I have rented Kayaks from Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch several times over the past few years and have…read morealways had great service and a wonderful experience. Reserving a spot and kayak is easy on the online website. Once you navigate down to the main road to the Guest Ranch, it can be a little confusing as they always have a roadblock as you progress towards the parking lot. Just proceed past the sign to the parking lot ahead. After parking, walk back towards the ranch and check in. Guest services will provide a wrist band as well as a parking pass to place on your dashboard. Once your reservation time is ready, you will be provided a quick orientation of the equipment, navigation of the river and where the staff will pick you up at the end of your float. The staff is always super helpful. Be sure to bring plenty of water and a carabiner to hook on your dry bag or backpack to the kayak. Even though the majority of the river is an easy float, there are some small rapids. You may accidentally flip the kayak if you get caught in a tough spot on the River. This will prevent you from losing your bag! I'm experienced and have flipped once or twice. Depending on the time of year and water flow, the float can take 2 or 3 hours. Beautiful views of the landscape, wildlife including various birds and the gorgeous wild horses! At the end of the float, the staff will load your kayaks and take you back to the Guest Ranch. In the main building, be sure to stop by the gift shop prior or after the float for souvenirs or in case you forgot supplies you may need. They have several items including sunscreen, water shoes, hats, shirts snd much more. I found prices to be reasonable. This is the perfect place to bring out of town visitors. They will love it.

Such a fantastic time! I cannot recommend this enough…read more My bf and I are not outdoorsy people so I was nervous about how to take on the salt river. This was PERFECT, so happy we did this over the tubing. There's a reason tubing has mixed reviews and these are all positive! It took us exactly 2 hours and it was very leisure. We wanted to sit and enjoy the beauty, it was fun to race in our kayaks, and one time we pulled over to jump in the water to refresh. We did the 7:15am Sat July 5 hoping we would get a nice serene time and compared to how it usually sounds, it was very peaceful. Few party people down the river but nothing too crazy. I recommend not going later than 7:30 if you want a more peaceful time to yourself and low crowds. Plus the sun wasn't as brutal. Saw a woman go on her own, and you're definitely fine to do it by yourself. Charge up your phone so you have plenty of juice for photos and videos and in case you need to make a "help call" "Rapids" are not bad at all so fun and simple. The quality of what they provide is very nice. They send detailed instructions of what to expect, including parking (refer to email). Do not forget your water shoes. We didn't need a snack during but it was nice to have after, obviously water is a must plus sunscreen. We wore rash guards and hats and I recc that. Pre buy a waterproof phone lanyard. I got wonderful photos and videos from something cheap on Amazon The most wild life we saw was one horse and like 5 fish lol I wish there was an easier way to keep my water in front with me because every time I went to grab it behind me I was worried I would tip myself. I also wish they had little signs to point which way to go, it's simple, but after the excitement heat etc, it's like "wait they did say left middle right left, right?" lol Can't think of any other tips, besides just do this, can't imagine you would regret. We are new to the area and wanted to do something that felt very Arizona, super happy with the decision

Had a snafu with a boat and Chad made it right for us. Had a blast on the lake. The scenery is…read moreamazing and working with a company like this is a blessing. I will definitely be back to rent boats from you guys any time. Thank you again. Jacob

My friends and I love to kayak and paddleboard so we decided to go to Canyon Lake. The lake did not…read moredisappoint. We launched at the Boulder launching pad, and there were plenty of parking. It was serene, we saw wildlife, and overall it was such a nice day. This is one of the prettiest lake. I've been on in Arizona. Will be back.

If zero stars could be given, then it would be that…read more The service was appalling from start to finish. The atmosphere felt incredibly unwelcoming, and some interactions came across racially insensitive, leaving us feeling alienated and singled out. The family event thrown here was heavily restricted, making it difficult to host. Another situation was with cleanup summed up was explicitly told not to throw away the trash, only to be berated afterward for following those instructions. Felt hypocritical in a place that prides itself on having so many strict rules and policies, and would expect clear communication and consistency, but experienced the opposite. That is a family gathering ruined :)

Terrible place to live. The board won't release financial documents, won't answer questions in…read moremeetings, jams thru pet projects, spent $100,000 on a fountain that's on $12 million property owned by a business and won't replace an ADA swing for disabled kids unless a parent pays for it. The lakes are gross green and fish die. Irrigation is 40 years old and 100s trees die every year. Not enough $ in reserves to fix this old place.

Being from NYC this is our version of central park. I love the observatory which is open Friday…read moreand Saturday nights sunset till 9pm. It's free but donations are appreciated. They are rib by volunteers. The trails are clean, dogs welcome everywhere, horses in designated areas, camp sites also available to rent which come with bbq grills and pits along with space for tents. Check out their website for the info. This is a great park to take your kids to the playground, go fishing, get your steps in, take your dog food a walk or have a date. Many picture perfect spots which are popular for graduation, wedding, and birthday pics. I even saw a couple get married on the bridge at sunset a quick 5 minute ceremony to not hold up anyone. Parking in a few spots and adjacent to the library for extra parking. 2 bathrooms I've been to are clean and maintained. Water fountains also there.

The only question I have is... Why did we wait so long to come? There was 8 of us in our group and…read morewe loved being there. We all felt so calm and peaceful. Such a beautiful park with a lot of things to do. One of our favorite things was looking through the telescope to see Venus. There was a long line but it does move fairly well and is worth the wait. Thank you!

