Mayer, Arizona

Starting at the parking lot, you will have to pay your dues prior to beginning your hike. You will immediately be met with fresh air and refreshing summer temperatures. A short decent down will lead you to the first trail marker, which the 55-acre lake becomes the centerpiece of your view. At thi...

Montezuma Castle is actually one of the United State's first National Monuments. This five story 50 room cliff dwelling is one of the best preserved in all of North America. There is a short interpretive walk along the cliff in which one can see the many remnants of the previous inhabitants.The S...

The grounds of this location are absolutely incredible – food is amazing, and the hot springs are magical.  Each hot spring boasts its own naturally occurring hybrid mix of minerals, which vary from place to place depending on the geology of the area. For the storied history of this location and ...

This trail starts at the end of Bullpen Rd and your adventure begins in beautiful thickets of trees and plants. The going is easy and the tempting sound of rushing water is on your right as you continue parallel to West Clear Creek. The trail will veer left up a rocky old service road but pay att...

Located just 30 minutes from the outskirts of Phoenix, AZ lies a 10,000 acre desert oasis known as Pleasant Lake Regional Park. This expansive body of water serves as a great opportunity to beat the heat of the central Arizona sun, while taking in the beauty of the vivid blue waters and surroundi...

Hike along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Pleasant. This 4.0 mile out-and-back trail is worth its weight in beautiful views. The path is well maintained and perfect for beginner hikers who enjoy leisurely hikes while looking for wild burros. The Wild Burro trail starts with a small descent from ...

Crescent Moon Ranch was established in the 1880's, and now serves as a day use facility for the U.S. Forest Service. It lies on Oak Creek directly below Cathedral Rock, one of the most iconic towering monuments in Sedona. The ranch is beautiful, and is popular for picnic's, swimming, hiking, and ...

Great, short hike in Red Rock Crossing. Make sure to check out the hundreds of cairns at Buddha Beach. Beautiful views of Cathedral Rock.  Lots of places to relax and have lunch, with picnic tables near the parking lot.  Lots of parking, good amount of shade down near the creek.   Good for all sk...

Start this incredible hike by parking at the Yavapai Point parking lot. Start the short hike (0.13 miles) on the Kaibab Trail which will run into Yavapai Vista Trail (0.27 miles) towards the Slim Shady Trail. Here you will have an incredible view of Bell Rock and Courthouse Vista an excellent pla...

Wanting a short and sweet sunset or sunrise spot in Sedona away from some of the crowds? This easily accessible trail is great for people wanting picnics, a quick photography spot (we saw a couple from their wedding doing a photo shoot here), and a cool spot to watch the sun rise or set with the ...

One of Sedona’s best and most scenic drives, that happens to also lead to Native American ruins, has to be Loy Butte Road (FR-525). This route also forms the eastern half of the famous Outlaw 4×4 Jeep Trail. The road is very rough in places, especially during the latter part of the drive. The roa...

The hike is an easy one, flat and not too long.  In the spring you'll see lots of flowers. Note, the popularity of this Sedona cave has grown in the past year, so you will most likely encounter other hikers and mountain bikers.  You start from the Long Canyon Trailhead, and I recommend going earl...

Great spot for photos, and is at the beginning of one of the best trails in Sedona.  The parking lot can get full easily, since this is a very popular trail.  The sinkhole is close to the trailhead, but I encourage you to continue on down the Soldier’s Pass trail. As with all outdoor advent...

The building was built in the early 1900’s by the first settlers of Pine, the farm was turned into a lavender farm.  There’s a little shop, and the owner also does cooking classes!  Wonderful way to spend some time in the northern Arizona sunshine. For more information and a calendar of events, p...

Oak Creek is spring fed from the upper reaches of Oak Creek Canyon. It flows into the Verde River and the upper sections provide for some excellent trout fishing. The trout is stocked from Page Springs Hatchery, below this area the water becomes to warm for trout to survive. While in the area, yo...

There is a fee to enter this area. It was $7 when we went. There are 4 trails with many viewpoints from the parking lot, all of which are out and back. We followed the recommendation of the ranger working at the visitor's center and took the Gowan Trail down to the observation deck located in the...