Golden Eagle Loop - Fountain Hills • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 22 2026
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	10.80 Miles	1,352 AEG

Hiking	10.80 Miles
	1,352 ft AEG

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

I did this loop CCW. I did a variation of the standard loop, which was a bit longer but had less elevation gain.

Wildflowers Observation Moderate
Flowers continue to be nice this winter. I saw a good bit of owl clover today, which is one of my favorite flowers.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

229549

Feb 13 2026

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 13 2026
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.10 Miles	1,709 AEG

Hiking	11.10 Miles	4 Hrs 39 Mns	2.62 mph
	1,709 ft AEG	25 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I did this loop CCW, with a side trip up to Bell Pass and back.

On the way out, just past the Dixie Mine TH, I went on a well worn use trail that I had noticed before but had never been on. This was an easy to follow trail that went to a road just past Ashbrook Wash. The road was wide and recently graded, and I followed it to Thompson Peak Road. I took Thompson Peak Road over to near the Dixie Mine, where I got on the Dixie Mine Trail. I liked this route and I will take it again sometime.

It was a great day weatherwise to be out -- I think that it was the best hiking day in the PHX area so far in 2026: cloudy, pleasantly cool, with a slight breeze.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] African Daisy

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Granite

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] East End McDowell Mountains

Wildflowers Observation Light
britlebush, chuparosa, Dichelostemma capitatum, flat top buckwheat, fairy duster, african daisy

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

229388

Jan 02 2026

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 02 2026
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.61 Miles	1,789 AEG

Hiking	11.61 Miles	4 Hrs 51 Mns	2.67 mph
	1,789 ft AEG	30 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I had not done this hike in a while so I figured that it would be as good as any for my first hike of 2026, especially since I wanted to stay close to home.

I did the loop clockwise, and added an out-and-back up to Bell Pass in order to get a bit extra mileage/AEG.

It is very green out there right now, and it was nice to see some wildflowers blooming.

I saw a few other hikers and some mountain bike riders, along with one bow hunter who was covered in camouflage from head to toe.

Wildflowers Observation Light
There are a good many brittlebush blooming, and I also noticed some chuparosa and buckwheat.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

1 archive

228474

Apr 18 2025

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Apr 18 2025
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.46 Miles	1,688 AEG

Hiking	11.46 Miles	5 Hrs 16 Mns	2.56 mph
	1,688 ft AEG	47 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I decided to stay close to home and do this lasso loop hike. I did the loop clockwise, and added in an 0ut-and-back ascent of Bell Pass.

The temps were cool and there was lots of cloud cover, so it was a great morning for a hike.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Creosote Bush Desert Senna Mesquite Strawberry Hedgehog

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Thompson Peak

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunburst Sunrise

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
As has been the case this spring, there were some ocotillo flowers but not much else.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

1 archive

222769

Dec 23 2024

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Dec 23 2024
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.55 Miles	1,654 AEG

Hiking	11.55 Miles	5 Hrs 2 Mns	2.69 mph
	1,654 ft AEG	44 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I decided to stay close to home and do this hike today. I did the loop clockwise and added in an out-and-back up to Bell Pass to get a little extra distance and elevation gain.

I started fairly early and had a light windbreaker on for a couple of miles, but took it off once the sun got up good.

The warm temperatures made it feel more like spring than winter. With near-zero rain this fall I suspect that the 2025 spring wildflower season will be a dud.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

219950

Nov 04 2024

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 04 2024
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.48 Miles	1,627 AEG

Hiking	11.48 Miles	5 Hrs 3 Mns	2.60 mph
	1,627 ft AEG	38 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I decided to stay close to home and do this hike again today. I did the loop CW, and also took a side trip up to Bell Pass.

We had some rain yesterday afternoon and the trail was a tad soft early, but it was drying out pretty good on the way back.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

218906

Oct 22 2024

pseudalpine

Guides 72
Routes 1,190
Photos 1,493
Triplogs 1,544

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 22 2024
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,544

Hiking	11.72 Miles	1,666 AEG

Hiking	11.72 Miles	3 Hrs 58 Mns	3.14 mph
	1,666 ft AEG	14 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

7 linked trail guides

Dixie Mine Ridgeline - McDowells

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Slightly crispy desert near the trailhead.

5 archives

218619

Feb 28 2024

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Feb 28 2024
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.39 Miles	1,669 AEG

Hiking	11.39 Miles	4 Hrs 48 Mns	2.72 mph
	1,669 ft AEG	37 Mns Break

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I decided to hike locally and did this hike again. I did the loop clockwise and added a side trip to Bell Pass.

