This week, if you’re looking for a truly challenging hike with breathtaking scenery, you’ll love Cathedral Rock, near Sedona, Arizona. There is just so much to do in Sedona, it truly is the hidden gem of the state of Arizona; and Cathedral Rock is the crown jewel, a strikingly colossal, ancient monument carved millions of years ago by the waters and lakes of eons past. It’s one of the most visited hiking spots in all of Arizona, but also one of the most challenging. The hike itself is less than a mile, but it is intense and very steep, requiring some climbing at certain parts. There are... Read More

Those of you who have kids or are in college might be gearing up for the wonderful and carefree summer season. Summer vacations, trips to the beach, anything you can do to cool off in the intense summer heat. But how do you cool off in the scorching desert that is summertime Phoenix? Simple, you can check out the called Slide Rock State Park.  Named for a unique sandstone ‘slide’ formation, it’s one of the more well-known swimming holes in here in Arizona. Located in Oak Creek Canyon, 7 miles north of Sedona, Arizona, the state park is a 2-hour drive north of Phoenix if you follow the I-17N... Read More

Hello Hiking Enthusiasts! This week the weather is still fairly cool, so it is a good opportunity to take a hike on Camelback Mountain, arguably one of the most famous landmarks within the city of Phoenix. The mountain, named for its vague resemblance to the humps of a camel, has an elevation of 2,706ft at its peak. This gives hikers an opportunity to get a spectacular view of the whole Phoenix Metropolitan Area. There are two major trails, Echo Canyon Trail and the Cholla Trail. They are both considered fairly challenging trails and should not be attempted without proper planning and moderate... Read More

Salutations, hiking enthusiasts! It has been getting a lot warmer lately here in Phoenix, especially this past weekend when it hit at least 90˚F again. So I thought it would be nice to go a little bit north of Phoenix to enjoy the slightly cooler weather for a little while longer. This week we go check out the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. It’s about a 2-hour drive north of Phoenix, located in the Tonto National Forest. The forest itself is the largest forest in Arizona, with a lot of natural attractions to see. The important thing to note that there is an entrance fee to the park, at $7.00... Read More

The Desert Botanical Gardens at Papago Park is a large, 140-acre desert preserve in Central Phoenix. It is a beautifully serene conserve with over 50,000 desert plants located at the Garden, placed along various trails that allow you to explore the variety of flora found in the Sonoran Desert. There are also collections of plants from other desert climates around the world, like Australia and South America. As it is a conservation effort, there are over 130 species of plants that are either rare or endangered. There’s a lot of informative placards around the plants describing their attributes,... Read More

Shaw Butte Trail on Northern Mountain trail is one of the less popular hiking trails in North Phoenix. At nearly 5 miles (4.6 miles), it’s a long trail with moderate to difficult inclines. You’ll want to make sure you wear proper hiking footwear for this trail because of the rocky terrain and be sure to bring plenty of water, as it is a moderately challenging hike. The best way to get to the trailhead is near the parking lot south of Thunderbird Rd, on Central Avenue. The first part of the trail is paved, but once you come to a fork in the trail, both forks become more rocky and natural. The... Read More

Another beautiful weekend in Phoenix, another great day to go hiking. This week we check out one of many trails at South Mountain Park. South Mountain Park is one of the largest urban parks in North America, with a wide variety of trails, picnic areas, each with their own ramada, and some great viewpoints to see the Downtown core of Phoenix from. Many of the trails in the park will range from being leisurely strolls to difficult rocky terrain for more experienced hikers. However, if you’re looking for a moderate level trail to hike, then you’ll enjoy the Kiwanis trail hike. At roughly 1 mile... Read More

It’s officially springtime in the Valley of the Sun, the perfect season to go hiking. There’s plenty of places to hike in Phoenix, but given how quickly spring turns into an intense summer, you will definitely want to take advantage of the spring season. If you’re looking to check out a nice, leisurely hike in Phoenix, look no further than Papago Park. About 8 miles east of downtown Phoenix, this beautiful park is also conveniently located near both the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Gardens. There are two sections to Papago Park; the first is east just to the side of the Phoenix Zoo... Read More