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    Wild Bunch Desert Guides

    4.9 (29 reviews)
    Open 6:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Desert hike tour
    Yukiko A.

    My daughter & I had a great desert hike on Mother's Day. Our guide Jay was very funny and easy to hangout with. Jay taught us about many different cactuses. Back packs, water bottles and some snacked were provided so you just show up with comfortable cloths and a pair of good shoes. Some part of the trail is slippery but over all the trail is pretty mild for anyone. I was pleasantly surprised how open and friendly the fellow hikers ( seems like all locals ) in Arizona ! Wish the very best for this small tour business. We could meet Laurel, the owner after the hike and she was very nice too.

    Tarsha P.

    I had the pleasure of doing a 2 hour beginner hike with Joe as my guide. I can't say enough how exhilarating this experience was. My guide was fantastic! He was knowledgeable, professional and an all around joy to hike with. The owner was extremely sweet and made me feel so comfortable when I booked. I highly recommend this company

    Me, having a grand ol' time on our snack break!
    Bianca S.

    I had the opportunity to take a private mountain biking tour with Wild Bunch Desert Guides in October 2021. Coordinating my tour details was a breeze with Laurel at the helm. I received all of my details with my confirmation in an email with my guide's name, where I would be able to find him and the trailhead location. They did also offer transportation but I was traveling by car, regardless, so I opted to meet him there. The details in the email also went over what the tour included as far as snacks and gear. There were, of course, all of the details regarding Covid-19, health and safety guidelines and cancellation information. On the morning of the tour I arrived 15 minutes early as advised and found Don, my guide, quickly because of Laurel's details. He was amped and excited for the day and the tour. We spoke about my previous mountain biking experience, or lack thereof and what our loose plan was for the day. I had previously notified Laurel that I had minimal experience and would probably fall into the beginner category. Don provided me with a souvenir water bottle, a day pack to hold my personal belongings/items during the tour, a helmet, full finger gloves and a hard tail mountain bike. He had me ride the bike up and down the parking lot access road to make sure it felt comfortable and to familiarize myself with the brakes. I looped around and felt confident with the bike as it was. Don loaded up and lead me down the spur trail. He pointed out trail features and possible obstacles as well as guided me on how to handle them when it came to my body and pedal positions. After the one steep uphill climb we hit the ground "biking" and were cruising around the sandy curves of the park. Along the way Don pointed out natural features, names of rock formations and provided plenty of desert facts, as well as dad jokes. He was so upbeat and happy about the entire area I smiled the entire tour. He was happy with my bike handling and took me on a bit of a more difficult trail as we continued through the park. He'd stop occasionally to capture my photo while riding and even got a couple of videos, too. We parked our bikes and took a break atop a rock formation and he showed me the more difficult trails that climb and hop down the boulders. After our break we hit the trail again, at a faster pace which he had me set. He was encouraging as I was making my way up a slick, pebble-covered climb, I didn't make it up without stopping while I was trying to heed his directions. He asked if I wanted to give it an additional shot, heck yes! He told me how to approach the climb and how much speed I needed to hit the base with, he verbally guided me around the obstacles and cheered as I made it up and over it. We cruised back to the parking lot, Don capturing video of me as we rode. Back at the van we chatted about the great ride and he let me know he considered me almost an intermediate rider :) He was kind, the trip went off without a hitch and the communication pre and post tour was perfect. I was also able to obtain my photos through their website! Overall, there was nothing better I could have expected.

    We had such a blast with our 3 hour private tour!!!!! Best part of the trip to AZ for me. Kim was our guide and she did an incredible job going at a good pace for us and was very knowledgeable about the wildlife. I would absolutely recommend! The owner is also very passionate about her company and you get a very personal experience.

    M J.

    The hubs and I took off for a day of "first time" hiking not knowing what to expect. We met Laurel as our guide for the day and she welcomed us with the biggest smile ever. Listen, she treated our concerns/fears as if they were her own and she went out of her way to make us feel secure and safe while navigating through the complexities of Camelback Mountain. We had a blast! She even took us on an impromptu walking excursion at the end of the hike. Because of Laurel, the owner of the company, hiking is something we look forward to doing again. *sidenote- she has a beautiful and thoughtful way of exchanging authentic communication while climbing that makes you forget you're on a mountain. She's a rockstar! If you've never hiked before or if you're a seasoned hiker that needs a guide, do yourself a favor and book with The Wild Bunch!

