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Camping

Established Camping

McDowell Mountain Regional Park

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McDowell Mountain Regional Park, near Scottsdale, Arizona, is a fantastic spot for those looking to immerse themselves in the beauty of the desert. With spacious sites that offer stunning views of the mountains and surrounding landscape, it’s a perfect place to kick back and enjoy nature.

This campground is a hit with mountain bikers and hikers, thanks to its access to a variety of trails that cater to all skill levels. Visitors rave about the clean facilities, including well-maintained bathrooms and showers, making it easy to refresh after a day of adventure. One camper noted, “The sites are very nicely kept/clean,” which speaks to the park's commitment to maintaining a pleasant environment.

If you’re traveling with pets, you’ll be pleased to know that they’re welcome here, adding to the family-friendly vibe. The peaceful atmosphere is complemented by the sounds of nature, including the occasional coyote serenade at night. Plus, you’re just a short drive from Fountain Hills, where you can find restaurants and other conveniences.

Whether you’re planning a weekend escape or a longer stay, McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers a blend of relaxation and outdoor excitement that’s hard to beat. With its breathtaking views and well-kept amenities, it’s a spot you’ll want to return to again and again.

Description

County

Set in the northeast Valley of metro Phoenix, McDowell Mountain Regional Park covers 21,099 acres in the lower Verde River basin. Campers choose from 76 individual sites for tent or RV camping, which can accommodate up to a 45-foot RV. These developed sites have water and electrical hook-ups, plus a dump station, picnic table, and barbecue fire ring, while all restrooms offer flush toilets and showers. Group camping is also available.

McDowell Mountain activities range from biking, hiking, and horseback riding on over 50 miles of multi-use trails to picnicking, stargazing, and plenty of park-organized programs and events.

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Location

McDowell Mountain Regional Park is located in Arizona

Detail location of campground

Directions

16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr., MMRP, AZ 85268

Address

16300 McDowell Mountain Park Dr
Scottsdale, AZ 85262

Coordinates

33.69365582 N
111.7294874 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Fair
  • Verizon
    Good
  • AT&T
    Available
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Phone Service
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Water Hookups
  • Pull-Through Sites
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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5.0

out of 5

20 Reviews

Reviewed Mar. 9, 2022

Beautiful Campground near Scottsdale

Gorgeous views, very spaced out sites, and access to great mountain biking and hiking trails. Even the overflow area where we had to spend a couple of nights has a very nice bathroom and shower. Will definitely return!

SiteD69
Month of VisitMarch
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2022

Amazing!

If you're into mountain biking, this is THE campground. Breathtaking views, cool Nature Center! Showers were just okay. We had a hard time getting them to warm up and the lightbulbs were burnt out so I had to shower by flashlight... But worth it!

Month of VisitDecember
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Rebecca C., January 11, 2022
Reviewed Jan. 2, 2022

Clean & Quiet

A little too far out of town if you’re working in the city, otherwise it was quiet with beautiful views. Plenty of trials for mountain biking, and rentals and restaurants in Fountain Hills, about 15 minutes from the campground.

Month of VisitDecember
Reviewed Oct. 22, 2021

Great campground!!

Nice large private sites with a wonderful view of the mountains and desert. Great for bikeriding enthusiasts and there are also lots of great hiking trails! The sites are very nicely kept/clean. The bathrooms are emaculate, and the staff is friendly and helpful. Only bummer is how far away it is to a laundrymat, but well worth the drive to stay in the desert with the beautiful sunsets, gorgeous mountain views and bright stars!!

Site73
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Kloee S., October 22, 2021
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Kloee S., October 22, 2021
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Kloee S., October 22, 2021
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Jan. 18, 2021

Mountain Biking Haven!

Stayed in the Youth Group Campsite on a Scout outing. Rode several trails, including part of the big Pemberton Loop. Everyone was friendly and our group site was well maintained. Rode through RV campground and used bathrooms on our big ride. They were clean. RV campground seemed nice.

Reviewed Dec. 29, 2020

Beauty in a prickly world!

The map shows McDowell twice but there is only one. It us about 23K acres of beautiful desert surrounded by the Superstition Mountains. Clean campground and pretty quiet. Flush toilets, showers available in the RV campground. Fun MTB, hiking trails. We camped here twice in December 2020 because we liked it so much.. tent camping is $22/night. Highly recommend.

  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Janet  M., December 29, 2020
  • Pemberton trail
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  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Janet  M., December 29, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Dec. 24, 2020

Great trails. Clean park.

Nice park just outside of Scottsdale. Fun mountain bike trails. Clean bathrooms. Quiet in late December. Only 5 or 6 tent campers here. $22 night for tent site. We parked in our van. Can use showers at RV camp area. Great spot.

  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Janet  M., December 24, 2020
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Janet  M., December 24, 2020
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Janet  M., December 24, 2020
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Nov. 24, 2020

County Park

Very nice peaceful park. At night the coyotes sing you to sleep and also wake you up in the morning. You can also see the fountain from most of the campsites which goes off every hour! The utilities are easy to find and use, but only have water and electric. Both 30 and 520 amp available! Town is close so groceries and other things are available there. Nice scenic drives also available. Superstition Mountains are close and easy to see and drive too. Hiking available there also.

Month of VisitMarch
Reviewed Oct. 27, 2020

Great sites with great views!

