The Gateway Trail and Desert Park Trail form a 5.5 mile loop through the northwest corner of McDowell Sonoran Preserve. The loop features mild grades and a full cross-section of local flora.

Desert plants survive dry periods with adaptive traits that include succulence, drought tolerance and drought evasion

The Desert Park Trail's mild grades and groomed track are ideal for runners and mountain bikes

It can take 95-100 years for a saguaro cactus to produce its first arm

Temporal Niche Separation promotes diversity in local plant communities

A jackrabbit's ears are full of blood vessels that widen to release heat and regulate body temperature

The spring flowering season in the Arizona Upland subdivision runs from mid February to mid June, and typically peaks March through April

Ectotherms are animals that warm their bodies by absorbing heat from their surroundings

Bi-seasonal rains (winter months + July-August) contribute to the Sonoran Desert's incredible diversity

Chain Fruit Cholla derives its name from the build-up of fruit each year that forms long links, or chains

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve is located in an upland that sees slightly higher rainfall than surrounding areas

A saguaro’s root system lies just beneath the soil surface and radiates as far as the plant is tall.

Buckhorn cholla closely resembles staghorn cholla, but only buckhorn is found in the Preserve

Once the dry summer begins, many desert plants shift metabolic activities to the night time

Widespread flower blooms happen only about once a decade when the winter rainy season is earlier and wetter than normal