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State Parks State Parks
Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
The arboretum was established in the early 1920's by botanical enthusiast William Boyce Thompson. While growing into a major center for plant research, it has also blossomed into a lush desert garden. Arid-region plants and trees from around the world line scenic walks through the garden's 35-acre grounds. The arboretum's shaded picnic area is ideal for a leisurely lunch. Visitors can purchase cacti, succulents, and water-efficient trees and shrubs at the garden's visitor center. The arboretum is three miles west of Superior along U.S. Route 60. Activities: Picnic Area, Hiking Trails . For information call: (520)689-2723
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Lost Dutchman State Park
Since the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine has never been rediscovered, the Superstition Mountains draw adventurers seeking lost gold as well as recreational riches. Situated at the base of the Superstitions, the park is an ideal starting point, fall through spring, for exploration of the Superstition Wilderness. Also, one of the Phoenix metro area's most popular desert lakes, Canyon Lake, is only a 30-minute drive from this campground. Most visitors camp, picnic, or hike interpretive desert trails. Lost Dutchman park is five miles northeast of Apache Junction off State Route 88. Restrooms (Handicapped Accessible) Showers (Handicapped Accessible) Waste disposal Group Use Area Picnic Area Hiking Trails Ramadas . For information call: (602)982-4485
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Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
The world's largest natural travertine bridge (400 feet wide) arches 183 feet above sparkling Pine Creek. Flowing springs and fern draped grottoes line the narrow canyon upstream and, in a large grassy meadow above the bridge, a restored turn-of-the-century hotel provides a peek at an earlier time. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is located 13 miles northwest of Payson off State Route 87. Activities include hiking and picnicking. For information call: (520)476-4202
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Slide Rock State Park
Located in what many consider to be Mother Nature's finest playground, Slide Rock State Park is nestled in lush Oak Creek Canyon. The park takes its name from a 30 foot long water slide worn in the rocks of the creekbed. Fishing, hiking, picnicking, and nature-watching take on new dimensions among the canyon's red rock walls and pine forests. A thriving apple orchard is a unique attraction. The state has expanded parking and other facilities used by the waves of visitors who refresh themselves at Slide Rock during summer months. Several Forest Service campgrounds are nearby. Slide Rock is seven miles north of Sedona off State Route 89A. For information call: (520)282-3034
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Red Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park is a 286 acre nature preserve and environmental education center located just 5 miles west of Sedona off highway 89A on the Lower Red Rock Loop Road. A wide variety of special programs are available for school groups and private groups and our picnic areas and classrooms may be reserved for public or private functions. To protect our fragile vegetation, we ask that you stay on designated trails, to pack out your trash and to leave your pet at home while visiting Red Rock State Park. Swimming and wading are reserved activities for local wildlife only. We are a day-use park only, so there are no general overnight camping facilities available. Activities: Restrooms (Handicapped Accessible) Hiking Trails Picnic Ramada Visitor Center with Theatre, Classrooms, Exhibits Gift Shop. For information call: (520)282-6907
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Camping and Hiking in
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Don't be alarmed by its name: this state park is located next to the community of Cottonwood in the scenic Verde Valley, and is alive with animal and human activity. Perhaps best known as a 'nest' for birdwatching, the park is also favored for picnicking, camping, canoeing, horseback riding, and stream and pond fishing. Walking trails meander along the shady banks of the Verde River. The park, with its full-facility campground is also a good base for exploring other attractions in and around the Verde Valley. Number of Camping Units - 45 Facilities available: Restrooms/Showers (Handicapped Accessible), Electric Hookup, Waste Disposal, Group, Use Area , Fishing. Canoeing, Picnic Area, Hiking Trails ,Equestrian Trails, Ramadas. For information call: (520)634-5283
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Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
Imagine camping among 100-foot pine trees beside a quiet lake watching majestic great blue herons at a cool 6,300 ft. in elevation. Year-round camping, fishing, picnicking, boating, and wildlife viewing opportunities make Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area a very popular place. Fool Hollow is located within National Forest Lands on the Lakeside Ranger District near the City of Show Low, Arizona. The Fool Hollow Recreation Area has a 149-acre lake. Show Low Creek flows into Fool Hollow Lake, providing a natural feeding ground for a variety of wildlife and a very diverse fishery. Fishing opportunities are abundant with rainbow trout, brown trout, large and small mouth bass, black crappie, green sunfish, channel catfish, and walleye all present in the lake. Catchable sized rainbow trout are stocked by the Arizona Game and Fish Department mid-May through September. The nearby White Mountain Trail System offers eleven loop trails with over 103 miles of hiking in the adjacent Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Trail maps are available at the park headquarters. For information call: (520)537-3680
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Homolovi Ruins State Park
