Great outdoors in Arizona?! There's nothing to do out here! (Phoenix: house, rent)

[NativeCO]

I'm originally from Colorado, born and raised. Love the outdoors of course, plenty of activlies to do. But I moved down here to Phoenix for a new life...yet no activities I know of that you can do outside! Where do I need to go? Flagstaff is the closet thing to the outdoors of Colorado. Isn't it three hours away? Love the nightlife but I want to snowboard, hike, camp etc...Are there any mountains close around here? Not the so called Camelback "Mountain" here in Phoenix please!

[RabidFox]

You could always try one of the ghost towns. There are many ghost towns located near Phoenix, Arizona. To name the ones that I know of: Bumble Bee, Crown King, Jerome, Sasco Loop, Octave, Stanton, Stoddard, Tip Top, Vulture Mine, Weaver, Gillette, Fort Misery, and Copper Creek. Today, Jerome is still an active town, full of artists and whatnot. I would think that any of those places should prove an entertaining visit for you. They are all within about 100 miles of Phoenix.

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by NativeCO

I'm originally from Colorado, born and raised. Love the outdoors of course, plenty of activlies to do. But I moved down here to Phoenix for a new life...yet no activities I know of that you can do outside! Where do I need to go? Flagstaff is the closet thing to the outdoors of Colorado. Isn't it three hours away? Love the nightlife but I want to snowboard, hike, camp etc...Are there any mountains close around here? Not the so called Camelback "Mountain" here in Phoenix please!

If you want to be happy here, it's probably best to learn to appreciate Phoenix on its own terms without excessive comparison to your place of origin. With that in mind, the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, including Camelback Mountain, is great for day hikes. For longer hikes, you might wish to try the various Maricopa County Parks. For a deeper wilderness experience, the Superstition Wilderness east of Phoenix is great.

During the summer heat, a lot of Phoenicians head north to Prescott, Sedona, and Flagstaff, all of which offer tremendous hiking and camping opportunities. Think of it this way: Could you really go on a daylong hike from a trailhead in Downtown Denver? Of course not. Instead, you might drive a bit to get to a wilderness area. In Phoenix, one of the greatest attributes of the city is that you have some outdoor recreation within city limits and even more opportunities within a few hours' drive.

[irwin]

Originally Posted by NativeCO

I'm originally from Colorado, born and raised. Love the outdoors of course, plenty of activlies to do. But I moved down here to Phoenix for a new life...yet no activities I know of that you can do outside! Where do I need to go? Flagstaff is the closet thing to the outdoors of Colorado. Isn't it three hours away? Love the nightlife but I want to snowboard, hike, camp etc...Are there any mountains close around here? Not the so called Camelback "Mountain" here in Phoenix please!

Although I am certainly not a Phoenix promoter, one recommendation I would have is to head east to the Superstition Mountains. There are some decent trails out there and some petrographs you can see along the way. There is also a tower you can climb out there (forgot the specific name) but you can't miss it. I know there is camping out there as well.

Unfortunately, because it is getting hot, your options for outdoor activities in the immediate area is going to be limited until around October. I would look into Sedona, which is a little closer than Flagstaff. That is truly one of the most beautiful areas of the state and there are tons of trails.

[brittZ]

Well, You can go to the white tanks, superstition, white mountains, 1.5 hr north to prescott for denser pine forest camping and hiking, papago for mountain biking, oak creek canyon, sedona, lake pleasant, roosevelt lake, etc. . . if you were expecting the same landscape as CO perhaps you were mistaken. However there are tons and tons of places in AZ to hike, bike, fish etc. . . All of these locations are in the Valley and make very easy day trips and can obviously be turned into weekend adventures. the White Tanks are a personal favorite and are in the far west end. if you take 101 to Northern or Olive and just go West you will run into them. There is lots of hiking mountain biking camping some natural water features etc. . .

As far as snowboarding, I feel your pain. There really is nothing that will compare. There is snowbowl in Flagstaff but if you really want to spend a couple days shredding the best bet is a weekend trip to big bear which is about 4 hours away. Doable if you leave on a fri night and come back late sun.

[sablebaby]

I agree with silverbear. I think most people come here and compare their state/city with Phoenix, and rarely do they seem happy. Phx and AZ are very different than most other palces. Then people try to change our area to make them feel more like home, which just isn't fair to us.

I am curious though, did you do a lot of research and exploring (in person) when you were looking at the possiblity of moving here?

[HX_Guy]

That is the realization I have come to as well...this place has what other places have, but not in the same form.

I've complained for a long time that Phoenix doesn't have big city parks like other cities, but really...it's not true. They are all over, one right about a mile from my house (Thunderbird Park)...except it's all desert, with desert plants and lots of hiking trails. Those are our city parks.

[silverbear]

Originally Posted by HX_Guy

That is the realization I have come to as well...this place has what other places have, but not in the same form.

I've complained for a long time that Phoenix doesn't have big city parks like other cities, but really...it's not true. They are all over, one right about a mile from my house (Thunderbird Park)...except it's all desert, with desert plants and lots of hiking trails. Those are our city parks.

South Mountain Park is actually the largest municipal park in the world. As you suggest, it is desert trails and not the type of park many are used to, but it's simply amazing that the City of Phoenix maintains hundreds of miles of rugged hiking trails within city limits.

[dano]

By close I guess you mean 3 hours to Flagstaff doesn't define close. If that's the case you may as well pack your bags. It usually takes an hour just to get out of the Valley. There are plenty of outdoor distinations in Arizona but they are destinations. Most will take at least a two to three-hour drive.

If Boarding is too crowded at Snowbowl, try Sunrise in the White Mountains. That will take four hours but it is less crowded that Snowbowl.

A rule of thumb in Arizona, the longer the drive the less crowds you have. The road less traveled is usually the more rewarding road.

[vegaspilgrim]

I'm from Colorado too... and I know what you're talking about, I wish there was more serious high elevation where you can feel crisp and cool in the summer. You might want to check out the San Francisco mountains north of Flagstaff, or Mt. Lemmon outside of Tucson. No Mt Evans, or Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, that's for sure. But, as the other posters have said, you have to appreciate Arizona for what it is-- and it truly is a beautiful state, chock full of outdoor activities-- you just have to get outside of Phoenix. Sedona is a great place to start-- you can never get bored exploring all the different trails there. I was there just last weekend and hiked Boynton Canyon. Really easy to get to, and once you pass the initial part of the hike, you are in a deep, secluded canyon with lots of trees and shade. Even though the temperatures were in the upper 70s and I was hiking in the middle of the day, it was still pleasant.

I just got done defending Utah on their forum after someone said Utah wasn't beautiful... some people are nuts! This is the southwest US. We have some of the most amazing landscapes in the world right here. Each state is a different grab bag, with different natural scenery to offer. You don't have to live in AZ your whole life (I sure wouldn't), but while you're here, appreciate what it has to offer.