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Hiking and Outdoor Activities Few if any states can match the variety of backcountry terrain that Arizona has to offer. From arid deserts and lush riverside thickets to tall stands of conifer and alpine tundra, Arizona has it all. I’ve listed some of my favorite hikes and other outdoor activities to help you get to know the “Grand Canyon State” a little better. There is so much to enjoy I couldn’t possibly cover it all here. I encourage you to do a bit of exploring yourself. An excellent source for hiking information is the book “100 Classic Hikes in Arizona” 2nd Edition, by Scott S. Warren, published by The Mountaineers. It can be purchased at any local bookstore for around $20. When planning a hike or any other outdoor activities, a little preparation goes a long way in helping to make the trip fun and successful as well as to insure that you return safely. A good place to begin is with your selection of clothes. Sturdy shoes with good soles are important, as is comfortable clothing. In addition to proper clothing, experts have put together a list of Ten Essentials that they deem necessary for a safe and rewarding adventure. Extra Clothing - more than is needed in good weather In Arizona’s generally arid climate, an eleventh item of great importance should always be water! Experts say a gallon per person per day is a good rule of thumb. THE GRAND CANYON- BRIGHT ANGEL TRAIL Bright Angel Trail is one of the most popular hiking routes in the park and offers the most convenient access to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Indian Gardens, which is 4.5 miles from the start, has a reliable source of drinking water. Drive north on US Hwy 180 to the Grand Canyon Village. The trailhead is located at the west end of the Grand Canyon Village, just past the Bright Angel Lodge. KENDRICK MOUNTAIN Kendrick Mountain offers some of the finest views in the northern portion of the state. Ponderosa pines eventually give way to forests of Douglas fir, glades of white-barked aspen and sloping meadows of ferns. Near the summit is a cabin built in 1912 that can provide shelter. Of the three different routes that access the summit, the Kendrick Mountain Trail is the most direct and easiest to follow. Drive 15 miles north from Flagstaff via US Hwy 180 to mile marker 230. Turn left onto Forest Road 245 and follow this maintained gravel road for 3.1 miles to the junction with Forest Road 171. Turn right and drive 3.2 miles, then turn onto forest road 190 and follow it for 0.4 miles to the developed trailhead.SEVEN FALLS Distance: 4.8 miles round trip Elevation: 2,800 to 3,300 feet Difficulty: Easy Caution: Flash floods, extreme summer heat, do not drink creek water Surrounded by soaring canyon walls, Seven Falls is one of the more alluring wonders of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Dropping through a staircase of pools, the cool water of Bear Creek tempts hikers to linger a bit. From I-10 take the 248 exit and turn left onto W. Ina Road which will then automatically turn into E. Skyline Drive. Continue to drive straight ahead and you will be on Sunrise Drive. Turn right onto N. Kolb Road then turn left onto N. Sabino Canyon Road. Look for the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center. The trail begins 1.7 miles from here, it is recommended to take the Bear Canyon Shuttle (a fee is charged). CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN Sheer red sandstone cliffs and this telltale hump draw thousands of hikers to Camelback Mountain each year. Hiking to the top is not for beginning hikers, though. The main two summit trails are strenuous climbs over sometimes tricky trails. Some easier trails allow close-up exploration around Camelback’s base. Wherever you go, be prepared for crowds, limited parking can mean a substantial wait for a spot at these busy trailheads. Go north on 44th St. which turns into McDonald Dr. Just past Tatum Blvd. look for a small sign on the right side of the road to find the parking lot. PIESTEWA PEAK Recently renamed after the first Native American woman to