My family just moved close to Bartlett Lake and we were so excited to go paddle boarding and…read morekayaking. We've gone paddle boarding and kayaking before and it has always been such a fun experience for all of us. When I made a reservation there were no kayaks available which was fine so I booked 5 paddle boards. The cost was about $124. We were advised to arrive 30 minutes before 8:00 AM so that we could check in. We went to the Go Stand Up Paddle area in the marina and were met by the very abrasive owner, Chad. He was not wearing a mask and he was talking very closely (like 1 foot away from our faces). He told us to fill out the paperwork and we asked if he had any kayaks available and he said there was a cancellation so three of my family members were able to use them. While he was helping out another group we waited around for 20 minutes. No one spoke to us or tried to provide good customer service. Out of nowhere Chad starts yelling at his employee to help us and make sure that they charge us correctly for the kayaks. This was extremely uncomfortable to watch as a customer and I felt very bad for the employee. Chad took me to his office and he started cursing and using crass language so that was off putting. He told me that he was saving us money by foregoing all of the fees from their billing company and that my new total was $184. That was fine. He charged my card and my family and I waited for him to help the group before us. After about another 20 minutes (about 10-15 minutes after our reservation time) Chad came back and started talking to us about how to use the paddle boards. We told him that we knew how to use them so he didn't explain much, but just kept looking at us up and down. I could feel him judging us. Chad led my sister and I to the paddle boards and he gave me a very small lightweight one and my sister a sturdy and long one. He told me that the one he gave me was his professional one that he used in races and not to damage it. If you don't want customers to damage your personal belongings why would you allow them to rent it out? He kept telling me to stand in the middle of the board but from previous experience I know that it's best to stand a little bit towards the back of it. He also said some very rude things to my sister when I left them at the dock. He questioned her paddle boarding experience and condescendingly asked "Have you even done this before?". My experience during the two hours out on the water was pretty miserable. The board Chad gave me was so light to the point where it was so difficult to balance especially when the wake from the boats were so strong. He honestly should just rent out the longer paddle boards to his customers because most of us just want to paddle board for fun. Thankfully my family made this time worthwhile and took my mind off of how condescending and rude he was towards us. A few hours after we left the marina I checked my bank statements. Chad refunded us the $124 from the previous booking but charged us $184 and $190, which made no sense and is a large sum. I called him immediately and he said that he actually was trying to save us money and that he didn't know he charged us twice. He told me he would call his billing service right away. A few days later I did not see the entire refund back in bank account so I called him. Chad got mad at me and said I was annoying for calling him about it. Excuse me, but you charged me $190 extra, of course I'm going to call you. He kept cutting me off when I tried explaining what my bank account was showing and he told me he would contact me as soon as he called his billing service. I waited a few days and he never called back and I didn't see the refund. I called and texted him yesterday with no response, but I finally received the remainder of the refund this morning. I wish he would have notified me that he did in fact reach out to his payment system. All in all I will not come back and rent from this company. I would not recommend Go Stand Up Paddle to anyone I know unless they wanted to be belittled and judged.

Chad who runs the place is totally unprofessional and we had to wait for over an hour, on our dime,…read moreto get him to finally show up to work. We paid for 3 hours and got 1 1/2 hours because he was late. Would not take any responsibility for his being late. All the lakes have marinas with kayak rentals. Good luck using this one.

This one is a bit smaller than the ones in the valley, but overall this is one of the most green…read moremountains out here near the valley. I also noticed a 10 degree drop in temp because it is bit more north. I loved it and and the views I recommend seeing. Its dog approved too. Going to take my younger brother next time, because its quite easy.

