So happy we came here on our visit. The weather was perfect in February. Even though there were a lot of people, the place is so big you don't feel to close to other groups. The Cactus are labeled really well. The eucalyptus forest is the busses one in North America and it was really neat to see all the different varieties. They have a cut floral competition showcase while we were there. There are also a couple tortoise who live there in one section as well. You could easily spend hours here. They have a little cafe area. The floral flavored coffee was average. We bought a "picnic", which was crackers, cheese and a Costco hummus. read more

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Beautiful walk, gorgeous scenery, unkept very well. Plants are well taken care of and easily marked. A variety of different plants. You can spent anywhere from a quick 20 minutes to hours here. It is an easy drive from Phoenix and well worth the trip. Highly recommend. $25 to get in and worth every penny. Recommend going at fall when the leaves change, you can even leave with a plant from their green house for your home! read more

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It was quite busy at the arboretum today despite the rain. There were many cacti for sale at the front. The mini cacti were adorable but expensive. They also had a variety of trees for sale out front as well. There was some art available for sale at the front as well just past the gift shop. I was able to walk the main trail in under an hour. When not stopping and skipping the hike over the swinging bridge, it takes 30-40 minutes when there are not a lot of slow walkers or stops. There was at least one person with their dog. Many people came with their kids for photos with Santa. I didn't see too much else due to the rain. Besides the Boyce Thompson house that can be seen from the trail, there was also a house that had one wall attached to the mountain side. The Clevenger house. Don't be scared, those aren't ghosts in the window. Due to the rain there were a lot of people taking shelter inside. read more

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Very relaxing hike through beautiful trees easy for those with physical limitations suspension bridge was nice very zen and calming experience can't wait to go again read more

Just really an awesome place to hang out get some air, do a little hiking. Purchased the membership and it honestly pays for itself after the second visit (assuming you come with second person each time). Also, once you get through Apache Junction is makes for a pretty drive. read more

I love this place so much. After driving 45 minutes from Mesa, I'm out in the beautiful, unspoiled desert near Superior. There are some medium-sized mountains around too. The Arboretum has trails that take you up to beautiful vistas through cactus gardens, weaving between gorgeous trees and over a suspension bridge. My favorite area is the Australian Walkabout with its huge eucalyptus trees. Everywhere you look there are cool-looking plants, cacti and flowers along with plenty of opportunities to see wildlife. Almost everything is labeled or has signs, so you can learn a lot if you're down for that. There is a small gift shop, and sometimes they have events like their plant sale or tables with handmade items to purchase. If you receive their emails you'll find lots of classes offered for things like photography, bird watching and lizard walks. You can find opportunities for everyone from little kids to seniors. My favorite event of the year is the Arboretum's Fall Festival, typically held on Thanksgiving weekend. We love to see the trees at their peak color, listen to music, grab a donut and some cider and peruse the different vendors. It's not a large event but we love it. If you need a change of scenery, head out to the Arboretum to soak up some quality time with nature! read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - My kids on a trail when they were very tiny tots - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

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I have learned so much from going to this arboretum. The Discovery Tours are awesome, Saturday they have kids activities and the hiking trails have some great views. Worth every dollar! read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Coatimundi - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

I love being able to walk through a forest and hear all the sounds of nature. It's beautiful and rustic.

This was a very pretty getaway! Great for bird watching and short hikes. Great gift shop!

Fantastic getaway from the city to enjoy desert delights. This is great for everyone to visit.

We originally planned to hike Wave Cave but couldn't find any parking, so my friend and I decided to come here instead--and it did not disappoint! Admission was $24.95 per person, which is a bit on the pricey side, but I thought it was totally worth it. We walked a little over two miles and explored some of the old structures that are still standing. They had Christmas music playing (not my favorite--haha) and food trucks, so there were quite a few people around. Overall, it was a really cool place I didn't even know existed! I'll definitely be back! read more

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We were surprised by the size and the fauna and flora from around the world. They have a building with cacti from the East and West deserts. There is a beautiful home on the Sade of a rock face, beautiful! We came upon ring tail cats eating berries from underneath a tree. Park held visitors back and answered questions, they allowed us to pass when the cats were done eating. read more

We loved it in Superior! First timer, it is a beautiful nature walk. My family and I had a wonderful time, the trails are mostly dirt paths so wear comfy shoes that you are OK to be dusty! Loved the butterflies and hummingbirds area. There are plenty of benches (some hidden) to rest. We tried to stay on the main path as much as possible. We did hiked up a little but need to make sure mom and dad can make it with us. We found a man made lake in the middle of all this! All true. Free parking and close by too! read more

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Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a AZ treasure. A must visit! So many trails and a swaying bridge to cross for a moderate trek aside the mountain. Plants galore, native and from around the world. Huge trees, cacti, herb gardens, children garden, roses and perrenials. Coatis! Views! Gift shop, plants sales and special events. Nice ornamental art pieces, too. Too many features to mention. I am a member and a volunteer. Love this place. read more

