Skip to content
visitorfun
BusinessesGrow
Sport & OutdoorFamily FavoriteOutdoor AdventureLocal Gem

MacDonald's Ranch

26540 North Scottsdale Road · Scottsdale, AZ

Why you should go…

MacDonald's Ranch is a family-owned working ranch on 1,280 acres of Sonoran Desert north of Scottsdale, Arizona, operating since 1956. It offers guided horseback trail rides, pony rides, stagecoach and train rides, cowboy cookouts, and a petting zoo with goats, chickens and miniature horses. The ranch also hosts an annual pumpkin festival each October.

  • #horseback riding
  • #ranch
  • #family
  • #western
  • #petting zoo

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to MacDonald's Ranch, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Cave Creek Trail Rides

    $50+

    Guided horseback rides through the Sonoran Desert near Cave Creek Regional Park.

    5.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Pinnacle Peak Trail

    Free

    A gentle 3.5-mile out-and-back through saguaro-studded desert, with one of the Valley's best sunsets.

    6.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Museums
    Family Favorite

    Musical Instrument Museum

    Under $25

    Wireless headsets bring instruments from every country on Earth to life, gallery by gallery.

    11 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Tours
    Date Night

    Hot Air Expeditions

    $50+

    Sunrise hot air balloon flights over the Sonoran Desert near Phoenix, with a champagne toast after landing.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Westside Recreation

    $50+

    Boat and RV rentals for a day out on Lake Pleasant near Phoenix.

    19 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Iconic

    Camelback Mountain

    Free

    Phoenix's signature red-rock peak and toughest close-in hike, with sweeping valley views from the top.

    20 mi awayMore like this