There is not much in the way of wildflowers yet in this area; there should be some in the coming weeks though. The desert is really green right now.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] African Daisy

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
There is not much in the way of wildflowers in this area yet. I saw a few blue richards, 3-4 poppies, one african daisy, and a few small fiddlenecks. There should be more in the coming weeks.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

213490

Jan 19 2024

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 19 2024
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.42 Miles	1,682 AEG

Hiking	11.42 Miles	4 Hrs 42 Mns	2.77 mph
	1,682 ft AEG	35 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I decided to stay close to home and do this lasso loop hike today.

I did the loop clockwise, and also took a side trip up to Bell Pass to add in a little extra distance and elevation gain.

It was a nice day out there with some clouds doing a nice job of filtering the sun.

I saw a nice 6 point buck on the way back, around the Dixie Mine.

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Mule Deer

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

212552

Oct 01 2023

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Oct 01 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.67 Miles	1,760 AEG

Hiking	11.67 Miles	4 Hrs 22 Mns	2.93 mph
	1,760 ft AEG	23 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I did this lasso loop clockwise with a side-trip up to Bell Pass.

There weren't any clouds out, but the temperature was cooler than it has been and there was a nice breeze blowing most of the way.

You could smell and see smoke from a wildfire near the landfill on Highway 87 and Gilbert Road; so the air quality wasn't the best.

At Bell Pass I went a short distance on the use trail that goes up toward McDowell Peak. I will check it out further once winter gets here.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Saguaro

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Smoke

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

2 archives

209730

May 10 2023

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		May 10 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.63 Miles	1,757 AEG

Hiking	11.63 Miles	4 Hrs 36 Mns	2.73 mph
	1,757 ft AEG	20 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I did this loop CW with a side trip up to Bell Pass.

This was great hiking weather -- no sun with a cool breeze. It was almost cold at Bell Pass, so I descended as soon as I got up there.

There are still a few wildflowers out.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Blue Palo Verde White Ratany

Wildflowers Observation Light

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

206378

Mar 22 2023

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 22 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.65 Miles	1,703 AEG

Hiking	11.65 Miles	4 Hrs 51 Mns	2.85 mph
	1,703 ft AEG	46 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I decided to stay close to home and do this hike today. I did the loop CW, and also made a sidetrip up to Bell Pass.

I only saw 3 other hikers all day. It was a cool and cloudy day which made for nice hiking conditions.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Dichelostemma capitatum Staghorn Cholla

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Ricardos de Azul were once again the winner of the wildflower derby, with fiddlenecks and lupine competing for second place. Brittlebush is lagging behind, but looks poised to explode before long.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

2 archives

204981

Mar 01 2023

Guides 100
Routes 1,607
Photos 16,655
Triplogs 1,500

male

Joined Jan 07 2017
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 01 2023
		DixieFlyer • Triplogs 1,500

Hiking	11.48 Miles	1,785 AEG

Hiking	11.48 Miles	4 Hrs 20 Mns	2.92 mph
	1,785 ft AEG	24 Mns Break

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

With rain in the forecast for this afternoon, I decided to stick close to home and do this hike today.

I followed the guide route, except that I added in a hike up to Bell Pass and back from the Bell Pass Trail-Prospector Trail junction.

There weren't many people out today, so I basically had the trails to myself.

It looks like March is coming in like a lion; but I bet that it goes out like a ham!

Wildflowers Observation Light
I saw a fair amount of Blue Richards, although there were also a few lupine and poppies here and there. The poppies were closed up today though due to the cool, cloudy weather.

_____________________

Civilization is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there

204362

Nov 22 2022

pseudalpine

Guides 72
Routes 1,190
Photos 1,493
Triplogs 1,544

male

Joined Jan 01 2023
Arizona

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 22 2022
		pseudalpine • Triplogs 1,544

Hiking	10.45 Miles	1,473 AEG

Hiking	10.45 Miles	3 Hrs	3.58 mph
	1,473 ft AEG	5 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

Partners

none

no partners

apparently this member prefers to keep an air of mystery...

3 archives

202608

Nov 06 2022

ScaredyCat

Guides 4
Routes 237
Photos 114
Triplogs 234

male

Joined Aug 08 2020
Phx az

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 06 2022
		ScaredyCat • Triplogs 234

Hiking	10.71 Miles	1,533 AEG

Hiking	10.71 Miles	4 Hrs 38 Mns	2.60 mph
	1,533 ft AEG	31 Mns Break

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Route recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Amazingly, everyone showed up for this Meetup. All capable + friendly. Prevailing opinion was they were fatigued but the outing wasn't anything too crazy. Bell pass & Dixie Mine were the only trails we saw people. Much needed escape from sorrow.

