McDowell Mountain Ranch

This Northeast Scottsdale master-planned community of McDowell Mountain Ranch is located within 3,200 acres in the foothills of its namesake, McDowell Mountain.  This community features 4,000 homes constructed by 14 different builders, in 26 distinct neighborhoods.

McDowell Mountain Ranch home photo

McDowell Mountain Ranch is home to one such interesting neighborhood: The Fairways, a Shea Homes development.  The 103 homes in this subdivision feature six different floorplans:  three single level and three two story, from 1,999 square feet to 3,460 square feet.  Many homes have views of the adjacent Sanctuary Golf Course, and there is a golf course clubhouse outside the gated entrance to this community.

The Sunrise Point neighborhood rests in one of the highest elevations in McDowell Mountain Ranch.  Built by Engle Homes, there are two distinct areas with a combined total of 174 homes.  The Estates features single family homes, while the Villas contains patio homes.  The patio homes range from 1,430 square feet to 1,834 square feet, and the single family homes within The Estates range from 1,792 square feet to 2,704 square feet.  Both of these neighborhoods have the unique feature of a lack of boundary walls and view fences separating these homes.  The Villas and The Estates are guard-gated neighborhoods, with separate homeowner’s associations.

Two more neighborhoods, Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Ridge, created by Geoffrey H. Edmunds, feature beautiful views.  Within Cimarron Hills, are three different communities: The Villas, The Enclave and The Vistas.  These homes range in size from 2237 square feet to 3,744 square feet, and are all single level.   Cimarron Ridge has the same floor plans, but is a guard gated community, with an additional homeowner’s association with monthly fees for the cost of this security feature.  These fees also cover the use of the community’s private recreation center which has a pool and spa as well as a fitness center, and tennis courts.

The McDowell Mountain Ranch Homeowner’s Association is the primary HOA in this community.  However, several subdivisions such as Sunrise Point, Cachet Homes, Castle Chase, Cimarron Hills, Cimarron Ridge, 100 Hills, and The Ridge have secondary HOAs.

McDowell Mountain Ranch features miles of improved and natural trails which connect the various neighborhoods to the local library, the recreation center as well as the neighborhood schools.  The hallmark of McDowell Mountain Ranch is the McDowell Mountain Ranch Fitness & Aquatic Center, which houses a lane lap pool and play pool, as well as a lazy river, water slide and splash pad.  The Center provides a skate park and a fitness center for its residents.  There’s also a separate 5-acre park with basketball and tennis courts, a sand volleyball court and a splash fountain.   Nearby McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers over 40-miles of hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails.  The Ice Den, an ice skating and hockey rink, is less than a mile away.

The Scottsdale School District serves family-friendly McDowell Mountain Ranch, with Desert Canyon Elementary and Desert Canyon Middle School sharing a campus.  Both schools are accessible via paths that do not require that a student cross any surface streets.  Desert Mountain High School is located nearby, on Via Linda.

Nearby shopping includes the McDowell Mountain Village and Desert Canyon Shopping Center, as well as the Scottsdale Quarter and Kierland Commons.   McDowell Mountain Village is approximately 29 minutes away from Sky Harbor International Airport.