Desert Foothills Scenic Drive

Life is a highway, if you’re going my way, I wanna ride it all night long lol. They slowed down the speed limit for earlier reviews that complained they were rushed. The signs for the flora become repetitive quickly, but you’ll appreciate knowing what you’re looking at when you drive across the desert. «Teddy Bear Chola» is my new nickname for my cat. You don’t have to drive the whole loop. Leaving Arizona for California, we went north then headed west at Carefree before getting on highway 74.

It was a fun little drive, and super convenient to the four seasons resort. Also, we ended up driving around some pretty neat little neighborhoods set into the rocks at the end of it. We didn’t get out and look at the visitor center, though. We only did the drive. If you are staying close by, I recommend it. Although it is probably not worth driving many miles to do.

Great drive, but most parts require you to go 40 to 50mph, so it is hard to see scenery with a car on your tail the whole way. The first part is like that with mostly nice houses along the way, but it gets more scenic as you near Pinnacle Peak and beyond. Finally at the end, there is almost a 360 view of all the mountains which is a Kodak moment for sure. You can pull over in spots and take photos, so it’s not that bad, but might be better to go on a lazy weekend rather than a weekday like I did. Enjoy.

Very scenic indeed — a drive through this stretch of N. Scottsdale Road from its intersection with E. Happy Valley Road to The Boulders will give you a great view of desert scenery and the mountains of the area (McDowell Mountains, Pinnacle Peak and Lone Mountain). But in order to appreciate Sonoran Desert beauty at a deeper level, you have to go to the visitor parking and exhibit area on the east side of Scottsdale Road about ¼ mile south of Jomax Road. Signs and displays in this area will acquaint you with the common flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert, and you can use this as a starting point for a desert walk along the Scenic Drive’s mostly paved sidewalk/​trail along N. Scottsdale Rd., with many signs identifying the desert plants along the way. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water and wear a hat and sunscreen, though, if you do plan to take the hike. You can cap your trip to the area by dining and shopping at El Pedregal at the Boulders, at the northern end of the Scenic Drive.