Arizona · Rock climbing · Scottsdale

McDowell Mountains

24 routes
5.5 – 5.11
Trad · Sport · Bouldering
Oct–Apr
best months

The McDowell Mountains climbing area sits within the Mcdowell Sonoran Preserve in Arizona, on county land. It is a compact cluster of rock with several named climbing areas and routes close together, making it a convenient base for a day of climbing. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Pinnacle Peak weather station show March highs around 72°F and October highs around 83°F, while July and August average in the upper 90s. The area has 24 routes, with 13 trad and 9 sport, and grades range from 5.5 to 5.11 on the YDS scale. Among the routes are Rightie (5.5, sport), Beam Me Up Scotty (5.6, trad) and Wag Your Tail (5.11, sport). The Girlie Man Area and Morrell's Wall Parking Lot are both about 0.3 miles away, and the Feldspar Trail is about 0.4 miles off.

  • Best time to go · Oct–Apr

    Best time to visit McDowell Mountains

    Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      64° / 43°

    2. Feb

      66° / 45°

    3. Mar

      72° / 49°

    4. Apr

      79° / 54°

    5. May

      87° / 62°

    6. Jun

      96° / 71°

    7. Jul

      99° / 76°

    8. Aug

      98° / 75°

    9. Sep

      94° / 71°

    10. Oct

      83° / 61°

    11. Nov

      72° / 50°

    12. Dec

      63° / 42°

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pinnacle Peak, AZ, 4.5 mi away at 2,565 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Routes (24)

Morrell's Boulder(2)

Rightie5.5Leftie5.7

Keep exploring — more climbs worth the drive

Girlie Man AreaPhoto: HTBFTBO, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Girlie Man Area

Next door

Girlie Man Area in Arizona has 11 climbing routes across 10 difficulty grades.

Sven Tower 3Photo: HTBFTBO, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sven Tower 3

Next door

Sven Tower 3 is a climbing area in Arizona with 18 routes.

Sven TowersPhoto: HTBFTBO, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sven Towers

Next door

Sven Towers is a climbing crag in Arizona with 1 route.

Knob Hill - EastPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Knob Hill - East

Next door

Knob Hill - East in Arizona has 9 climbing routes across 7 difficulty grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Sven Tower 1Photo: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Sven Tower 1

Next door

Sven Tower 1 in Arizona has 9 climbing routes with 6 difficulty grades, offering sport and trad styles.

Morrell's WallPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Morrell's Wall

Next door

Morrell's Wall in Arizona has 16 climbing routes across 12 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

Fort McDowellPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Fort McDowell

~1 min drive

Fort McDowell is a climbing crag in Arizona with 5 routes.

Tom's ThumbPhoto: Carefree Sailor, Public Domain Mark (via Flickr)

Tom's Thumb

~1 min drive

Tom's Thumb in Arizona has 16 trad routes across 9 difficulty grades.

Pinnacle PeakPhoto: SocialMediaAdventure, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Pinnacle Peak

~8 min drive

Pinnacle Peak in Arizona has 44 climbing routes across 21 grades, offering mixed, sport, and trad styles.

AMC BoulderPhoto: SocialMediaAdventure, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

AMC Boulder

~8 min drive

AMC Boulder in Arizona has 8 climbing routes across 5 grades.