Phoenix, arizona
Attractions Guide

Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and a major city within the USA that's surrounded by mountains and desert. The city's Downtown area is small but nice to walk around in and features great restaurants, bars, and shopping.

One of the top attractions in Downtown Phoenix is the 19th century Rosson House Museum at Heritage Square, a well-preserved Victorian home located in the heart of Downtown Phoenix.

Just north of downtown you might like to visit the Phoenix Art Museum which features a variety of art from ranging from the Renaissance-era to modern art, as well as the Heard Museum focusing on Native American culture.

The sprawling Papago Park is one of Phoenix's top attractions, as it is a massive public park showcasing the natural desert environment (although with many palm trees to make it even more beautiful).

Within Papago Park you'll find some pleasant hiking trails, as well as the Hole in the Rock, a natural rock formation with several holes, one of which is a window, preserved in the middle of the city.

Desert Botanical Garden

Also within the park is the beautiful Desert Botanical Garden which gives visitors a glimpse into the different plant life found in the various desert environments of Arizona.

South of Phoenix is a strange but impressive stone structure built in the 1930s, called the Mystery Castle.

South Mountain Dobbins Lookout

Just a bit further south of the castle is South Mountain Park. Be sure to drive up to the Dobbins Lookout atop South Mountain in order to admire the gorgeous views overlooking Phoenix and its suburbs, set against the mountainous desert landscape.

Scottsdale, Arizona

Located to the east of Phoenix is the suburb of Scottsdale. Downtown Scottsdale is a charming area you may like to visit, which features many restaurants, boutiques, and shops centered around 5th Avenue.

Surrounding the city of Phoenix are many tall mountains, two of which are extremely popular for hiking and offer fantastic views overlooking the sprawling urban city and surrounding desert. Both trails are moderately short but have a steep elevation gain.

Camelback Mountain

The 2.4 mile (3.9 km) round-trip Camelback Mountain Trail (from Cholla Trail) is the more popular of the two trails, and can alternatively be hiked from the Echo Canyon Trailhead with the same round-trip trail distance as from the Cholla Trailhead. This mountain offers amazing views over Phoenix and especially Scottsdale, as it is located enxt to Downtown Scottsdale.

Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

The 1.9 mile (3.1 km) round-trip Piestewa Peak Summit Trail also offers excellent views over Phoenix and is located northeast of Downtown Phoenix.

Goldfield Ghost Town

On the eastern outskirts of Phoenix you'll find the Goldfield Ghost Town, a small touristic replica of an old Wild West town. Also notable nearby is the the lengthy-named Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum. The ghost town sits near the beginning of the vast across the street from the Lost Dutchman State Park where you'll find great hiking trails.

Hiking Trails

If you'd like to hike to the top of these striking mountains you can take the 6.2 mile (10 km) round-trip Siphon Draw Trail to The Flat-Iron which offers spectacular views and beautiful desert scenery. Just be aware this trail is quite challenging, as it has an elevation gain of about 3,000 feet (900 m).

An easier trail that still offers amazing views of the Flat-Iron is the 2.3 mile (3.7 km) round-trip Treasure Loop Trail, which begins adjacent to the Siphon Draw Trailhead.

Dolly Steamboat & Tortilla Flat

From Lost Dutchman Park you can take the scenic drive up Highway 88 surrounded by mountains and desert. You can stop at Canyon Lake to take a unique Steamboat Tour along a gorgeous canyon river in the middle of the desert if you like, on the Dolly Steamboat. Continuing along Highway 88 is another Wild West themed stop, called Tortilla Flat.

Just before reaching Tonto National Monument heading east from Phoenix you might like to stop to admire the Theodore Roosevelt Dam which holds back a large desert lake.

Just beyond the dam you'll find the Native American cliff dwellings of Tonto National Monument. The Lower Cliff Dwelling can be reached via an easy 0.8 mile (1.3 km) round-trip hike, and the Upper Cliff Dwellings can be reached with a 2.4 mile (3.9 km) round-trip hike.

Boyce Thompson Arbortoreum

Along the southern side of the Superstition Mountains you might consider visiting the beautiful lush Boyce Thompson Arbortoreum, a giant botanical garden in the middle of the desert that you can explore. This oasis-like garden is located east of the hiking trails of the Gold Canyon area.

Hieroglyphic Trail

On the southern side of the Superstition Mountains you'll find several notable hikes, including the 2.8 mile (4.5 km) round-trip Hieroglyphic Trail which features a seasonal waterfall, desert scenery, and Native American hieroglyphics.

Peralta Trail

A more challenging and beautiful hike is the 4.9 mile (7.9 km) round-trip Peralta Trail on the southern side of the Superstitions, which ventures through an incredible desert landscape passing formations such as the Weavers Needle.

Wave Cave

Nearby you can hike the 3 mile (4.8 km) round-trip Wave Cave Trail, which features an incredible wave rock formation inside of a cave.

One more attraction to consider in the Phoenix area is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, which showcases an impressive 14th century Native American building, located approximately 55 miles (88 km) southwest of Central Phoenix.