6 Miles

1125 feet

Medium

A++++ Views

Hike to the Lookout Overview

On the south side of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve snuggled up on Fountain Hills, you will find the Sunrise Trail Hike. This hike has some elevation, so expect to get a bit of a workout. As you climb, the views get better and better.

Photo Gallery to Inspire you to Hike to The Lookout

Map & Elevation Profile

Total distance: 6.03 mi
Max elevation: 3896 ft
Min elevation: 2771 ft
Total time: 02:41:24

Map for The Hike to The Lookout

The trail is well marked but you never know when you might want to look at a map! And this map is excellent.

mcdowell mountains green trails map get outdoors get happy

McDowell Mountains Greentrails map

You definitely won’t regret having this map for your McDowell Sonoran Preserve hikes (affiliate link)!

Parking

Plug “Tom’s Thumb Trailhead” into your GPS or maps app. You will want to make the first right turn when you get close to the trailhead. This technically isn’t the main parking but works as well! There is plenty of parking here.

Hike to the Lookout Notes

On one of the AZ hiking Facebook groups, someone mentioned visiting the Lookout from the Tom’s Thumb trail. It made me think, hmmmm, what’s this? I better check it out.

I am so glad I did! Why is Tom’s Thumb so popular when the Lookout is just right around the corner? In my opinion, visiting the Lookout is way more awesome than visiting Tom’s Thumb! Here’s why:

1) The views are better! And mind you, the view’s from Tom’s Thumb are pretty great. But from the Lookout trail, you get to see all the glorious mountains to the East and the Fountain Hills fountain. Plus you get great views of Tom’s Thumb (look at the photos in the above gallery). 

2) The trail on the top is sweet. It is like an alpine meadow but with awesome desert plants.

3) There is a great spot to hang out. It is flatter/more open and just beautiful. You will want to spend all day there. Whereas at Tom’s Thumb it just feels more confined.

4) There are less people. So if you want to get your solitude fix, try this out.

If you are not convinced that you should forego Tom’s Thumb for the Lookout, you can hike to both and figure it out for yourself. That’s what I did (see map above).

At the end of the day, both are great (but the Lookout is better) and you won’t regret hiking up there. You will feel magnificent afterward 😀. Happy hiking!

So, should you do this hike?

Um, yes. In my opinion, this is one of the best hikes in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. It’s so scenic! Being on top of the McDowell’s is where it’s at. You can always pop over to Tom’s Thumb if you want to mark that off your list.

Other hikes close by

This area is awesome for hiking. You can go over to the Granite Mountain trailhead and hike the Granite Mountain Loop or the 136th St Express/Cow Poke Loop. Or go to the Brown’s Ranch Trailhead and checkout the Latigo/Chuckwagon Loop (the best hike from this trailhead!) or check out Brown’s Ranch. All are solid choices!

Get more inspired to get outside:

PCT Trail Summary: Week 1 Campo to Mile 68.4

PCT Trail Summary: Week 1 Campo to Mile 68.4 Dates Hiked April 12 - April 16, 202368.411,037 up10,161 down26.9 HoursHiking with Happy6 & 20D The wildflowers 🌸 My positive mindsetOther hikers & flowers!I would listen to my body more and not suffer through so...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 14 Mile 146.1 to Paradise Valley Cafe (Mile 151.8)

6.21909 up873 downIdyllwild Airbnb151.82 Hours 4 MinutesIdyllwild and town food!I start out with big hunger and then can't eat everythingPCT Trail Journal: Day 14 Mile 146.1 to Paradise Valley Cafe (Mile 151.8) On day 14 of the PCT (mile 146.1 to Paradise Valley...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 13 Miles 131.6 to 146.1

15.612405 up2336 downMile 146.1146.16 Hours 11 MinutesThe wildflowers 🌼🌼🌼Need larger battery pack ASAP!PCT Trail Journal: Day 13 Miles 131.6 to 146.1 Miles 131.6 to 146.1 on the PCT were good and hot filled with more wildflowers than you could imagine. There was a lot...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 12 Miles 115.4 to 131.6

16.033291 up1906 downMile 131.6131.65 Hours 50 MinutesListening to my book while hikingI am quite dirty. So dirty that bandaids and tape won't stick to my skin. PCT Trail Journal: Day 12 Miles 115.4 to 131.6 Miles 115.4 to 131.6 were both hard and gave me a sense of...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 11 Miles 104.8 to 115.4

13.531519 up1513 downMile 115.4115.44 Hours 56 MinutesWalking through field after field of wildflowers I don't need 10 bars per day and should focus on the base meals in resupply boxesPCT Trail Journal: Day 11 Miles 104.8 to 115.4 Miles 104.8 to 115.4 on the PCT were...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 10 3rd Gate Water Cache to Mile 104.8 (Miles 91.2 to 104.8)

13.631558 up1611 downMile 104.8104.84 Hours 27 MinutesThe wildflowers and trail magic!Trail magic is awesome but I already knew that. I need to take more breaks and do shorter days. PCT Trail Journal: Day 10 3rd Gate Water Cache to Mile 104.8  Day 10 from 3rd Gate...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 9 Scissors Crossing to 3rd Gate Water Cache (Mile 77.1 to 91.2)

14.012211 up1043 down3rd Gate Water Cache91.24 Hours 57 MinutesThe trail and finding new hiking friends!I drink a lot of water. Need to be smart about water sources especially in these drier sections.PCT Trail Journal: Day 9 Scissors Crossing to 3rd Gate Water Cache ...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 7 & 8 Double Rest Day at Stagecoach

00 up0 downSheep Shed @ Stagecoach RV Resort76.30Day 7: Having a chill day at Stagecoach and getting new shoes! Day 8: Hanging in Julian with Hannah, Jorrit and Liam 💗Day 7: Use padded moleskin around a blister to relieve some of the pressure on the blister Day 8:...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 6 mile 68.4 to Stagecoach RV Resort (mile 68.4 to 76.3)

7.85738 up 2231 downStagecoach RV Resort76.33 hours 7 minutes  The best part was that it was a good day  Taking it easy is good for me  PCT Trail Journal: Mile 68.4 to Stagecoach RV Resort (mile 68.4 to 76.3) Town day means wake early and hike day. Your...

PCT Trail Journal: Day 5 Mile 56.2 to 68.4

12.341247 up 2759 downMile 68.468.45 hours 2 minutes⛰Nice sections of trail with great mountain views 🌼Lots of wildflowers as I got lower    Feet must be fixedPCT Trail Journal: Mile 56.2 t0 68.4 Overview Wow super rough day. My feet are in terrible shape....