This place is amazing. Mr. Thompson really picked a wonderful and striking place for his arboretum. We went for an afternoon stroll and as always it was peaceful. I constantly learn a lot about the plants. Love the different avenues to walk down. You can spend hours here and never cross the same path. I would recommend this to anyone. read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Main trail heading toward queen creek. - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

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This was much more fun & cooler than I expected. When first hearing "arboretum", it didn't sound too interesting but I figured it was something to do while visiting in the Mesa area. I'm really glad we went. It's basically a hike combined with seeing & learning about many types of plants & trees. The terrain varies along the trails. We mostly followed the Main Trail, which is probably about 2 miles. The views are great. read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

We had stopped here for a quick visit about nine years ago so I was glad we could go back when we had more time on this visit. For late April it was not too hot even though it was mid-afternoon. Given the rainy winter the flowering cacti were fantastic. There is so much to see. We walked the entire main trail which if hot would be too much. If you go clockwise you get the shade on the way back. So many cool plants to experience - who knew there were that many varieties of cacti. I understand they have a good guided tour though it appears to be only in the morning at this time of the year (their website could use some updating in this regard). The price is $19/ person so it is not cheap. If you check in with Yelp you get $1 each admission. read more

I have loved all of my visits to the Arboretum, but have not been impressed with their customer service. I bought tickets for my mother and myself and then received a call from my mother that she suddenly fell sick and couldn't go. I have called and emailed to see if the $50 worth of tickets could simply be applied to another day and have heard nothing. It wouldn't cost them anything to change my ticket date or at least give me a coupon for partial the amount. This inflexibility and lack of communication is less than impressive and makes me question whether I will return. read more

An unknown (to me) little piece of nature and peacefulness I needed!! It was an amazing day of strolling and soaking in nature. read more

As if they need another 5* review but here goes. People love working there .. it's a small underrated version of Botanical Gardens in Phoenix .. such a cute town too. We always bring guests here for a quiet day. read more

We had a wonderful time! Most of the pathways are nice and shady. Lots of cactus and flowers blooming now and hummingbirds. Some people packed coolers of food and they have picnic table areas. Nice gift shop and bathrooms. It was a great experience. read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

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A fantastic, beautiful surroundings for a wonder, mostly tree covered desert walk in a canyon carved by Queen Creek. The path has been improved from 3 years ago with mostly flat, smooth trails. It is still too narrow for any wheeled devices or strollers at the end of the main trail loop over the ridge. The vaiety of plants, flowers, and trees suited to hot, dry climates come from all over the world and are truly a botanists dream. The Arboretum is 100 years old! this year with some great historical photos displayed in banner sized boards along the trails showing 1924 to compare to today. Highly recommend for a wonderful outing. read more

Beautiful place, amazing views, and easy trails for the entire family. We visited with three toddlers and we enjoyed the trails with one stroller. All kids had a blast. Kids under 5 are free and tickets are affordable for the adults. Lots of picnic tables. read more

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What a hidden gem in Arizona! Located in the Tonto National Forest, this slice of nature was the perfect place to walk around over the past weekend! I felt like there was a surprise every time we turned the corner. A breathtaking cactus, a hidden bridge, a creek with palm trees, a lake... everything was so beautiful. There are maps around the trails so you can plan your walk better. There are a couple of water bottle refill stations, so make sure to bring your reusable bottle! There is a picnic area at the entrance so you can bring a lunch to enjoy after walking around. We spent about three hours there and that seemed like the perfect amount of time. Remember to wear walking shoes and a hat! Enjoy! read more

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Wow! What a glorious afternoon my friends and I spent meandering among the beauty of this place! Everything was just awesome! read more

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Lovely place. We pleasantly surprised of park settings and plants variety. Plan to come back soon.

While the Boyce Thompson Arboretum doesn't have the flashy Chihuly glass sculptures found in the Desert Botanical Gardens, they do have the magnificent Picket Post Mountain looming in background of most arboretum views. The arboretum is in the Superior mountains and fully takes advantage of the rock faces and natural washes in the area. In early April the Yucca plants are crowned in golden flowers. Your proximity to the natural world is all the more evident when you see five vultures coasting in the wind currents looking for ground squirrels. Shortly thereafter, we walked up a hill and spotted a ground squirrel, perched on its hind legs looking out over the arboretum. It seemed to be contemplating it's plans and watching for danger. While we were there, we saw a blooming Puya. The Puya is a generic looking desert plant when it's not blooming. When it blooms it sprouts a sharp flowered green and colorful royal staff from its base. It's not hard to see how the energy exhausted from producing such a beautiful show ends up killing the plant. read more

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Beautiful place with lots of vegetation, tons of trees from all over including lots of cacti of course. Great trail, great November weather. I will buy a baby cactus. read more

Had a great time exploring the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. There's plenty to discover, and if you're into photography it's a great place for pictures. Some of the trails are groomed and level, but there is a stretch of trail that is more of a hike. It warns you before you commit to it, but just a heads up to wear proper shoes and take water! read more

