Outdoors · Phoenix · United States
7 best outdoor things to do in Phoenix
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jedijoe82, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Desert Botanical Garden, Camelback Mountain and Piestewa Peak. Together the 7 picks below take roughly 15–21 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 7
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 15–21 hours
- Areas
- Papago Park, Arcadia and Phoenix Mountains Preserve
Outdoors in Phoenix
Garden · Papago Park
1.Desert Botanical Garden
Visit at opening or in the evening in warmer months; in December, the luminaria nights light the paths with thousands of candle bags.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Couples
Nature · Arcadia
2.Camelback Mountain
Start at first light, carry more water than you think you need and turn back when half of it is gone; the city may close the trails on extreme heat days.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
Nature · Phoenix Mountains Preserve
3.Piestewa Peak
Go at sunrise on a weekday; parking at the main trailhead fills early on weekends.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
Park · South Phoenix
4.South Mountain Park and Preserve
Drive up to Dobbins Lookout around sunset, then stay to see the city lights spread out below.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Outdoors
- History
- After dark
Park · Papago Park
5.Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock
Combine an early-evening climb to Hole-in-the-Rock with dinner nearby after a day at the zoo or Desert Botanical Garden.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Zoo · Papago Park
6.Phoenix Zoo
Go at opening outside winter; in December the evening ZooLights display is a family favourite.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Experience · North Phoenix
7.Sunrise hot-air balloon flight
Book for early in your trip so there is time to rebook if wind cancels the flight.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours including transfers
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Papago Park | Desert Botanical Garden, Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock and Phoenix Zoo | 2–3 hours + 1 hour + 3 hours |
| Arcadia | Camelback Mountain | 2–3 hours |
| Phoenix Mountains Preserve | Piestewa Peak | 1.5–2.5 hours |
| South Phoenix | South Mountain Park and Preserve | 2–4 hours |
| North Phoenix | Sunrise hot-air balloon flight | 3–4 hours including transfers |
Booking and timing
Of these 7, 4 free, 2 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for Desert Botanical Garden and Sunrise hot-air balloon flight. The longest visit is South Mountain Park and Preserve; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Desert Botanical Garden: Timed tickets are needed for busy periods and the December luminaria evenings sell out early.
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight: Flights operate only in calm weather and fill up in winter and spring; reserve ahead and expect a very early start.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Papago Park): Desert Botanical Garden → Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Papago Park): Phoenix Zoo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Arcadia and Phoenix Mountains Preserve): Camelback Mountain → Piestewa Peak, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (South Phoenix): South Mountain Park and Preserve, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 5 (North Phoenix): Sunrise hot-air balloon flight, at least 3 hours.
The best months to be outside
- November: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 2 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm, sunny and comfortable; the resort season begins in earnest.
- February: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 4 rainy days, very busy crowds. Ideal weather and the busiest events calendar; book well ahead.
- March: highs of 25°C (77°F), about 4 rainy days, very busy crowds. Warm, sunny and busy with spring training and spring break; desert wildflowers bloom after wet winters.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Arcadia — Citrus-tree-lined streets and patio restaurants below Camelback Mountain
- Camelback Corridor and Biltmore — Resort hotels, upscale malls and golf around the Arizona Biltmore
- Paradise Valley — Luxury resorts and spas between Camelback Mountain and Mummy Mountain
More of Phoenix
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Phoenix?
Desert Botanical Garden. Set among Papago Park's red buttes, the garden displays tens of thousands of desert plants, from towering saguaros and boojum trees to agaves and wildflowers, along trails that explain how people of the Sonoran Desert used them.
+Which of these are free in Phoenix?
Camelback Mountain, Piestewa Peak, South Mountain Park and Preserve and Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock.