Campground Overview:
McDowell Mountain Regional Park, nestled in the lower Verde River basin, the 21,099-acre park is a desert jewel in the northeast Valley. Elevations in the park rise to 3,000 feet along the western boundary at the base of the McDowell Mountains. Visitors enjoy a full program schedule, over 50 miles of multi-use trails, and spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges. A stroll through the park will allow visitors to likely see deer, javelina, birds, and coyotes.
Campsites:
McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers 76 individual sites for tent or RV camping. Each site has a large parking area to accommodate up to a 45′ RV and is a “Developed Site,” with water and electrical hook-ups, dump station, a picnic table and a barbecue fire ring. All restrooms offer flush toilets and showers. The south loop of the campground also offers handicapped-accessible restrooms.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Developed w/ Shower |
Season: |
Year-Round |
Nearby City: |
Phoenix Valley |
Fishing: |
None |
Campground Website: |
Ironwood Tent Site- McDowell Mountain Regional Park |
Campground Map: |
Campground Map / Park Map |
Reservations: |
|
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Maricopa County through its Regional Park system encompasses considerable areas where many stories originated. McDowell Mountain Regional Park is one such place where history is not only a form of speculation with its Indian petroglyphs and archaeological sites, but considerable amount of it actually transpired, and has been documented.
Almost 2,000 years ago nomadic big game hunters spread into southwest North America. Next, the Hohokam Indians, who evolved from the earlier Cochise culture, plus immigrants from Mexico occupied much of Southern Arizona and Maricopa County from about 2,000 years ago to 1450 A.D. The Spanish arrived in the early 1500’s under the leadership of Coronodo. At that time, the areas near the confluence of the Salt and Verde Rivers was home to between 4,000 and 10,000 Hohokam Indians. Native activities ranged from intensive agriculture, with river irrigation, to nomadic hunting and gathering. McDowell Park contains the remains of several such hunting and gathering sites within its boundaries.
In 1865, Camp McDowell was founded on the west bank of the Verde River. Remaining a permanent military post until 1890, it was the only fort inside present boundaries of Maricopa County. Remains of the fort still exist in the present day village of Fort McDowell, just a few miles southeast of McDowell Park. Due to the presence of Camp McDowell and the protection it offered, settlement in the Salt River Valley was permanent. On February 12,1871, Maricopa County was created to serve the growing population.
By early 1944, talk and correspondence originated regarding establishing a County Park system. A committee was established, studies were conducted for choosing locations, the process of land acquisition was formatted and by 1945 certain land purchases and leases had been completed. An 18,273 acreage for McDowell Park was first leased in 1958, and patented in 1964. Through further land acquisition this has been expanded to now encompass 21,099 acres. One of the largest in the Maricopa County Parks System, McDowell Mountain Regional Park rates as one of the most scenic with majestic mountain views.
Trails
McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers over 40-miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails. Park Trails range in length from 0.5-miles to 15.3-miles and range in difficulty from easy to strenuous. Those looking for an easy hike should try the North Trail at 3.1-miles. Those looking for a good workout for themselves or their horses should try the Pemberton at 15.3-miles. All trails are multi-use unless otherwise designated.
Nearby Campgrounds:
Campground full or want to see what’s around? Try one of these campgrounds located nearby
