Home/Scottsdale homes for sale/McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Preserve or park · Scottsdale, Arizona
Homes near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale
Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve: city owned preserve land across the McDowell Mountains and the high desert north to about Lone Mountain Rd and east to 136th St.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve at a glance
The City Council formally dedicated the first preserve land on October 3, 1994: three parcels of city land totaling about 4.5 square miles. Voters approved a 30 year sales tax for land purchases on May 23, 1995 and a second 30 year tax in 2004, and the preserve grew to about 47 square miles, roughly one third of the city. Maricopa County records show about 10,480 homes within about half a mile of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.
Official boundary, from City of Scottsdale preserve land records.
Where the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is
The boundary on county street centerlines.
Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve: city owned preserve land across the McDowell Mountains and the high desert north to about Lone Mountain Rd and east to 136th St.
Official boundary, from City of Scottsdale preserve land records.
Search homes near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Updated continuously from the MLS. Filter, save, and tour any home.
Homes near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Within about half a mile, from county records.
Source: Maricopa County Assessor residential parcel records, pulled November 3, 2026. These are county figures for every home, not MLS statistics, and recorded sale prices come from deed records.
The story of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
How the area came to be.
The City Council formally dedicated the first preserve land on October 3, 1994: three parcels of city land totaling about 4.5 square miles. Voters approved a 30 year sales tax for land purchases on May 23, 1995 and a second 30 year tax in 2004, and the preserve grew to about 47 square miles, roughly one third of the city.
The nonprofit McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, founded in 1991, supports it with volunteer stewards. The Gateway Trailhead at Thompson Peak Pkwy opened in 2009 and the Pima Dynamite Trailhead was dedicated in November 2021.
Homes around the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Eras, styles, lots and home types.
No subdivisions inside; county records show a single private home parcel within the mapped boundary. Homes border the preserve in DC Ranch, Silverleaf, McDowell Mountain Ranch, Windgate Ranch, Troon, Dynamite Foothills and other communities.
- School districts (county records)
- Scottsdale Unified School District (56%), Cave Creek Unified School District (37%)
Living in and around the McDowell Sonoran Preserve
What is inside, what is close, and what to check.
Inside the McDowell Sonoran Preserve: Trailheads including Gateway, Brown's Ranch, Tom's Thumb, Lost Dog Wash, Granite Mountain, Fraesfield and Pima Dynamite; Granite Mountain, Tom's Thumb and the McDowell peaks.
Nearby: Neighboring communities on every side; McDowell Mountain Regional Park (Maricopa County) to the east.
Before you buy
Lots backing to the preserve often have extra wildlife, view and wash considerations and no future development behind them. Hunting rules exist on parts of the preserve (city page). Address specific.
Related areas and communities
Keep exploring the Northeast Valley.
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve questions, answered
Where is the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve: city owned preserve land across the McDowell Mountains and the high desert north to about Lone Mountain Rd and east to 136th St.
What is the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
A city owned desert and mountain preserve of about 47 square miles, roughly one third of Scottsdale.
Can homes be built in it?
No. It is permanent open space; homes are in the communities that border it.
How is it different from McDowell Mountain Regional Park?
The preserve belongs to the City of Scottsdale. McDowell Mountain Regional Park is a separate Maricopa County park to the east near Fountain Hills and Rio Verde.
How many homes are near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
Maricopa County Assessor records show about 10,480 homes within about half a mile of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, 88% of them single-family, with a median year built of 2001.
Which school districts serve the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
By county parcel records, homes near the McDowell Sonoran Preserve are mostly in Scottsdale Unified School District and Cave Creek Unified School District. School assignment is address specific, so confirm with the district before you buy.
How does the home search on this page work?
The search shows homes listed in the MLS within about half a mile of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, using an outline drawn around it. Official boundary, from City of Scottsdale preserve land records. Listings update continuously. Housing figures on this page come from Maricopa County Assessor records pulled on November 3, 2026, not from the MLS.
Thinking about the McDowell Sonoran Preserve?
Your vision, your home, our expertise.
Tell us what you are looking for and we will send new listings that fit, along with the sales data behind each one. Our office is on Pima Road in north Scottsdale. White-glove service at every price point.
Your advisors
602.814.7266
kyle@azluxurypartners.com
License BR665419000
Meet Kyle
480.510.7689
art@azluxurypartners.com
License BR014102000
Meet Art
Arizona Luxury Partners | Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Fine Properties
Sources
- Maricopa County Assessor parcel records (residential parcels inside the search area), pulled November 3, 2026. Recorded sale figures use each parcel's most recent recorded sale since November 1, 2024, at $50,000 or more.
- Street centerlines on the map: Maricopa County GIS. Listings: ARMLS via Flexmls.
- McDowell Sonoran Preserve, City of Scottsdale, accessed November 3, 2026.
- McDowell Sonoran Preserve, Wikipedia, accessed November 3, 2026.
- 75 Years of Scottsdale History timeline, City of Scottsdale, accessed November 3, 2026.
- Fraesfield and Granite Mountain Trailhead Improvements, City of Scottsdale, accessed November 3, 2026.
- Scottsdale General Plan 2035, adopted (PDF), accessed November 3, 2026.
- Scottsdale, Arizona, Wikipedia, accessed November 3, 2026.
- ww2.scottsdaleaz.gov, accessed November 3, 2026.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Listing information is provided by the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. Area boundaries on this page are for orientation only and do not follow school, HOA or service boundaries, so confirm the city, zoning, HOA, water service and assigned schools for a specific address. Housing figures come from Maricopa County Assessor records and are not MLS statistics. This page is for general information only and is not financial, lending, legal, or tax advice. Arizona Luxury Partners | Real Estate Group at RE/MAX Fine Properties, 21020 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Office 480.766.1515. Brokerage License LC629808000. Equal Housing Opportunity.
