Picture-perfect Arizona weather. Unbelievably beautiful desert landscapes and mountain views. Hiking or mountain biking in the Wild West with guidance from some of the most-knowledgeable, down-to-earth pathfinders on the planet. Plus, every excursion is private - only you, your family or chosen group.
Wild Bunch Desert Guides mixes all three tasty ingredients together for a delicious fun-in-the-sun recipe for adventure seekers in the Phoenix area. Elimination of any worries, from logistics to local knowledge to safety and support! We handle the details so you can maximize your fun on an excursion in the Phoenix or Scottsdale AZ area!
Wild Bunch Desert Guides mixes all three tasty ingredients together for a delicious fun-in-the-sun recipe for adventure seekers in the Phoenix area. Elimination of any worries, from logistics to local knowledge to safety and support! We handle the details so you can maximize your fun on an excursion in the Phoenix or Scottsdale AZ area!
Services
When not spreading glitter on the hiking and mountain biking trails or insisting guests hug a cactus for a photo, Laurel loves to ride her mountain bike with different groups, especially the single speeders. Another favorite is hiking with her Plott hounds, Daisy Mae, and Waylon.
Laurel's experience as a senior mountain bike guide for four years at Arizona Outback Adventures presented her with opportunities on her journey to create relationships as well as perfect a skill set that includes attention to safety and knowledge of proper trail etiquette.Upon leaving AOA, the super-fun certified guide went into business herself, founding one of the best adventure tour companies in Phoenix and Scottsdale in Arizona.
Laurel's experience as a senior mountain bike guide for four years at Arizona Outback Adventures presented her with opportunities on her journey to create relationships as well as perfect a skill set that includes attention to safety and knowledge of proper trail etiquette.Upon leaving AOA, the super-fun certified guide went into business herself, founding one of the best adventure tour companies in Phoenix and Scottsdale in Arizona.
Whether hiking or biking -- either alone or with a chosen travel party - these 90-minute sunset tours are offered with a 3:30 p.m. pickup at your resort/hotel or a 4:00 p.m. meet-the-guide-at-the-trail option. Those times do vary starting in mid-October because of earlier-and-earlier sunsets leading into winter.
Easily the most-popular menu items are private guided tours for both hiking and Mountain Biking in the picturesque Sonoran Desert. These Wild Bunch adventure trips vary in duration and intensity by taking advantage of our local knowledge of nearly 300 miles of trails. Equipment is provided on all these escorted tours, from backpacks for both hiking and Mountain Biking to the bikes, helmets and gloves needed to ride.
Because we are a small, local mom-and-pop specialty shop, the Wild Bunch Desert Guides deliver a personal touch and countless extras you will not see from other hiking tour companies or Phoenix hiking tours. From the detailed follow-up in the booking process, to the drinks and special trail snacks provided during our adventure tours, guests are delighted to discover the homespun hospitality and personal care everyone craves when traveling.
Salty snacks to keep your strength up and to help replenish electrolytes lost through sweating. Start early in the day to avoid the crowds, especially on weekends, when the parking lots fill up fast. The lots are closed when full, meaning no new visitors to the trails;. Make sure to bring a camera or better yet a cellphone (which can summon help if you have an emergency) to capture the incredible summit views.
Reviews (9)
Bernie Mihm
Jan 26, 2022
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My wife and I had the great pleasure of going on a MTB ride with Wild Bunch Desert Guides. Laurel organized the trip, gave us some very realistic information about the difficulty of the trail that we wanted to do, and set us up with our guides Ellen and Rebel. The ride was as difficult as Laurel described. We would not have done this ride without our guides. Ellen and Rebel were awesome!! We highly recommend Wild Bunch and will be booking with Laurel again !!!
Bianca Salazar
Jan 02, 2022
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I had the opportunity to take a private mountain biking tour with Wild Bunch Desert Guides in October 2021. Coordinating my tour details was a breeze with Laurel at the helm. I received all of my details with my confirmation in an email with my guide's name, where I would be able to find him and the trailhead location. They did also offer transportation but I was traveling by car, regardless, so I opted to meet him there. The details in the email also went over what the tour included as far as snacks and gear. There were, of course, all of the details regarding Covid-19, health and safety guidelines
Tom Goldstone
Dec 19, 2021
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Laurel is the business owner and she was fantastic to deal with. She helped me book the trip then met us at the trailhead and introduced us to Matt, our guide for our 1.5 hour mountain biking adventure. I brought my 13-year old son with me and Matt was the perfect guide for both father and son. He helped us with the bikes and technique. He pointed out and explained the local flora and fauna. He regaled us with stories and jokes and plied us with food and drink to keep us going. The trail was challenging for certain but do-able for a couple of relative beginners. Oh and Laurel checked in with us
Duffin Media
Dec 15, 2021
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Truly an unforgettable experience. Honest to God, it's hard to put into words how grateful I am to Laurel for the incredible experience. Laurel is the consummate pro, and had everything completely ready and accessible to me- including snacks and water (as well as a game plan to attack the climb.) I am not an experienced climber and Laurel gave me the confidence, as well as Hern incredible expertise and attitude too enable to have a successful hike. We saw beautiful vistas, Laurel explained everything to me. I could not recommend Laurel more highly. I had a fantastic time and I will never forget
Jon S.
Dec 03, 2021
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Lisa Sadikot
Nov 13, 2021
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Laurel was very helpful with the booking process and provided transportation from our hotel. She has a great personality and her guide Rebel was phenomenal! The tour was customized to our small group and our fitness level. Rebel is very knowledgeable about the desert plants and history of the area. The Sunset Tour was stunning! Loved every minute of it!
Melissa Klompstra
Nov 04, 2021
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From the moment I connected with Wild Bunch, I found them to be very responsive. They were able to quickly accommodate me and my last minute request for a guided hike. Big thank you to Laurel, you fit me with the perfect guide... Don. Don was very knowledgeable and did an amazing job putting together the photo and video outlining our hike and vegetation we encountered. It felt like I was on a hike with not only with a local expert but also a friend. I look forward to my first mountain bike excursion with him :).
Michael
Aug 01, 2021
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Positive: Professionalism, Quality, Responsiveness, Value
Great mountain bike tour with Don ! He filled me with knowledge of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and also took me on a fun fast ride though the trails Just enough to get the adrenaline flowing! You won't be disappointed with Wild Bunch! laurel was great with all the communication for the ride and more!!! Thanks Wild Bunch!
Great mountain bike tour with Don ! He filled me with knowledge of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and also took me on a fun fast ride though the trails Just enough to get the adrenaline flowing! You won't be disappointed with Wild Bunch! laurel was great with all the communication for the ride and more!!! Thanks Wild Bunch!
Abbey Ramos
Jan 13, 2021
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My husband and I went on a mountain biking tour with Laurel at Wild Bunch, and man, this was definitely one of the most fun things we did while vacationing in Scottsdale! Laurel was an incredible teacher / encourager / coach / tour guide! She took amazing photos, shared great stories, was personable, and taught us so much about mountain biking. We are very much beginners in mountain biking, and she was able to help us to still have a great time. Would 100% recommend to anyone looking for a challenge and a good time in nature!
