Many Arizonans take advantage of the opportunities to target shoot on public lands. In the hustling and bustling urban core of Phoenix, that may sound like the makings of a day trip that begs plenty of planning. But just 20 miles northeast of Phoenix, tucked away in a pristine pocket of untouched desert brush off the Beeline Highway just past Fountain Hills, is the Desert Shooting Area at Fort McDowell. It's located on an swath of unruffled land surrounded by picturesque mountain views at the edge of the undeveloped Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community with heart-stirring views of the sprawling Sonoran Desert. Unlike other recreational shooting sports sites maintained by the Bureau of Land Management's Phoenix District, this hidden gem all but guarantees a serene, solitary shooting experience.