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    The guides were great and catered the experience to our abilities and desires. It was a super fun experience for the whole family.

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    Our guide Don was great!!! Not only did he give us a great ride but also some learning about the native plant life in AZ. Thanks Don!!!

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    Ask the Community - Wild Bunch Desert Guides

    Review Highlights - Wild Bunch Desert Guides

    I had previously notified Laurel that I had minimal experience and would probably fall into the beginner category.

    Mentioned in 16 reviews

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    Hole-in-the-Rock

    Hole-in-the-Rock

    4.5
    (384 reviews)
    11.9 mi

    As a respectable hiker, I'm not going to call this a hike but it is a cool experience. I stopped by…read moreon Memorial Day in the afternoon by design. It was 95 degrees so I knew a challenging hike would be out of the question. Something like Hole-in-the-Rock though, easy peasy. While there were a decent number of people there, I had no trouble finding free parking. This natural wonder is located in Papago Park close to the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden. After you park, you'll have a five-minute walk to get to Hole-in-the-Rock. You'll have to climb an incline to get in the hole, so definitely be careful, but there are kids that do it too. And a lot of tourists that show up. So that pretty much sums it up. Once you get inside, you'll have an awesome view of the Phoenix through a literal hole in a big rock. You'll see a lot of people using it as a photo opp. That's not really my style, so instead, I took a seat and enjoyed the beauty for 10 minutes or so. It can get pretty crowded so keep that in mind if you stop by on a weekend. Hole-in-the-Rock is one of the top attractions on TripAdvisor in Phoenix. Definitely a cool (and short) adventure to cross of the bucket list. I spent 30 minutes there (which included hanging out in the rock for half the time).

    A truly mystical and magical place. They close at 7:00 p.m…read more Most people try to get there later in the day to avoid the scorching 110 deg. weather and hot sun. There is a pond with tons of geese. I saw a man fly fishing.

    Photos
    At the top
    At the top
    Trail map
    Trail map
    1/12/25 FYI. Cool views.

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    1/12/25 FYI. Cool views.
    Cholla Trail

    Cholla Trail

    4.3
    (104 reviews)
    8.4 mi

    Let me start by saying that before, taking any hike, please take heed to every warning sign that is…read moreposted. I made the mistake of seeing extremely difficult and comparing it to a hike I did in New Mexico that was difficult thinking that this was just slightly higher than the one in New Mexico. I only looked at the distance and did not pay attention to the incline. This trail is 1.47 miles but has a gain of over 1300 feet. It is extremely steep and that is the part that will take you out! No pets are allowed on this trail, which is definitely a wise decision given how steep and narrow it is. Another hiker told us that there are a total of 36 markers along the trail, I made it to marker five, my husband made it to marker seven. By the time I hit marker five I was dizzy and nauseous. I was definitely not ready for how extremely difficult this hiking trail was. I feel like I looked at the warning signs, but didn't quite register what they were saying. It is a beautiful hike, but you definitely have to be accustomed to the incline and the altitude. The views were beautiful, but you absolutely must be careful, I would recommend a hiking stick to help keep your balance, especially on the way down. So my rating of five star is that they 100% accurately described the trail, it was absolutely beautiful, I just failed to register the warnings.

    Quality/Quantity - 2-3 hour round trip hike (my guest does this hike in 4 hours, lol). We got here…read morelate, so we only did 1 hour as we did not want to get a $118 ticket for staying past sunset. So we only hiked to marker 8. A fairly steep rocky trail. No shade, but perfect weather for us on this winter afternoon. Beautiful views; see my pictures. Views of Scottsdale and Phoenix. Atmosphere - At the start of the trail there were restrooms, drinking fountain, bike rack, etc. Very limited parking, make sure you pay attention to the street signs. We got lucky and got a perfect space, probably because we got here an hour before closing and most people had already left. Summit - 2,704 feet. Animals - We saw loose dogs, rabbits, etc. Open from sunrise to sunset. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1960's since The Preservation of Camelback Mountain Foundation.

