TrailSonoran Desert
Gateway to Bell Pass
Strenuous7.1 mi round trip1,528 ft gain
The long version of the Gateway. Start at dawn, the upper half has no shade whatsoever.
- Distance
- 7.1 mi round trip
- Elevation gain
- 1,528 ft
- Difficulty
- Strenuous
- Trailhead
- McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Before you go
Conditions, access, and honest warnings.
- The serious version of the Gateway trailhead, climbing to a pass between the McDowell summits.
- The upper half has no shade at any hour. Start at first light, even in winter.
- Carry more water than the distance suggests, the sustained climb costs more than flat miles.
Trailhead park
Where this route begins.