This site is Arizona's first archaeological state park. Located along the Little Colorado River, Homolovi, a Hopi word meaning 'place of the little hills,' consists of four major pueblo sites thought to have been occupied between A.D. 1200 and 1425 by ancestors of today's Hopi Indians. There are over 340 sites within the park, but this includes campsites, lithic scatters, agricultural features, pit houses and other sites. Archeologists work in the park Monday through Friday in June and July. Special archaeological exhibits and programs, hiking, picnicking and camping available. The park is five miles northeast of Winslow on State Route 87. Campground: Contains 52 sites. Back-in and pull-through sites which can handle large RVs, Restrooms, Sewage dump, station and potable water faucet, Electric Hookups, Picnic Tables, Grills, Tent pads. Trails: Interpretive, Hiking, Equestrian. For information call: (520)289-4106
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Lyman Lake State Park
The welcoming committee at Lyman Lake is comprised of a small herd of buffalo that grazes beside the access road. The lake's 6,000 foot elevation and 1,500 acre surface area (there is no size restriction on boats) make it a favorite destination for water sports, camping, fishing, and hiking. Anglers are provided a restricted, no-wake area where they fish for channel catfish, walleye, northern pike, and largemouth bass. Other park features include a swimming beach, picnic ramadas, boat rentals, and hiking and rock-hounding trails. The lake is one mile off U.S. Route 191, about 11 miles south of St. Johns or 18 miles north of Springerville. Number of Camping Units - 67 Facilities available: Restrooms/Showers (Handicapped Accessible) Electric Hookup (38 hookups, 23 developed) Waste Disposal Group Use Area RV Size Limit - 45 feet Fishing Boating Boat Ramp Picnic Area Hiking Trails Ramadas General Store Boat Concession Building available by reservation. For information call: (520)337-4441
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Roper Lake State Park
Located at the foot of Mount Graham, Roper Lake is a haven for fishing, camping, picnicking, hiking and swimming. Pitch a tent on the lake's shore, and enjoy a dip in a hot tub - a rock-lined pool created by park rangers and filled by natural hot springs. A level fishing pad is provided for wheel-chair access. The nearby Dankworth Ponds Unit, features crappie as a popular catch. The Lake and ponds are off-limits to gasoline-powered boats. The park is located about four miles south of Safford off U.S. Route 191. Number of Camping Units - 71. Facilities available: Restrooms, Showers, Fishing Pad(Handicapped Accessible), Electric Hookup, Waste Disposal, Group Use Area, Fishing, Boating (electric motors only), Boat Ramp, Picnic Area, Hiking Trails, Natural Hot Springs. For information call: (520)428-6760
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Hunting and Fishing in
Alamo Lake State Park
An oasis for anglers and nature lovers, Alamo Lake offers classic Sonoran Desert scenery and the promise of uncrowded views. Principally a flood control reservoir, the park is located on the Bill Williams River about 30 miles before it enters the Colorado River. Although its water level fluctuates sharply, the lake teems with large-mouth bass and catfish. Its upgraded campground features developed sites and a well stocked marina store with boat rentals. An abundance of outdoor activities include wildlife watching and hiking against a backdrop of the picturesque Rawhide and Buckskin mountains. Wildlife include, quail, deer, coyote, bald eagles, and the area's trademark...wild burros. Access is via 38 miles of paved road. Turn north at Wenden off U.S. Route 60. Restrooms/Showers (Handicapped Accessible) ,Electric Hookup , Waste Disposal, Group Use Area, Fishing, Boating ,Boat Ramp ,Picnic Area , Ramadas | Store , Boat Rentals. For information call: (520)669-2088
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Buckskin Mountain State Park
This state park scenically located between the Buckskin Mountains and the Colorado River attracts both nature lovers and water enthusiasts. Hikers are enticed to explore the area via three developed trails that ascend steep bluffs to panoramic overlooks. The river draws pleasure boaters, water skiers, and swimmers to this 400-foot-elevation recreation area. Anglers vie for largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, and bluegill. Buckskin Mountain State Park and its associated River Island Unit are approximately 11 miles north of Parker off State Route 95. Facilities: Restrooms (Handicapped Accessible) , Showers , Electric Hookup, Waste Disposal, Fishing ,Boating, Boat Ramp , Picnic Area , Hiking Trails , Gas Docks , Store , Boat Rentals. For information call: (520)667-3231
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Lake Havasu State Park
There are two distinct units at this water lovers' paradise, Windsor Beach and Cattail Cove. Windsor Beach is a wonderfully developed area in Lake Havasu City just north of the famed London Bridge. (London Bridge was dismantled at its original site in England and rebuilt in Arizona by developer Robert McCulloch in 1971.) Windsor Beach is popular for day use, camping, and launching all varieties of watercraft. Facilities: Restrooms/Showers (Handicapped Accessible) ,Waste Disposal ,Group Use Area ,Fishing ,Boating ,Boat Ramp ,Picnic Area ,Hiking Trails, Ramadas . For information call: (520)855-2784
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Patagonia Lake State Park
At two and a half miles long and 250 surface acres, Patagonia Lake is popular for a variety of recreational activities, including water skiing, fishing, camping, picnicking, and hiking. Created by the damming of Sonoita Creek, the lake is filled with bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish, and is stocked with rainbow trout during the winter. For anglers' sake, half of the lake is designated a no wake area. A level fishing pad is provided for wheelchair access. Because the lake attracts a multitude of water lovers during summer months, water skiing and jet skiing are prohibited on weekends and holidays from May 1 through October 1. Camping ranges from undeveloped spots to sites with water and electric hookups. Park conveniences include picnic ramadas, a swimming beach, and a marina store with boat rentals. Entry to the park is from State Route 82 between Patagonia and Nogales. For information call: (520)287-6965
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Arizona Hunting
For information on hunting big and small game in Arizona contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department at (602)942-3000
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Other Outdoor activities
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