    Photos
    Views at bottom
    Views at bottom
    Cholla Trail
    Up and up

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    Up and up
    McDowell Sonoran Preserve

    McDowell Sonoran Preserve

    4.8
    (169 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    Kid friendly
    Locally owned & operated

    Beautiful Scenery for hiking and enjoying the outdoors…read more - - - - - - - - February, 2026 Visit We visited Scottsdale / Phoenix and had a very memorable partial- and full-loop hike at McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Before leaving home for Scottsdale, we explored hikes and parks near the hotel and McDowell is one we briefly looked at. Once we arrived, McDowell was on our short list and after a work day we got here just at sunset for a Hoo before it got dark - we enjoyed the short Saguaro hike and also the Interpretive Trail, on a nice night. The next day I did not work, but had a planned day off, so we had more time for the full hike...The Gateway Trail... 4.4 mile loop from the trailhead and another half mile or so to/from the car. This Trail rating is Moderate, and that seems right. There is a wide variety of rock on the trail, from sand to pebbles to rocks and built rocks. There is 650+ feet in elevation gain; the high point is about midway, at or near the Gateway saddle (thatMs just what it looks like!) and it's up one way and down the other; depending on whether you go left or right right. Someone else recommended following the trail clockwise, so we did... it's a bit shorter to the high point... about 2 miles "hiking to the left / to the northern side and about 2.5 miles on the right / southern side. Along the way we saw some birds, which looked like quail, at the 1.0-1.5 mile mark; fauna: the Arizona landscape is different from the California that we are more familiar with... many more types of cacti - tall Saguaro, shorter barrel, and buckhorn cholla and cholla; also, blue polo verde and more Do take a lot of water; even on a mostly cloudy day in the 70s, we drank two 32oz bottles apiece and had the last sips on the walk to the car; a sunny day would have had us likely feeling a bit dry from having finished our water earlier. The elevation change may provide a challenge on your thigh muscles and to your knees. As we we headed down, we met a lady who passed us going up, and then on her return down, some 30 minutes later, and she mentioned having not yet completed the full loop before, and being impressed that we were about to finish it; that was a good motivation for us - thanks!! Thank you all at the Conservancy who created and maintain this wonderful trail.

    It's hard to believe this is a park that has free parking and is accessible to all! It looks like…read morethe visitor center and restrooms were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is truly an well-maintained preserve. I was so impressed before we even started our hike. The loop trail we did wasn't too difficult, but I will say as someone who had foot surgery years ago, there are tons of small rocks on every part of the trail. Keep that in mind when choosing footwear! This is such a neat place to visit - tucked in a little suburban neighborhood that you'd miss the turnoff for if you blinked. A must see.

    Photos
    McDowell Sonoran Preserve
    McDowell Sonoran Conservancy - Gateway Loop - Feb., 2026
    McDowell Sonoran Conservancy - Gateway Loop - Feb., 2026
    Barrel cactus

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    Barrel cactus
    Echo Canyon Trail

    Echo Canyon Trail

    4.6
    (36 reviews)
    8.9 mi

    Hiked the death trap that is echo canyon trail and it did not disappoint…read more Made for mountain goats aka I recommend it if you're okay with basically rock climbing the whole way up, it's pretty vertical. It's a fun hike and definitely a good workout. It's also very well marked for people who frequently get lost on trails like me. I wasn't super impressed with the view at the top since it's just overlooking the city but it's probably one of the highest vantage points compared to other hikes. Tips: There is one part where the stairs and rails are where it gets very windy so sunglasses can help. You don't necessarily need gloves to do the hike, just be careful with how you pivot with your hands, I got through it without any callouses, scabs or scratches. Like others said, try to wear shoes with some type of traction, I got through it with sneakers. Very small parking lot so come at sunrise or if you come around 7am, sometimes the early risers leave around that time. There's bathrooms and a water fountain at the beginning. Have fun and be safe!

    The views on this trail the higher you go are priceless. However, one time is enough for me lol. It…read moretook an hour and a half up and another hour and a half down. This was my first time doing a hike like this and it's definitely not a "beginners" hike but I had no expectations & didn't know what I was getting myself into. On the way down, I fell and busted my knee. My only recommendation is to take your time & take breaks while going up/down the mountain. & listen to your body if you get tired!

    Photos
    Camelbacksanta
    Camelbacksanta
    Echo Canyon Trail
    Echo Canyon Trail

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    Wild Bunch Desert Guides - hiking - Updated June 2026

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