be killed in combat, Piestawa Peak is one of the most popular hikes in Arizona. The views of the surrounding city are outstanding, especially at sunset. Drive north on 24th St. to Lincoln Dr. Turn left onto Lincoln and follow it to Squaw Peak Dr. (may be changed to Piestewa Peak Drive). Turn right and drive 0.5 miles to the trailhead. PINNACLE PEAK With 31 miles of backcountry trails, the Cave Creek Trail System offers a variety of hiking terrain. Cave Creek is a wonderful, gurgling stream in an arid desert land. The chief attraction of this hike is the ribbon of riparian vegetation that grows adjacent to the creek. Pack a lunch and leave early because you’ll want to spend as much time as possible in this magical land. Drive east from Carefree on Cave Creek Rd. for 6 miles to the Tonto National Forest boundary. (You will see the turn-off for Bartlett Lake). From this point continue another 12 miles on the same route, which is now Forest Road 24 and is mostly a bumpy dirt road. The trailhead is just north of the Seven Springs picnic area. There is a $4 user fee that must be paid when entering the area (cash or credit). WHITE TANK MOUNTAINS – WATERFALL TRAIL White Tank Regional Park has 25 miles of hiking trails with a favorite being the waterfall trail. It’s an easy hike that is great for kids and dogs! There is an excellent picnic area located at the parking lot/trailhead so you could easily make this a fun day trip. The park also includes a mountain biking area, camping areas, horseback riding, and two barrier free trails to petroglyph sites. Take I-10 west to Loop 303 (the Cotton Lane exit) and head north. Turn left onto Olive, which takes you directly to the park. There is a fee to enter the park SUPERSTITION MOUNTAIN Arizona’s Superstition Mountain has long been the source of stories and tales about lost gold. Legends of the Dutchman’s Lost Gold Mine, Jesuit treasure, Peralta gold and numerous other lost gold mine stories still attract people from far and near alike to this rugged mountain range east of Apache Junction. Tales of Indian history add to the mountain’s lore. These stories are centuries old. The Pimas called Superstition Mountain “Ka-Katak-Tami” meaning “The Crooked Top Mountain” and it is also the realm of the Apache Thunder God. Highway 60 (Superstition Freeway) to Apache Junction and take exit 196 North, then right onto Route 88, the 78-mile Apache Trail. Lake Pleasant is a 10,000-acre lake with two boat-launching areas for fishing, sailing, and skiing. There are 144 campsites for tents and RVs. Lake Pleasant is 15 miles west of I-17 on Carefree Highway. There are two ways to reach the lake. One is to take the Bush Highway north from U.S. Highway 60 to the Saguaro del Norte Recreation Site turnoff. The other way is to take the Beeline Highway (State Route 87) from either the McDowell Rd. turnoff in Mesa or from Shea Blvd. near Fountain Hills. About eight miles after crossing the Verde River, turn right at signs indicating the Saguaro Lake Recreation Area. This is Arizona’s version of “Central Park.” Located in plain view of midtowns high rises it features canals. A lagoon, a nature trail, two golf courses, boat rentals, picnic areas and an amusement park with fabulous train for the kids. Among the many sport opportunities are swimming, soccer, softball, tennis, basketball, racquetball, and many exercise areas. Encompassing a 16,500-acre section of Phoenix, South Mountain Park is the largest municipal park in the world. Amenities include picnic areas with ramadas, hiking trails, and scenic lookouts. A paved road leads to the mountains summit, where visitors can enjoy stunning views of downtown Phoenix and the surrounding valley. SALT RIVER TUBING Tubing the Salt River is about as Arizona as you can get. Join thousands of other people as you enjoy a floating picnic adventure on the Lower Salt River in Tonto National Forest. Operating hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from May to September and the cost of tube rental is $12 per person/tube including inner tube rental, free parking at SRTR tubing headquarters and shuttle bus service.
