Guide to Travel Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Oasis at Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona
About Phoenix
Saguaro Cactus, red rock spires, and endless expanses of the sandy desert are probably what first comes to mind when you think of Arizona and Phoenix definitely has all of that. That being said you must keep in mind that Phoenix is a large bustling metropolis and the 4th biggest city in the U.S.A. with roughly 4.8 million people living in the metro area. But don’t let the size of this giant scare you off because Phoenix does have plenty of excellent attractions and beauty in spades, not to mention the great weather with its consistently blue sunny skies.
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How to Get to Phoenix
To get to Phoenix you must either fly to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport or drive from basically any direction. Many people from Northern U.S.A. or Canada make their way to Arizona via highway in order to escape the brutal winters, they are generally referred to as “Snowbirds”.
Map of Phoenix
Attractions of Phoenix
Papago Park
Papago Park Phoenix, Arizona
Papago Park is an incredible desert area that features mind-blowing rock formations and several beautiful oases. These oases contain many types of birds, frogs, ducks, and fish. The ponds are excellent for fishing and are stocked with rainbow trout, large-mouth bass, sunfish, channel catfish, tilapia, and carp.
Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona
Papago Park is around 1496 acres and boasts many trails that take you through a beautiful desert landscape featuring several different types of cactus species including the famous Saguaro. While hiking you are sure to run into plenty of desert wildlife, such as lizards, rabbits, snakes, and coyotes.
Within the park is also a Desert Botanical Garden, The Phoenix Zoo, the AZ Heritage Center Museum, and Hunt’s Tomb, which is a pyramid containing George W.P. Hunt (Arizona's 1st governor). Built in 1931 to entomb his wife and then himself after his death in 1934. Their daughter and as well as George’s wife's family are also buried there.
Hole-in-the-Rock in Papago Park, Phoenix, Arizona
This park is excellent for hiking, but visitors can also drive through the park in their cars.
While on your way to Papago Park you will notice the incredible red sandstone mountains. Upon getting closer you will see just how many caves these mountains have. The most popular cave is probably Hole-in the Rock. Getting to this attraction is just a short hike and once on top, you will get a panoramic view of the park. The Hohokam people, which are a now-extinct Native American tribe that once lived in the Phoenix area used the openings at Hole-in-the-Rock to track the solstice using the sun.
Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
A nice little slice of the wild west mixed in with modern comforts of the present day could best describe Scottsdale. The perfect place to take a Saturday stroll, or roll if you happen to be using one of the shared motorized scooters that lay scattered around town. That’s right, for a small fee you can hop on one of these neat contraptions and cruise all over town.
Unique souvenir shops and restaurants situated in historic old western-style buildings line the streets of downtown Scottsdale. Foods of many different types can be enjoyed while you wander through the farmer’s market.
Scottsdale, Arizona
An article in The New York Times described downtown Scottsdale as "a desert version of “Miami’s South Beach" and as having "plenty of late-night partying and a buzzing hotel scene." Its famous slogan is "The West's Most Western Town."
Camelback Mountain
Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona
Camelback Mountain’s name perfectly describes its imposing features and can be seen from many miles away. The mostly flat area around Phoenix gives this mountain an ominous look and one can only imagine what the original explorers of this area must have thought when first laying their eyes on the rock behemoth. The discovery of a cave on the north side of the mountain found that the Hohokam Peoples used the site for worship purposes but they mysteriously vanished from the area in the 14th century before the arrival of Europeans.
Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona
Hiking to the top is not considered easy by most hiker’s accounts and caution should be taken when ascending this beastly rock. The mountain claims lives on a regular basis and rescues on the trail are fairly common.
The trail is pretty busy, so if peace and tranquility are what you’re after, I suggest finding a different hike. That being said, the view at the top of the summit is breathtaking and well worth the hard work it takes to get there.
South Mountain Park
Dobbins Lookout at South Mountain, Phoenix
Saguaro Cactus in South Mountain Park, Phoenix, Arizona
One of the largest urban parks in the world, South Mountain Park in Phoenix is an incredible desert landscape where one can witness the beauty of the Arizona desert in all of its glory. It features many different hiking trails and lookouts. This mountain park provides visitors with some of the best views of Phoenix and its surrounding areas. Dobbins Lookout in particular has an expansive view and there is a really neat rock house at the top.
There are parking lots at the bottom of the park, so you can hike up the mountain or you can skip the hiking altogether and drive up the winding road along the edges of steep cliffs for an exhilarating drive all the way to the top.
Conclusion
South Mountain Park, Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is a nice city and is quite spread out so congestion isn’t too much of an issue, but traffic jams do happen of course, especially in cities with nearly 5 million people. Having been to Phoenix several times now, I feel like I have been there and done that and that’s not to say Phoenix isn’t worth visiting, because it definitely is. I guess what I’m getting at is if big cities are your thing then you might just love Phoenix. My suggestion would be to spend around 5-7 days there, conquer all the beautiful hikes and day trips, then take off into the desert somewhere a little bit quieter for some peace, solitude, and sunshine.
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