ideas for first timer Arizona traveler

[agau]

We are planning a trip to Scottsdale this time next year (I know a LONG way out) for business and are planning on extending our stay for up to a week to see some of the area. We are thinking our top thing to do would be hiking or touring/hiking. We love nature more than shops, etc.
So I started looking at the area and hiking potential and am overwhelmed. Looked at making a loop into the area south and southwest of Phoenix, or Sedona area so we could go north or south or ???? What makes sense as a good starting point? What trails/views/etc are not to be missed?

We think we'd like some easy but beautiful day hikes and back to a BandB or something similar at night.

If we can get it narrowed down a bit it would help a lot.

Thanks!

AJ

[agau]

I should add - We are from Minnesota and travel quite a bit to warmer climates like Carribean adn Central America. We are both pretty fit and hike in our area quite a bit. I have slight asthma so higher elevations just mean I slow down but the legs are up to it.

We aren't looking for "fierce" hikes but more than walks in the park

-AJ

[kevinweitzel75]

Have to see the Superstition Mountains, aka The Supes. They are just to the east of Mesa/Apache Junction , and provide an abundance of good low elevation hiking. Not to mention, they are full of history. Perelta trail would probably be a good starter point. In town, Camelback or South Mountain are ok. I'm sure more of the experienced homers on here can come up with some excellent trails. Sednoa is a have to see place, too. By the way,

[kevinweitzel75]

Correction on last post, HOMERS, ment to type HIKERS.
Typing on my phone.

[azbackpackr]

Since you are going to be in Arizona in winter, I'd suggest Sedona, which has many, many moderate hikes, and is less than two hours from Phoenix. Also, Tucson. I would suggest visiting Saguaro National Park West in Tucson. Also the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is the state's best introduction to itself, insofar as flora and fauna. AZSDM is kind of a zoo, not a stuffy museum, and is right next to the Saguaro National Park, which has many moderate trails. All these areas do attract many tourists, but they are also a very good intro to the state. And once you are out on the trail, it's the two-mile rule. Hike two miles or more from the trailhead, you'll lose most of the tourists.

You don't say if you are renting a high clearance vehicle or not. Many nice hikes in Sedona are to be found on very bumpy dirt roads, such as Secret Canyon Trail. There, I gave away a secret. Well, not really.

In Tucson, Catalina State Park and also Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon are both gateways to great hiking.

Flagstaff is beautiful, but often cold and snowy in March. Grand Canyon is worth a visit, and there are some neat hikes that are less popular that we can tell you about, but is about 4 hours or more north of Phoenix.

As for around Phoenix, I'll let the Phoenicians comment. They are stuck living in the megalopolis, the poor things, so they know the hikes where they can make a quick escape from the rat race. ;)

[agau]

This is ezactly what I was hoping for. We will rent a car but hadn't really thought of what kind (until I saw the trail search here that had a choice for unpaved ;-) ).

I had seen the Seguaro park area and thought doing a loop that included a stay down that way might be an idea. This seemed like it would be more of a road trip kind of vacation with hikes along the way? Or is there a place that would work as a homebase there? Tuscon? Seemed like the temps might be a bit warmer that way in the late Feb/early March timeframe?

One of the attactions of Sedona as a home base with side trips was that we could go a bit north or south with no problem. Could we do Grand Canyon and South of Phoenix from there? or would we have great plenty to see/do/hike in that area?
This is vacation afterall and we don't need to feel rushed or spend all day in a car unless it is just gorgeous scenery.

I like the idea of some history involved. We both love learning about the areas we go to and seeing more local character.

Honestly, while we are flying in and out of Phoenix, I can't say that being close to town or the fancy Scottsdale area would be high on my list - unless someone can convince me otherwise. Maybe as a first day thing? On the other hand not opposed to being on the outskirts if the hiking area is beautiful. Traveling far isn't a requirement either :-)

So, whichever way we go, does it make sense to have some hotel reservations ahead of time or can we wing it that time of year?

Thanks again for the quick replies. Already thinking about seeing this beautiful country!
-AJ

[DarthStiller]

This is probably one of the better hikes close to Scottsdale. Might be beyond what you want to attempt with 2500+' AEG, 14 miles and some off trail hiking.

http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=651

Grand Canyon and Sedona are tops in terms of all of AZ, but they are each at least a 2 day overnighter. Probably best to plan a 3-4 day road trip to hit both. Definitely need to get hotel reservations way ahead of time for both of those places. and it's a lot cheaper to stay at a hotel in Camp Verde than in Sedona.