BIG SURF WATER PARK America’s original water park is a wonderful, wet oasis in the desert! Ride the waves at the Waikiki Beach Wave pool – one of the largest in the world! Race down the Hurricane Falls Speed Slides, relax and soak up the sun on the cool, grassy beaches or take the little one to play at Captain Cook’s Landing Wading Pool. GOLFLAND/ SUNSPLASH Golfland/Sunsplash is the place to be for all kinds of cool fun! Fastcar Raceway, Video Arcade, three 18-hole miniature golf courses, Thunder Bay Wave Pool, Lazy River, Master Blaster water coaster. With two action packed family entertainment centers in one convenient location, you’ll find something for everyone WATERWORLD SAFARI PARK Waterworld Safari is the wettest, wildest water adventure you will ever go on! Take a safari to Waterworld, where explorers of every age will find nonstop fun on more than 25 acres. Surf and swim in the Serengeti Surf wave pool, blast down the Cobra or Black Mamba slides, or simply relax with the kids at the Jungle Jim’s wading pool. For a breathtaking thrill ride, climb the Kilimanjaro, and then zoom down one of two speed slides that are six and a half storeys high! ARIZONA SCIENCE CENTER Featuring 350 hands-on exhibits, a planetarium and a five-storey screen theater. ARIZONA STATE CAPITOL MUSEUM Located under the copper dome of the Arizona State Capitol Building. The museum preserves Arizona’s territorial and state government history. CHALLENGER SPACE CENTER The Challenger Space Center in affiliation with the Smithsonian institution was created to set the stage for an out-of-this world experience! Designed to inspire, awe, educate and excite the imaginations of visitors, the 21,433-square foot facility includes authentic replicas of Johnson Space Center’s Mission Control and a room aboard the International Space Station. Activities for all ages. Stargazing parties or large corporate events utilize the six-story rotunda, theater, training rooms, café and patios. Special space themed activities, compliment team building seminars, employee training or special events. Nestled amid the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden hosts one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants. One of only 44 botanical gardens accredited by the American Association of Museums, this one-of-a kind museum showcases 50 acres of beautiful outdoor exhibits. Home to 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species from around the world, the Garden offers interesting and inspiring experiences to more than 250,000 visitors each year. In 1938 a small group of Valley citizens gathered in Papago Park to create a botanical garden whose precepts would encourage and understanding, appreciation and promotion of the uniqueness of the world’s deserts, particularly the Sonoran Desert. The Desert Botanical Garden, since its inception in 1939, continues to be a testament to their vision. The Hall of Flame Fire Museum and the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes in Phoenix has almost an acre of fire history exhibits, with over 90 fully restored pieces of fire apparatus on display, dating from 1725 to 1969. Most of the exhibits are American but also includes pieces from England, France, Austria, Germany and Japan. The Hall of Flame sponsors the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes, which honors firefighters who died in the line of duty or who were decorated for heroism. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Maie and Dwight Heard arrived in Phoenix in 1895 and their impact on the metropolitan area continues with the Heard Museum, which they founded in 1929. Millions of visitors have stepped through the graceful arches of the internationally acclaimed museum to discover the rich Native heritage of the Southwest. Open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Featuring the Southwest’s largest collection of American, Asian contemporary, European, Latin American art and fashion design as well as many touring exhibitions. PIONEER LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM Over 20 historic buildings, including a working blacksmith and print shop, take you back about 100 years to experience what life was like for the early pioneers in the west. Living history interpreters help you to get a better understanding of our past. Out of Africa Wildlife Park is not a zoo or a circus: it is truly an experience. It is a garden-like setting that allows visitors to actually encounter the kingdom of the wild. The animals come to you in nine unrehearsed, educational programs everyday. There are no tricks, no training and no facades – everything is real. In Tiger Splash, the park’s most popular show, the staff is chased by tigers, which dive in a giant pool after their human friends. THE PHOENIX ZOO The Phoenix Zoo is one of America’s most successful, privately-owned, nonprofit zoological parks. Though still comparatively young, The Phoenix Zoo has already gained an international reputation for its efforts on behalf of wildlife. The zoo participates in numerous local and international efforts for endangered species, including the Mexican wolf, thick-billed parrot, black-footed ferret, Borneo orangutan, Sumatran tiger, Asian elephant, and many more. WILDLIFE WORLD ZOO Arizona’s largest collection of exotic animals. You will experience close encounters with tigers, jaguars, giraffes, monkeys, Waters of the World Aquarium, and more than 300 other species. Other attractions include the Safari Train Ride, Australian Boat Tour, a sky chair over the zoo, and a children’s petting area. |
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