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I always love spending some time at the Arboretum! Today was the perfect day for walking and getting out into the sunshine to look at some beautiful plants and cacti! The arboretum never ceases to impress me.. read more

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What a great place to connect with nature just a little over an hour from Phoenix. This is my second time visiting and I'm as wowed as I was the first time. It is such a beautiful place with so many different plants, birds, and scenery changes. One of the trails takes you from a lower desert area up to an upper dessert landscape and down into more of a forestry area with a creek running next to it. There are portions of the trail that are more accessible than others but there is something for everyone which I love. Adults admissions are $24.95 and children 5-12 years old are $10. I did not see any type of student or senior discounts. Give yourself at least 3 hours but ideally more so you can explore all the different gardens and have enough time to appreciate them and stop along the way. They have a really cute gift shop with all sorts of souvenirs including plants. There are water stations and shaded areas throughout the arboretum. I recommend bringing water or another hydrating drink, a snack, comfy and lightweight clothes, and a hat. I've been here during the summer and the spring and I will say during the summer it gets pretty hot so I recommend getting there first thing in the morning. There was a coffee cart when I went so I got a cup of coffee and a snack before starting our walk. The gift shop has some drinks but otherwise there is not much else to drink or eat. Must go for locals and anyone visiting from out of town! read more

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STUNNING! There's not much more I can add and the place certainly speaks for itself, but we enjoyed looking at the variety of plants and exploring the surprising amount of land to hike. The last time we came here was in the fall when everything was dead (and apparently we only saw a quarter of the offerings), so coming in the spring is definitely the way to go, and thankfully it wasn't bursting-at-the-seams busy. My only wishes (other than it being closer to the Valley), would be to have a full-fledged restaurant towards the entrance, and to repurpose the Picket Post House as a hotel so people could REALLY immerse themselves in the experience...but I can dream :-D read more

Great spot to bring a group for a little peaceful and fun outing. The trail is easy to see and the views are incredible! Amazing plant life all around and the hiking trails are breathtaking. Love bringing my friends here and highly recommend stopping by the gift shop on the way out, got myself a little plant to go! read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Humming bird area - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

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I used to go here when I was a teenager for free and it slowly got up to 7$ admission, which was fine. I moved away for a few years and recently visited AZ. They want 25$ per person!!!!! That is insane, it's a very nice walk but they have gotten greedy. Did not and will not go. read more

Wow! Wow wow wow! This place is a hidden gem! What a sanctuary away from the craziness of Phoenix. I went here for the first time last week with my mom because I told her I wanted to visit the botanical gardens during my visit. Her response was, "I know somewhere better!" She was so right! About an hour east of the city, the drive in alone could be worth the journey. Tucked away in the Superstition Mountains, this oasis is a well maintained wilderness with hours of trails and exploration. They have clear walking paths and cliff side trails for the hikers. We were impressed by the preservation of the natural landscape and the history of the site. We arrived at around 7am and stayed until 9. They have picnic tables to bring a lunch and enjoy the scenery. A lot of the trails are shaded, so it really wasn't too hot, even in the summer. I would definitely suggest going early in the morning and maybe grabbing something to eat in Superior on the way home! read more

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Very well maintained for such an old establishment. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the plants and arboretum. Map/trails can get a little confusing, but it's not a bad place to get turned around in. Lots of bees hard at work and flowering cacti made for some pretty awesome scenery. It was peaceful even with the other tourists around, and made for a very nice and calming walk through the trails read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the arboretum today. This is a very large facility with plenty of outside walking trails that lead you through some very unique desert flora. While much of the collection is native to the Sonoran Desert, there are plenty of specimens from other arid regions including Africa and Australia. It's easy to spend several days here but for the more casual visitor, plan on at least a half a day. Also, bring some comfortable walking shoes as some of the trails are long and there is a section that could be considered somewhat "moderate" by the less experienced hiker. But if mobility issues are a concern, rest assured that there are plenty of trails that are no more challenging than a typical suburban sidewalk. The facility is located about a half hour from Apache Junction and this could be a longer drive from other parts of the Phoenix metro area but definitely worth the trip. There is no restaurant on the site and none nearby so consider bringing a picnic lunch. read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

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So so beautiful! Great selection of plants and cacti from around the world. My husband and I call it the plant zoo :) nice paved path around the park and all dirt trails are an easy walk. DOG FRIENDLY TOO! Can get hot, but they have water bottle refill stations around. read more

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It is beautiful! It was a great experience and we were able to bring our pet. The staff was welcoming. read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - Boyce Thompson Arboretum Front Entrance - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona

Wow! TOTALLY WORTH THE DRIVE FROM PHOENIX!!! What a beautiful desert oasis. I can't wait to come back! We wandered along the big loop stopping to admire gorgeous cacti. we even got a glimpse of a coati down by the creek. Such a wonderful afternoon! read more

Boyce Thompson Arboretum - the beauty!!! - Botanical Gardens Near Me - Superior, Arizona