[DBmooner]

i agree with stillernator about not staying in sadona it is way over priced and allways packed even in the off season but if you end up stay in Camp Verde i recomend a stop by west clear creek it is a nice easy hike but can give you a littel work out once you get about 6 miles in, the water may be a littel cold for us locals but you should be fine there is also an old ranch that you can check out.if your looking for a good hike around Phoneix i recomend the flatiorn it is only 6 miles but has a 2700 foot elevation gain and if you hite the peak that is right there you will have some amazing views of the sups and of the valley and it isnt as crowded as some of the other hike close to town you also pass the superstition museum if you want to check that out and there is an old gold mine that they turn into a tourist trap.

[gummo]

Phoenix is warmer than Tucson.

[azbackpackr]

Yes, Phoenix is warmer than Tucson. In Arizona, everything to do with climate and vegetation is determined by elevation above sea level. That is how we have sand dunes and low desert around Yuma all the way up to Alaskan Tundra on top of Humphreys Peak by Flagstaff, which is over 12,000 feet. If you tell me an area is 5,000 feet I can pretty much tell you it will probably have some live oaks and grasslands, maybe some pinon juniper woodland. If it is over 6,000 we are starting in with some Ponderosa pines, and if you go higher, you have your Doug firs, spruce and aspens. Saguaros exist only within a narrow range, also. http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/u ... cactus.pdf

Also, you need to learn how to pronounce Saguaro, and for that you have to throw away the spelling. It's suh WAHR oh. No "G" sound at all!!! It sort of rhymes with "the sorrow."

[Trishness]

Call me biased but I'd very much recommend at least one Superstitions hike. As Kevin mentioned these mountains are rich with history. Really great range of hikes from easy to difficult depending on your cup of tea. You could do a 3 mile hike or a 15+ mile hike and see all of the grandeur the Sonoran desert has to offer and depending on which trail you select, you might not see another person all day. And this time of year also offers up wildflowers! I love Sedona and feel that this is a definite must see but don't expect to find much seclusion out there on the more popular trails...it has become so commercial in the last 10 years and is packed with tourists. But it is definitely worth a drive up from Phoenix. I haven't been up there in a few years but have usually stayed in Camp Verde or Cottonwood which is much less expensive than staying in Sedona proper.

Not sure how much time you actually will have but it might be good to stay in the Camp Verde area for 2-3 days (access to the Sedona and south rim of the Grand Canyon) and then zip down to the Phoenix area for a day or two. Tuscon is also lovely as AZbackpacker suggested with Saguaro National Park and the Desert Sonoran Museum.

[DarthStiller]

If you are going to hike in the Superstition Wilderness and only have one day to do it and don't have a 4WD vehicle, Reavis Falls is most likely the best hike...

http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=99

Especially in March. Feb. is almost certain for a good flow. March can be a little hit or miss, but the odds are good, especially after a snow or heavy rain.

[agau]

Thanks everyone! As we get a bit further along in planning, I'm sure I'll have more questions on specific hikes. I thikn we are going to love so many opportunities

-AJ

[kingsnake]

We think we'd like some easy but beautiful day hikes and back to a BandB or something similar at night.

Aravaipa Canyon, about 60 miles northeast of Tucson. Plus there is a wonderful Bed & Breakfast there, "Across the Creek", that has been written up in many travel magazines and is run by a founding member of the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame. Be warned though, Aravaipa requires a BLM hiking permit, and they typically fill the allotment 8+ weeks out. (And you can only reserve 13 or fewer weeks out.)

[azbackpackr]

We think we'd like some easy but beautiful day hikes and back to a BandB or something similar at night.

Aravaipa Canyon, about 60 miles northeast of Tucson. Plus there is a wonderful Bed & Breakfast there, "Across the Creek", that has been written up in many travel magazines and is run by a founding member of the Arizona Culinary Hall of Fame. Be warned though, Aravaipa requires a BLM hiking permit, and they typically fill the allotment 8+ weeks out. (And you can only reserve 13 or fewer weeks out.)

I second the motion!

[JimmyLyding]

I agree that the Superstitions are the way to go for an out-of-town visitor who wants a cool hike relatively close to town. The Superstitions' geology would probably be cool for someone from Minnesota among other things.
Stiller is also right about Skull Mesa. Very cool saguaro forest with a great payoff at the top.
There are also some really cool hikes around Tucson if you're up for a fairly substantial challenge. Mt. Wrightson, Pima Canyon, Ventana Canyon and Tanque Verde Ridge are all about 3 hours away from Phoenix.

[big_load]

Another vote for the Superstitions. My first visit brought the kind of feeling I could spend a lifetime trying to recapture. Fortunately, it's almost as good every other time, too.

[dround]

I also vote for the Superstitions, With the initials AJ what better place to start than Apache Junction.