Tom's Thumb

A steep, switchbacking climb in the northern McDowell Mountains to the base of Tom's Thumb, a rock tower with views over north Scottsdale.

Tom's Thumb is a granite tower on a ridge of the northern McDowell Mountains, and it's hard to miss: it looks like a thumb sticking straight up. The trail climbs about 1,200 feet in 2.2 miles, mostly on switchbacks, passing a couple of lookouts on the way. Near the top it levels out at the base of the Thumb, with views over the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and out across the Valley. Climbers use routes up the tower itself; the hiking trail stops at its base. It's busy on weekends; midweek is quieter.

Parking

A trailhead lot for cars and horse trailers, with shade ramadas.

Trailhead: Tom's Thumb Trailhead (23015 N. 128th St.).

Fee

Free

Dogs

Dogs on leash

Shade

Minimal

Hazards

• No specific hazards recorded beyond desert heat.

Best months

1. J
2. F
3. M
4. A
5. M
6. J
7. J
8. A
9. S
10. O
11. N
12. D

October to April, when the average high in Phoenix is under 90°F.

Trail map

McDowell Sonoran Preserve south trail map · City of Scottsdale (PDF)

Sources

5 sources · last verified Sep 24, 2026. Report a change

Photo: HTBFTBO · CC BY-SA 4.0

Where each fact comes from

• McDowell Sonoran Preserve south area trail map — City of Scottsdale (PDF) checked 2026-09-27
• McDowell Sonoran Preserve — City of Scottsdale checked 2026-09-24
• Tom's Thumb Trailhead — OpenStreetMap checked 2026-09-24
• Tom's Thumb Trail — 10Adventures (updated 2026-09-01) checked 2026-09-24
• Best months: normal high under 90°F, Phoenix Sky Harbor 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI) checked 2026-09-24