Things to do in  Phoenix

Visible throughout most of Phoenix, Camelback Mountain rises 2,704 feet (824 meters) above the Sonoran Desert. The red sandstone formation gets its name from its resemblance to a resting camel, and it’s one of the metro area’s most popular spots for hiking, rock climbing, and other outdoor adventures.

Make your way to Phoenix’s Papago Park to find one of the largest and most unique collections of desert plant life in the world. Stretching over 140 acres (57 hectares), the Desert Botanical Garden is home to hundreds of rare and endangered plant species from around the globe.

Founded by Robert E. Maytag in 1962, the Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the United States—home to some 3,000 animals living across 125 acres (51 hectares) of naturalistic exhibit space. Thirty of the zoo’s resident species are considered endangered or threatened.

Think of Tempe as a more offbeat Phoenix. A college town, it manages to hold onto its party vibe while its bigger sister flashes and glows just 20 minutes away. With 330 days of sunshine and warm days, there’s plenty to do here—though just lounging by the pool would be a-okay.

The wide streets of Old Town Scottsdale bustle, lined with seemingly endless bars, restaurants, and boutiques. Scottsdale might be known for its luxurious resorts and quiet golf courses, but Old Town offers a different side to the city—pick up colorful produce at the farmers market, discover new artists at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, or dance the night away under the bright lights at Wasted Grain nightclub.

One of the most well-preserved ruins in North America, the nearly 1,000-year-old Montezuma Castle was once home to the Sinagua people, who built their homes into the limestone cliffs. Although the rocky ruin was given a “castle” title, it was actually a multifamily dwelling. In 1906, the site was declared one of the United States’ first national monuments. Today, you can explore the castle and the natural landscapes that surround it.

Get away from it all in the breathtaking Sonoran Desert, a 100,000-square-mile (260,000-square-kilometer) region that spans Arizona, California, and parts of Mexico. Though it’s the hottest of four deserts in North America, its two rainy seasons sustain unique animals and plants, including the only remaining jaguar population in the United States.

Featuring some of the area’s top boutiques and shops, Scottsdale Fashion Square is Arizona’s largest shopping destination with more than 200 stores, some of which cannot be found elsewhere in the state. In addition to a range of different retailers, including luxury brands such as Tiffany & Co., Prada, Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, and Burberry, there are plenty of dining options and a movie theater.

From pine-clad valleys to lakeside beaches; rocky mountain canyons to cacti-dotted desert—the Tonto National Forest boasts a diversity of natural landscapes to tempt any adventurer. Stretching over 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares and reaching altitudes of up to 7,900 feet (2,408 meters, it’s the largest national forest in Arizona.

Originally built as a copper trade route, the Apache Trail now guides travelers past steep desert mountains, cliff dwellings, lake shores, eroded canyons, and old mining towns. This scenic road winds 120 miles (193 kilometers) through Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, from the outskirts of Phoenix to the vast Theodore Roosevelt Lake.

If there’s a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts near Phoenix, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve might be it. Just beyond the city limits to the northeast, the preserve comprises more than 30,000 acres (12,140 hectares) of protected Sonoran Desert habitat around the McDowell Mountains, with trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

One of the largest pueblos built by the pre-Columbian Sinagua people, the Tuzigoot National Monument crowns a desert ridge above the Verde Valley. Less known than Montezuma Castle, a similar monument built by the Northern Sinagua, Tuzigoot holds some of the largest ruins in the area, highlighted by petroglyphs and pithouses once accessed via ladders through doors cut into the roofs.

Surrounded by the cacti-dotted valleys of the Sonoran Desert, the jagged peaks and sheer cliffs of the Superstition Mountains are one of Arizona’s most photographed natural wonders. Hugging the southern borders of the Tonto National Forest and reaching heights of 6,266 ft (1,910 meters, the mountains are a firm favorite among hikers and rock climbers.

With its snow-white adobe bell towers and ornate facade rising out of the cacti-studded Sonoran Desert, Mission San Xavier del Bac embodies its nickname—the “White Dove of the Desert.” Founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1626, it’s among the oldest Catholic sites in the US, renowned for its unique architecture and rich iconography.

One of the largest urban parks on the planet, South Mountain Park straddles a swath of south Phoenix from South Mountain Village to Ahwatukee Foothills Village. A local point of pride, the park and desert nature preserve has popular hiking, biking, and horseback trails. Inside the park, visitors will find multiple lookouts, the Mystery Castle stone mansion, and an environmental education center.