Very quiet! Lots of hiking and bike riding trails with a bike course! Playground. Pet friendly. Very clean and friendly hosts. Close to fountain hills if you need anything in town. Close to town but very much felt like you where away on vacation no hustle bustle in the desert! The views where fantastic. Sites where clean and spacious a lot of space between each site for privacy! Will definitely be back!

Site76
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Robin , October 27, 2020
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Robin , October 27, 2020
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Robin , October 27, 2020
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Aug. 24, 2020

Wide open spaces

Very nice clean campground and extremely private! No sewer, however electric and water are available and conveniently located. NO shade however and in the summer it is HOT! Desert surround's and lots you singing coyotes at night and early morning! Huge sites with picnic tables and fire rings. Restroom are big and well cleaned. Love this park!

Reviewed Jul. 4, 2020

Spectacular park with lots to do

McDowell Mountain is a phenomenal park, as are all Maricopa County parks. This particular one is popular for its bicycle offerings. It's a stunning park and the views from camp never disappoint. There's a cute little playground in the campground for the wee ones as well as lots of trails to chose from. 

It's consistent with the other Maricopa parks in that the partial hookups were reliable and the restrooms and showers always clean. The camp hosts are top-notch and turn the sites around quickly for the next occupant with their efficient system of cleaning and raking. 

Like many other visitors, we pieced together our 12-night stay at 3 different campsites due to the nature of the reservation system. It tends to work out since we need to dump tanks from time-to-time anyway so we simply timed that activity with move days. The dump station was often very busy but everyone is always friendly and it just turns into a social event since most of us are doing the same thing by dumping on"move" days. 

All 3 of the sites we stayed in(10, 11, and 26) were level and easy to navigate with plenty of room to unhook the truck and unload the sidecar from the toy hauler. They were typically too short to park the front in front of the trailer so it got parked off to the side. 

Verizon cell signal was frustrating without having our signal booster installed yet. Just enough connection to make us think we could use it but really we just spent the whole time trying unsuccessfully to connect. I suspect with the booster running we would have been fine to keep working without that frustration. 

The nearby town of Fountain Hills is known for its fountain that spouts on the hour. It was once the tallest in the world and you can see it from many places in the park. 

Non-park tip: We found the nearby town, Fountain Hills, to be crowded and unpleasant, and the residents notably snobby. There are no laundromats, only laundry services so you'll need to look elsewhere to do the wash. We chose the Spin Doctor in Mesa and it was the best laundromat I've ever been in, and I've been in lots all over the country in my travels.

Site10, 11, & 26
Month of VisitJanuary
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Val W., July 4, 2020
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Val W., July 4, 2020
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Val W., July 4, 2020
  • (5) View All
Reviewed May. 24, 2019

Fabulous. Perfect trails. Campground very nice and great people

Mikes of mountain biking trails which were spectacular. We’ve ridden lots of places and this is definitely one of my favorite. Trails are not difficult technically but a great workout and so pretty. Campground spots are spacious, bathrooms nice and clean. Sites fill up because it’s so great so you have to book ahead. We had to camp in overflow area one night which was still fine then was able to grab a canceled spot.

Month of VisitMarch
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Mike M., May 24, 2019
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Mike M., May 24, 2019
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Mike M., May 24, 2019
Reviewed Nov. 12, 2017

Disappointment

Someone was in our spot. No one to call to have them address the issue. There wasn’t a good map of the site. The confirmation doesn’t list what campground either

Site8 Tents only
Month of VisitNovember
Reviewed Nov. 11, 2017

Awesome experience

Beautiful, just beautiful. The park rangers are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Breathtaking views at sunset and fun for just a night!

Month of VisitNovember
Reviewed Nov. 11, 2017

Questival 2017

Very clean campsite and bathroom facilities. We stayed in site 30 which is a direct shot to the bathroom.

Site30
Month of VisitNovember
Reviewed May. 5, 2017

Beautiful scenic views

Large campground with beautiful views from every campsite. Desert camping so there are no tall trees for shade and it can get windy. Sites with good privacy, full restrooms with free showers. Tent sites are not as nice as RV sites with full hookup. Lots of trails for mountain biking or hiking.

Reviewed Aug. 31, 2016

Great for desert hiking-bring lots of water!

The park is fantastic for a desert hike. The paths are well marked and the trails are filled with cacti and large diversity of wildlife. When we went it was incredibly hot and its important to bring lots of water. I recommend being there for sunset as the colors on the sandy mountain is magnificent. Also be prepared for a HUGE drop in temperature at night because it can get very cold very quickly.

  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Ethan K., August 31, 2016
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Ethan K., August 31, 2016
  • Review photo of McDowell Mountain Regional Park by Ethan K., August 31, 2016
  • (7) View All

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at McDowell Mountain Regional Park?

    Camping at McDowell Mountain Regional Park can starts at $32.00.

  • Does McDowell Mountain Regional Park have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, McDowell Mountain Regional Park has water hookups.

  • Are fires allowed at McDowell Mountain Regional Park?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at McDowell Mountain Regional Park, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.

  • Does McDowell Mountain Regional Park have wifi?

    No, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, McDowell Mountain Regional Park does not have wifi.

  • Is there cell phone reception at McDowell Mountain Regional Park?

    According to campers on TheDyrt.com, Verizon signal is good, AT&T is available, and T-Mobile is unknown.