THE DESPERADOS WERE FOUNDED IN 2012 WHEN TWO OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS REALIZED THE POTENTIAL TO PROTECT A 3,000 ACRE WILDERNESS PRESERVE FOR THE DESERT MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY BY ESTABLISHING A CAREFULLY DEVELOPED TRAILS SYSTEM.
The trails were master planned and developed over a decade, modeled after the highly regarded McDowell Sonoran Preserve trail system. The result is a magnificent 25-mile stacked loop trails system that won the national “Best New Trails” award in 2013 from American Trails. Since then, many other trails amenities have followed and are celebrated in these pages.
Over the years, the Desperados grew into an outdoor enthusiast group with several hundred members. In time, Desperados philanthropy extended into the Tonto Foothills region, supporting more than a dozen-like minded philanthropic organizations dedicated to preserving the natural environment.
Today the Desperados are a 501(c)(3) organization comprised of volunteer leaders, active steward members and celebrated contributors all focused on furthering the Desperados’ mission.