Wow one of the best places ever…read more Seriously, get great trails great rocks, cool artifacts to look at, (but not touch;) !! Peridot Quartzite Agate Garnet schist Chalcedony

Not the most breathtaking views but it was a picture perfect day for a hike, and I wanted to see…read moresaguaro cacti. Some of the cacti were in the upwards of 30 feet tall. They look like stick figures with arms raised toward the sun in the fields. I took the four mile D trail "Over the Mountain Loop." It does not matter which direction if you are completing the entire trail, but I would go with the "start" direction if you only want to do part of the trail as it heads toward the side of the mountain with a better view. Multiple signs with mile count and QR code. Even though it was only 60 degrees, it was warm in the sun with a gentle breeze. Got to say hello to a horned owl nested in a cactus umbra. I would not have seen it except a fellow hiker who visits every year told me to look over the fence. Not a large parking lot and not any nearby alternatives, so be patient. A ranger was cutting off traffic from the trailer only parking, and she was recording license plates.

My husband and I accidentally ended up here after trying to find the Apache wash trailhead. I am so…read moreglad we found this place. This is one of my new favorite trails in the valley. It is super peaceful and we only saw one or two other people (during the week). There is a large parking area and restrooms. Dogs are allowed. Horses are also allowed. I would say the trail is pretty easy in general. This is not the place for a long and strenuous uphill hike, but more of a nice stroll through the desert with stunning views and a peaceful atmosphere.

We took the Ocotillo Trail from the Desert Hills Trailhead. The distance was just over 6 miles,…read morehowever with children we were not able to make the full loop. With children in mind, I thought the trail was appropriate for them as it was fairly easy. The biggest downside of this trailhead, in my opinion, is the traffic noise from Carefree Highway. However, after you get about 1-1.5 miles into the hike you come around the Preserve and the noise disappears. As with most areas of the region, the scenery is wonderful, however on this trail the view is disrupted a bit by the sporadic neighborhood.

Great place to learn to ride. My son has really enjoyed the lessons. Great group fo people and…read morereasonable prices for learning.

This hike is located near Carefree, AZ. And is hard to find without these directions:…read more To get to the trailhead: from the Phoenix/Mesa area, take HWY-101 North to the Pima Road exit. Take Pima road North to Cave Creek Road. Turn East (Right) on Cave Creek Road. Soon, there will be a Tonto National Forest sign on the right (This is about 6 miles from Carefree). From this point, this road becomes FR 24. Continue 12.2 miles from the Tonto National Forest sign to the Cave Creek Trailhead parking area (next to the campground). FR 24 is graded dirt and passable to all vehicles, although you might want to leave that new Mercedes in your garage. As of April, 2013, this area requires a Tonto pass, which costs $6 and is available throughout the Phoenix area.

I have never HIKED before, I enjoyed the heat and experience. Extra or bigger water a necessity…read morenext time! Mostly took the CLAY MINE trail, which for the record was SHUT OFF.. went to look at a mine and it was gated closed :( Only 6 bucks to enter the area, look forward to returning.

My daughters and I have done horseback riding 4-5 times in Arizona and always tried a new place…read moreeach year. Trailhead ranch was hands down my favorite. For an extra $60 we were able to make the ride private which was completely worth it. The horses were well trained, better than other ranches, the trail as a bit more advanced, we went up a ledge and through cave creek (which was dry), and Russ and stormy were phenomenal guides. Location was also very easy to find. This will absolutely be our go to place in the future.

Went on a ride with Russ today. I highly recommend this ride while in the area. He was very kind…read moreand knowledgeable. Great horses!

A desert jewel of a hike…read more Enjoy the cooler 70s and 80s while they are lasting. We recently hiked one of our favorite spots, Jewel of the Creek at Spur Cross Ranch. I haven't ventured to the longer trails on the northern side but I may have to check out it now that my kids are older. The Dragonfly Trail is a loop just under 2 miles and is truly scenic. It's a spot I recommend to tourists who want to be amongst the Saguaros. There's plenty of shaded areas, fairly easy footing, not much elevation change, plenty of wildlife, and water! We've been coming up here since toddler stage when the kids used to just splash in the stream. The dogs have loved the hike and swimming at the end of the trail as well. It's makes for a beautifully perfect Cave Creek day

GREAT HIKE for all levels. Beautiful cactus. Very remote so keep driving until you get there…read more Extra parking beyond parking lot by rescue farm.