SPRING ACTIVITIES IN ARIZONA

13 Best Spring Activities to Do in Arizona If you’re looking for something to do in Arizona this spring, you’ve got a lot of choices. It’s the perfect season to enjoy all sorts of activities and attractions with idyllic weather throughout much of the state. These are some of the top options to put on your itinerary.

Grand Canyon National Park | Northern AZ

Grand Canyon National Park is hoome to one of the world’s most magnificent wonders, the 277-mile-long, mile-deep, and up to 18-mile-wide Grand Canyon.

Spring often brings idyllic weather for enjoying the impressive array of colors and erosional forms of teh canyon walls that are even more dazzling at sinrise and sunset.

For an up-close look, you can take a mule ride down to the bottom, or enjoy a hike along the South Kaibab Trail for a variety of awe-inspiring views along the South Rim.

Sedona’s Vortexes | Sedona, AZ

Sedona’s vortexes are believed to be areas that emit high levels of natural energy that are conducive to healing, meditation and self-exploration. Not only will you be surrounded by jaw-dropping red rock scenery but you might be able to feel the electromagnetic earth energy, and even experience a transformation. Sedona has multiple vortexes with a variety of hiking trails to reach them, including the Airport Mesa Vortex.

Spring Training | Phoenix Metro Area, AZ

The Phoenix metro area is home to the Cactus League stadiums where baseball fans can watch major league spring training in action. It’s a great way to watch your favorite baseball stars as well as up-and-coming players up close and maybe get some autographs too. The famous Arizona BBQ Festival with its all-you-can-eat short ribs, bourbon, and live music is hosted during the spring training season – you might want to time your visit to attend both.

Desert Botanical Gardens | Phoenix, AZ

The Desert Botanical Gardens showcases 17,000 species of desert plants and a large research center. There are more than 50,000 accessioned plants throughout five thematic trails illustrating topics like desert living, conservation, plants and people of the Sonoran Desert and desert wildflowers. While it may sound bizarre to have a botanical garden in the desert, you might be surprised to find out that the desert is bursting with life. In the spring, a two-acre wildflower exhibit will be filled with color.

The peak blooming of flowers like desert lupine and Mexican poppies occurs in March and April.

Bearizona | Williams, AZ

At this Williams’ safari park, visitors enjoy close encounters with wild bears, wolves, Dall sheep, mountain goats, burros, bison and more before descending into a walk-through section with further exhibits. Springtime often means the opportunity to see adorable bear cubs in the walk-through area which houses smaller animals. There are also Birds of Prey shows and Keeper Chats, so you can talk to the keepers about the creatures here. For a special treat, sign up to work one on one with Bearizona animals while they’re in training sessions, available at set times throughout the day.

Havasu Falls | Northern AZ

The world-renowned Havasu Falls lies in a remote area of the Grand Canyon, accessed via a 10-mile trek.The cascades are stunningly contrasted against the red rock canyon walls, with the crystal clear turquoise waters taking on surreal hues due to high concentrations of calcium carbonate and magnesium. Spring is the best time to go as temperatures will be pleasant and the falls are sure to be flowing. It will be a bit chilly for swimming in March, but April and May are often ideal.

Play Golf

With so much sun throughout the year, Arizona has some of the best golf courses in the entire country. This is the season when the weather is usually perfect for a round or two of golf – the British-inspired Troon North Golf Club is considered the best in Phoenix, while the Arizona Grand Golf Course boasts scenic desert and mountain views. If you head to Troon North, the Pinnacle and Monument courses both have two greens – Hell’s Bunker is the most infamous hole here.

Phoenix Zoo | Phoenix, AZ

The Phoenix Zoo is the country’s largest privately owned, non-profit zoo. There are more than 1,400 animals housed here that can be viewed throughout the 2.5 miles of walking trails, all divided up into four different themes. View American Southwest fauna and flora along the Arizona Trail, rainforest animals on the Tropics Trail, creatures from Africa on the Africa Trail and visit a petting zoo on the Children’s Trail.

The zoo offers lots of fun special programs, including Lunch with a Keeper and Critter Keeper where you can find out what it’s like to be a zookeeper.

Saguaro National Park | Tucson, AZ

Saguaro National Park preserves a giant saguaro cactus forest that stretches across the valley floor near Tucson. In the spring, you can see the cacti covering the landscape with a rainbow of color in between. The wildflowers, including desert marigolds, gold Mexican poppy and red penstemons will be blooming, along with many of the shrubs and creosote bushes. There are also fascinating prehistoric petroglyphs to explore. Watch for animals like coyotes, desert tortoises, and javelinas in the lower elevations and the Mexican spotted owl, deer, and black bear in the upper elevations of the park.

Tombstone | Southeast AZ

This is the town where in 1881 the legendary gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place, a 30-second gunfight that pitted the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday against Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers. Today, you can relieve the days of the American West in a safer way, learning about the area’s history and finding out who won that infamous gunfight. Boothill Graveyard is the town’s cemetery and it’s famous for its ghost sightings. They say you can sometimes see them wandering through the old wooden grave markers. A few have allegedly been captured on film.

Donosaur Tracks | Tuba City, AZ

This unofficial off-the-grid attraction lies on rocky land near US Highway 160 in Tuba City, offering the chance to see genuine dinosaur tracks. The tracks were embedded in the rock surface were said to have been formed in the early Jurassic period, about 202 to 200 million years ago. A Native American guide will take you on a mostly flat, easy hike that winds around several stone spires and past hundreds of tracks.

Dead Horse Ranch | Cottonwood, AZ

A picturesque state park with limestone hills, mesquite groves and small lakes that lies along the Verde River about 20 miles from Sedona. If you like to ride horses, there are one-hour to 2.5-hour rides. The park’s Trails, Rails, Rhythm & Ribs package includes a one-hour horseback ride, a train ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad to historic Perkinsville and back, and a barbecue dinner with a cowboy show.

Emerald Cove | Willow Beach, AZ

The Black Canyon Water Trail is a 12-mile-long stretch for paddling, filled with dramatic desert landscapes, hot springs and narrow slot canyons along the Colorado River. You’ll get to paddle through Emerald Cove with water a shade unlike anything you’ve ever seen before – and spring is the best time to go to ensure the water will be high enough. If you aren’t a highly experienced kayaker, take a guided tour. You’ll not only feel more comfortable, but the expert guide will tell you all about the local geology and point out all the most interesting sights.

Sourced from Trips to Discover