Mesquite Hollow Trail - FHP, AZ

Overview
The Mesquite Hollow Trail is a trail in the Fountain Hills McDowell Mountain Preserve (FHP). This is a connector trail that is most easily accessed from the Adero Canyon Trailhead in the town of Fountain Hills.


Hike
To access the Mesquite Hollow Trail, take the Promenade Trail from the Adero Canyon Trailhead. After hiking just under one mile, the Promenade Trail ends at a 4-way junction with 3 other trails: the Mesquite Hollow Trail, the Sonoran Trail, and the Lower Sonoran Trail.Take the left fork to get on the Mesquite Hollow Trail. The trail goes for 1.5 miles to a junction with the Sonoran Trail. At that point you have some options: you can turn around and return to the trailhead the way that you came; you can turn right on the Sonoran Trail and go back to the 4-way junction and continue on the Promenade Trail back to the trailhead; or you could go left on the Sonoran Trail and after about 0.7 miles you'll come to a junction with the Lower Sonoran Trail. From there you could take the Lower Sonoran Trail back to the 4-way junction, and then take the Promenade Trail back to the trailhead. You could also use your imagination to come up with some longer routes.

The Mesquite Hollow Trail has a nice dirt surface with very little rock, so the tread is delightful to hike on. Going south to north there is some elevation gain on the trail over its 1.5 mile length: about 300 feet net and 525 feet gross. However, there are a number of switchbacks that mitigate some of the steepness.

This trail can be hiked year-round, but in warmer times of the year, it is best hiked early in the morning. There is little shade on the trail, so it is recommended to avoid hiking on the trail in the middle of the day in hot temperatures.

Water Sources
There are restrooms and water at the Adero Canyon Trailhead, but there is no water on the trail.

Camping
The FHP is only open from dawn-to-dusk, so no camping is permitted.

2025-01-03 DixieFlyer