McDowell Mountain Park by leplaya
McDowel mountain park is a very large (over 20,000 acres) desert park east of Phoenix. It is a very open (relatively flat) area surrounded by mountains. This means that just going on a 0.5 mile trail up a hill will give you a view of the desert for many miles around. There are several long hiking routes as well as a drive that goes around the park to some camping sites. There are also smaller hikes from the camping sites. There are also horse riding and mountain biking paths. Because of its size, it's a very quiet place. Good place to get away from the city (without driving much) and exploring the desert environment.