Top Things to do in Central Arizona
Top Hotels in Central Arizona
- 1. Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
- 2. Drury Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport
- 3. Drury Inn & Suites Phoenix Happy Valley
- 4. Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
- 5. Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
- 6. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
- 7. Gila River Resorts & Casinos - Wild Horse Pass
- 8. The McCormick Scottsdale
- 9. The Wigwam
- 10. Drury Inn & Suites Phoenix Tempe
8 Mountains in Central Arizona That You Shouldn't Miss
Home to the Phoenix metropolitan area and its more than 3.4 million residents, Central Arizona offers an amazing array of museums, cultural venues and outdoor adventures. The Valley of the Sun boasts hopping nightlife and a thrilling selection of restaurants, resorts and spas. Discover Old West and Native American history. Hike among the cactus in the Sonoran desert. Try your hand at ranching in Glendale. Drive the Superstition Mountains. Visit Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin West in Scottsdale.
Restaurants in Central Arizona
1. Phoenix Mountains Preserve
2. Posse Ground Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By SedonaBob55 - Sedona, United States
In the past, this area was used as a staging ground for the Sheriff's Posse. Today this 98-acre park offers ten covered and landscaped ramadas that can be reserved for parties and special events, or just used as a place to sit and enjoy lunch. Adjacent to the ramada area is a large playground for children. Posse Grounds Park also offers: two softball fields, lights available a multi-use grass field two tennis courts (lights available). One court is striped with four pickleball courts. The tennis net is always up and the pickleball nets can be made available to users. Courts are available first-come, first-served. If you are interested in playing pickleball with a group please see the USAPA website for current hours and days they play. fitness trail with four stations. See videos of each station on YouTube sand volleyball court basketball court, lights available Bike Skills Park (see my separate review) Pavilion at Posse Grounds Park outdoor performance venue Dog Park (see my separate review) Skate Park The Hub (a multipurpose facility for rent) hiking and bike trails Near the multi-use field is the Posse Grounds Recreation Room which is used for various recreation classes throughout the year. Located just up the street from this park is the Sedona Community Pool.
3. Mingus Mountain Area
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By MikeB1952 - Colorado Springs, United States
Great of both sides of the mountain! We drove the road going from Prescott to Jerome. In fewer than 35 miles, Arizona State Route 89A goes from scrubby prairies up to mountains topped by pines and aspens. It’s quite the drive. Beginning from Prescott, it’s mostly rolling scrub oak hills. From there it winds and climbs steeply up the mountain. Wow! What a climb. At the top, there’s an amazing view of valley below. The road winds down into a canyon with a big mining operation off to one side. Lots of copper pulled from the mountains here. And finally, the road travels to and through Jerome and down to Clarkdale. It is such an amazing drive. We loved it.
4. Woodchute Wilderness Area
5. Camelback Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,520 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Camelback Mountain is to Phoenix, Arizona, what Lake Michigan is to Chicago or the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco or the Gateway Arch is to St. Louis. It is a distinctive feature that is associated with the city. Camelback is a mountain whose English name is derived from its shape, which resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel. It is a prominent and unmistakable landmark of the Phoenix metropolitan area, located in the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area between the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix and the town of Paradise Valley. It also is a popular recreation destination for hiking and rock climbing. Not to mention photo ops. A cave discovered on the north slope of the mountain indicates that it was once used as a sacred site by the prehistoric Hohokam Culture before they abandoned the area in the 14th century. The mountain features two hiking trails that ascend 1,280 feet to its peak. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.14 miles in length while the Cholla Trail covers 1.4 miles. Both are considered strenuous with steep grades, requiring a round trip time of 90 minutes to three hours. For rock climbers, the Praying Monk is a red sandstone rock formation on the northern slope that rises about 100 feet. The mountain lends its name to a major east-west street in the Phoenix area called Camelback Road that starts in Scottsdale and goes about 34 miles west past the West Valley suburbs of Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
6. Piestewa Peak
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 706 reviews
Reviewed By txgrl011 - Austin, United States
I hiked Piestewa Peak for the first time this past weekend. We got there right at 6am to beat the heat and the crowds, but apparently 6am is on the later side, as the parking lots were already full, and were got lucky to grab a spot. The hike is a straight incline the entire way up, so if you aren't in decent shape, I would not recommend. Especially not in the hot summer. The views are beautiful however, and everyone is friendly on the trail. It was a great workout! I will say that the trail is very narrow (much more so than Camelback mountain), and you are passing people only a foot away. It made me a little nervous with Covid, so you may want to bring a bandana to put on your face if that's something you're concerned about. Also, please don't be one of those people we saw with no water out there during the summer. The temps were already in the low 90's when we finished the hike at 7:30am! It took us exactly 1.5 hours to complete the hike. (For reference, my sister and I are both 37 years old, in good shape, and went at a fairly quick pace). If you are active and want a great workout with awesome scenery, I would highly recommend.
7. San Tan Mountain Regional Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 208 reviews
Reviewed By karis721 - Minneapolis, United States
We took our kids hiking (age 6 and 8) and it was perfect. There are a number of trails to select depending on time and difficulty. We hiked Goldmine. It was a bit challenging for the kids (use caution as there is a lot of loose rock), but the view from the top is amazing. Inside the ranger station is a gift shop and there are animals and other educational items to help kids learn about the desert environment and wildlife. My kids loved that.
8. Lookout Mountain Preserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By michelleshanksbrown - Kansas City, United States
I hiked the summit trail. It was about 40 minutes round trip. There are a lot of loose rocks but I didn’t have any problems. Just pay attention to where you step. The views were amazing. We did a sunset hike and I loved every minute of it. Bring water - you will need it. The summit trail pretty much goes right up the mountain. We had a 12 yr old with us that made the hike easily. There are many trails here. Some go around the mountain. There is limited parking.
