
The Tom’s Thumb Trailhead will be located in the City of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve, on the north side of the McDowell Mountains.What is the purpose of this trailhead?
The trailhead will provide parking and support amenities for the network of trails and rock climbing areas in the northern region of the McDowell Mountains. The trailhead will access the Tom’s Thumb and Marcus Landslide (future) Trails, and the trail network in the adjacent McDowell Mountain Regional Park (Maricopa County owned and operated).
What amenities will the trailhead include?
The first phase of the trailhead will include:
• Parking for 120 cars
• Parking for 10 horse trailers
• Shade ramadas
• Restrooms
• Interpretive and directional signs
• Hitching rails
• Small storage shed
• Low level security lighting
• Access control gate
• No water in first phase
The master plan for the trailhead takes into consideration future phase parking for up to an additional 180 cars. Water will be provided at the trailhead in a future phase, once water lines reach the area.
What are the design principles of the Trailhead?
The primary purpose of the trailhead is to provide public access to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, while limiting impacts to the natural environment. Design principles include:
• Integrating amenities into the natural setting.
• Minimizing visibility of structures.
• Maximizing natural screens and buffers.
• Avoiding archeological resources.
• Avoiding significant natural features.
• Where feasible, using previously disturbed land.
• Re-using natural materials where possible.
• Considering financial impacts of construction.
Who can use the trailhead?
The trailhead will be ADA compliant for use by the general public in order to access to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve for multiple non-motorized recreational purposes, including hiking, trail running, bicycle riding, horseback riding, rock climbing, sightseeing, and bird watching.
How will the trailhead be accessed?
Entry into the trailhead will be from the north via 128th Street, which can be accessed from either Dynamite/Rio Verde Drive or Ranch Gate Road.
Who owns the trailhead?
The trailhead will be located in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which is owned and operated by the City of Scottsdale. The non-profit McDowell Sonoran Conservancy assists the City with the operation and maintenance of the Preserve.
When was this project approved and whose idea was it?
The Tom’s Thumb Trailhead was approved by the City of Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve Commission in 1999 as part of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve Access Areas Report. The Report describes the general location of the Preserve trailheads, and the amenities to be included at each one.
What is the cost and funding source?
The project is funded by the 2004 Preserve Sales Tax. The budget approved by the City Council for design and construction is $3.3 million.
When will the trailhead be built?
The trailhead is currently being designed. Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2011 and take approximately nine months to complete.
