Tom's Thumb Trail is a 6.3 mile out and back trail located near Scottsdale, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The trail is primarily used for hiking and is accessible from November until April. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
Daniel Riley (2367)
2 months ago
N/A:
40 Completed 37 Reviews
There are some really interesting rock formations near Tom's Thumb, and they provide shade, so bring a picnic. I just hiked it for the first time today, and it's now one of my favorite metro area hikes.
Lisa Armstrong (81)
4 months ago
N/A:
11 Completed 2 Reviews
Amazing day for a hike! The trail is mostly groomed with a bit of rock hopping towards the top. Not an easy hike so be prepared with an extra layer and enough water/snackage! There's beautiful desertscapes along the path. I saw a rabbit, lots of birds including quail, cactus wrens and a hawk, saw some squirrels and a lizard. Found a nice rock at the top that I could lounge on--it was great!
Overall, there was a decent number of people on the trail but hardly any trash. What did bum me out was there were several dog "remnants" since the trail is used by people who didn't pick up after their pets.
Richard Geren (165)
6 months ago
N/A:
9 Completed 1 Reviews
Awesome hike. Very smooth trail, but challenging. Be sure to check out the small cave on the southwest side of Ton's Thumb.
Larry Ayala (3000)
8 months ago
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55 Completed 54 Reviews
A beautiful day out not to hot. There is a lot of green after all the rain just very pretty. I got a lot of great pictures on this hike
Logan Ledbetter (419)
11 months ago
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8 Completed 1 Reviews
This is a great trail for hikers at all levels of experience. The trail offers great views of the natural rock formations, cacti, and there are lizards all over!! It is tough enough (if you run and push yourself) to get a workout, and easy enough for those not in the best shape.
I have done almost all the Phoenix area trails, and must say that this one is the prettiest hike I have done!
Owen LaFaver (396)
12 months ago
N/A:
7 Completed 6 Reviews
This was my first hike in the Phoenix area. I've lived here for 8 years but just started hiking. I had never really found much beauty in the desert, but over the course of one morning that changed. Beautiful scenery looking north & east over the mountains. I go very early & the sunrise looks amazing. Unfortunately there was some haze from the smoke of the Sunflower wildfire, but it was still quite a sight to behold. As for the hike, I loved it!! The long dirt road that is 128th St used to get there is rough, but well worth it. The climb was tough (I'm just starting to get back into shape), but doable & worth it. Highly recommended!!
Jennifer Patton (180)
12 months ago
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5 Completed 5 Reviews
One of the best hikes in the Phoenix Metro Area, without the crowds of Camelback or Piestewa. There are two ways to access the trail to Tom's Thumb. The longer way starts at the Gateway Trailhead and follows the Windgate trail until it intersects with Tom's Thumb trail. This route is over 10 miles roundtrip and takes approximately 4 hours to complete. The shorter way starts from the northern access point and clocks in at about 4.5 miles. Turn onto 128th St from Dynamite and follow the signs to the temporary trailhead. A newer trailhead is currently under construction and is set to open Fall 2012.
From the northern access point, it took our group just under 3 hours to complete the trail. This includes the extra time we spent exploring the caves on the side trails. Experienced hikers just doing the trail to the top can expect around 2 hours. The first elevation gain (around 800 ft) is killer on your knees, but you are rewarded with amazing 360 views of the McDowell Mountain range. The descent is steep, so I recommend bringing some trekking poles. I actually saw a Gila Monster on the descent, which was a remarkable experience. The trail is dog-friendly, but be careful of sun-bathing snakes.
Eric Wisniewski (301)
8 days ago
34 Completed 7 Reviews
This is a fantastic trail. A very well maintained trail, considering the amount of traffic that goes up. I would say this is the cleanest, best groomed trail I've ever been on. Don't let it fool you, it gets steep and can be challenging. The rock formations are quite amazing. Never seen anything like it.
There are numerous other trails you can venture to, if after you reach the summit you haven't had enough. I spent a full day out here enjoying the numerous trail options and enjoying the beauty of the rocks. Quite an amazing place to visit!