200686

Feb 25 2019

norm5715

Routes 25
Photos 19
Triplogs 36

male

Joined Jan 27 2014

Dixie Mine-Loop, AZ

Hiking		Feb 25 2019
		norm5715 • Triplogs 36

Hiking	10.50 Miles	1,634 AEG

Hiking	10.50 Miles	3 Hrs 40 Mns		3.21 mph
	1,634 ft AEG	24 Mns Break	15 LBS Pack

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

In order to get to the hike, you have to drive to the gated housing area in Fountain Hills. Park outside the gate (there's parking and rest rooms) and walk about .25 miles to the trailhead.

The hike is relatively easy, without long uphill or downhill stretches. Our moving average was about 2.9 miles per hour.

On this day 2/25/2019, the trail was fairly dry, with some areas of mud. The muddy areas could easily be avoided.

The lollypop loop was done counter clockwise. Dixie Mine trail to Coachwhip, Coachwhip to Windmill, Windmill to Bell Pass, Bell Pass to Prospector and Prospector back to Dixie Mine. Make sure to make a right turn from Prospector on to Dixie Mine.
The temperature was comfortably cool, but sunny, after a couple days of cold weather.

The hills still had snow cover in the shaded areas.

The desert was amazingly green with a profusion of poppies blooming, and many other flowers starting to bud.

Wildflowers Observation Substantial
Huge number of poppies and many other plants starting to bloom

_____________________

163736

Nov 19 2016

jochal

Guides 2
Routes 25
Photos 1,890
Triplogs 607

male

Joined Sep 13 2009
Mesa, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 19 2016
		jochal • Triplogs 607

Hiking	14.80 Miles	1,560 AEG

Hiking	14.80 Miles
	1,560 ft AEG

no routes

no photosets

Linked

linked

Partners

none

no partners

Did the loop part clockwise. I had intended to take Coachwhip out to Pemberton, then connect with Dixie Mine, but I hadn't realized beforehand Coachwhip went both North and South from the intersection with WIndmill. I chose incorrectly and went right. I took the rest of dixie mine out to pemberton, but my water supply was just barely too low to be comfortable going back using coachwhip; it would have added a half hour.

_____________________

1 archive

137208

Nov 21 2015

hikerdw

Routes 268
Photos 2,969
Triplogs 541

male

Joined Aug 16 2009
Mesa,AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Nov 21 2015
		hikerdw • Triplogs 541

Hiking	14.50 Miles	1,848 AEG

Hiking	14.50 Miles	5 Hrs 4 Mns	3.19 mph
	1,848 ft AEG	31 Mns Break

no routes

Linked

Pemberton Trail - MMRP

Partners

none

no partners

Nice stroll in the desert. Hiking in the MMRP always reminds me of when my brothers and I would hike around the then desert near McKellips and Power Road where we grew up as kids. Good times.

To my surprise the trails were very empty. I counted only 3 bikers and 4 hikers that we crossed paths with.

Very nice trailhead.

_____________________

Expect to self rescue

124337

Mar 09 2014

desertgirl

Guides 20
Routes 13
Photos 3,189
Triplogs 451

female

Joined Mar 31 2002
Chandler, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Mar 09 2014
		desertgirl • Triplogs 451

Hiking	11.69 Miles	1,989 AEG

Hiking	11.69 Miles	5 Hrs 49 Mns	2.46 mph
	1,989 ft AEG	1 Hour 4 Mns Break

no routes

no photosets

Linked

none

no linked trail guides

Partners

partners

tibber

Thanks Angela for a good alternate hike from Fountain Hills TH in the McDowells to accomodate my timing constraints. This turned out to be a good one - some walking, some flowers, some uphill (Bell Pass extension was great), a exceptionally clear & beautifully breezy day in the McDowells and some good miles.

We even got to explore some at a mining camp & shaft along Prospector trail and scoped out some " Let's check this out" future opportunites!

Wildflowers Observation Isolated

_____________________

100748

Jan 17 2014

FLYING_FLIVER

Guides 1
Routes 259
Photos 10,458
Triplogs 293

male

Joined Jan 28 2010
Fountain Hills,

Phoenix, AZ

Hiking		Jan 17 2014
		FLYING_FLIVER • Triplogs 293

Hiking	10.30 Miles	1,642 AEG

Hiking	10.30 Miles	4 Hrs 31 Mns	2.70 mph
	1,642 ft AEG	42 Mns Break

Linked

linked

Thompson Peak from Dixie Mine TH