Yep, we’re back. We stayed at this park just a few weeks ago and decided to return since we love the wide open spaces and all the hiking and biking trails. This park can be quite crowded in the winter and almost always full. But if you keep checking the online reservation system you will find site availability now and then. This means you shuffle from site to site. We noticed lots of other campers were also shuffling around. The same group of people just kept moving from site to site. There is also the Overflow lot where they allow you to stay until sites open up or just to camp a few nights.
Campground: McDowell Mountain Regional Park – E.I. Rowland Campground
Location: Fountain Hills, Arizona
Site: 37, 38, Overflow, 45
Cost: $30 (sites), $20 (overflow – drycamping)
Services: E (50 AMP), W
Comments: A beautiful park with wide open vista view of mountains and desert. Sites are nicely spaced and beautifully groomed. The park has over 65 miles of hiking and biking trails. A great place to camp. The park can be quite full during the winter months but they do provide an overflow parking area.
With the endless miles of hiking and biking there is no limit of things to keep you busy. We absolutely love the biking trails and had so much fun flying around.
There is an abundance of birds and rabbits wandering the desert along with the occasional coyote and javelina. Keep your camera ready.
Fountain Hills is about a 15-20 minute drive from the campground with lots of restaurants and shopping and a lovely park with a fountain.
Too bad we couldn’t stay longer but we will be back!
We’re at McDowell also – and one of the folks moving around spot to spot til we get to our 2 week reservation! I agree, this is a beautiful park and one of our favorites so we don’t mind moving a few times. Love your photos, especially the shadow hummingbird and your fountain captures. Its hard to get an interesting shot of the fountain, you managed to get three!
Thanks Sue! Yep, we love that place especially since we have friends and family nearby. Sorry we missed you. We are gone now but spent quite a bit of time there! Hope to see you down the road!!