This road is incredible. It is full of twists and turns at every corner. We had such a great time…read moredriving down to Apache Lake. The views were remarkable on this road. But beware it is a very dangerous road.

They say that no visit to Phoenix is complete without driving the Apache Trail. Not quite willing…read moreto trust our budget car on the no doubt rocky terrain we took a jeep tour that started at Goldfield Ghost Town at the Apache Junction. The trail is fairly long and very scenic. You'll definitely see a lot of cacti, especially the Saguaro, on your drive. I was very glad someone else was driving because I swear at one stage one of our tires was actually hanging out over the edge! The Saguaro is known as the Hotel of the Sonoran Desert and is the most amazing plant. However it is extremely slow growing, taking between 60-80 years just to develop an arm, and slow to propagate! I'm not sure if its true but our tour guide said that literally millions of seeds would probably produce just one Saguaro. This is probably why they are therefore protected so if one gets in the way of you building a house you have to apply for permission for it to be moved and then I think it has to be returned to the same spot.

Located off highway 88 in Apache Junction, Lost Dutchman State Park is a must see with beautiful of…read moreviews of the Superstition Mountains. It's clean and well kept with plenty of things to do. There is hiking and biking trails, camping, RV camp sites, pick-nick areas, restrooms, cabins to rent and plenty of parking. Too hot to hike for me today but will definitely be back when it cools down.

I don't do a good job keeping track of all the hikes I complete (unlike other friends I know who…read moredocument everything), so for the beginning of 2026, I'm going to try to do a better job of documentation. I love the Lost Dutchman and have been here several times and it never gets old and each time I come, I am still so awestruck by the beauty of this mountain. Years ago, I completed Flatiron with my then partner and didnt know that it was rated a very difficult hike. I enjoyed it, got a really nice work out and liked the scramble up to the top! I just remember it was quite windy at the top but spectacular views. Dogs are allowed on Flatiron, but don't do that to your pup, its a pretty gnarly hike, let your puppy rest honestly as I saw so many doggies struggling. Tonight, I came just for a leisurely stroll right before sunset and also hoping to catch the first almost full moon of 2026. I love nature and being outdoors and my favorite way to spend time. Park entrance was packed tonight and the fee was $10. There is a small visitor center with souvenirs, guides, some snacks, bathrooms and last minute hiking needs. I think you can also camp here, check on their website. I parked in the Cholla day use lot and did part of the Treasure Loop and hiked for about 3 miles slowly, and spent about 2+ hours in the park. My goal tonight wasn't really to hike strenously but more to get a glimpse of the sunset and the beautiful 2026 Wolf Moon. All my goals were accomplished. Park is well maintained. I used the bathroom and it was very clean and a nice park bathroom. Plenty of covered picnic tables too. Park closed at 8pm tonight (winter). There are all different level trails here and the rangers here are super nice and helpful. Ask them any questions and they are happy to help. There are also many kinds of free maps available in the visitor center. I had a MTB map, a hiking trail map, a birding map, a native plant map! I am all mapped up! If you come and do a hike, wear sturdy hiking shoes, wear sunscreen, head covering, bug spray (there were quite a lot of mosquitoes when I hiked tonight which annoyed the heck out of me as I left my bug spray at home), lots of water, some snacks, and also headlamps (I hiked back down after sunset and the headlamp helped a lot). One of the best AZ state parks, the views are amazing (so many couples here getting their photos professionally taken), definitely check it out.

What a stunning addition to the vast array of beautiful park amenities within the city of Apache…read moreJunction. Nestled within the newly built Blossom Rock community, you will find the beautiful Painted Sky Park. Scenic views of the Superstition Mountains in the distance with beautiful walking paths with plants and the relaxing sound of the water fountain. Looking for activities? There are many playgrounds and activity for kids. In addition, there is a catch and release lake so there's even fishing for those who enjoy that. Definitely family fun for everyone, or even those who are just looking for a scenic stroll to get their steps in for the day. Even friendly for your fur friends, so don't forget the doggos! Be sure to check out Apache Junction's newest parks and be on the look out for the various events I am sure the Apache Junction Parks and Recreation will be hosting here.

Painted Sky Park is a beautiful playground with tons of stuff for the kiddos to do! They have…read moremultiple playgrounds for different size kids, 'mini' playgrounds on the sides that include spinning toys and climbing toys. I was thrilled to see that this neighborhood park had restroom facilities with water fountain and water bottle refill station attached! Once this neighborhood grows out, I think they'll need a larger parking lot because this place will be poppin!

I came with a big party of 14 and I had a great time for it being my first visit. We arrived around…read more11:30am and made it onto the river around 12:30pm. It wasn't too busy so finding a parking spot was fast. We unloaded, and walked over the the check in area to purchase tickets. The cost of the ticket included the shuttle ride to and from the drop off / pickup area. We floated for 2.5 hours and it was sooo much fun. The water was cold but the sun was hot. For the most part we relaxed and in some areas we struggled as the currents were strong. We had paddles on hand so that helped a lot. We saw a few horses roaming around. We took sheets to wrap around our tubes as they tend to get really hot. We also wore water shoes as the rocks hurt really bad when stepped on. We took rope to tie our tubes together and that was great. So much fun. Life jackets are definitely recommneded if you dont know how to swim!

so fun!! I'm not from around the area, and the staff were so kind and helpful making sure I felt…read moreassured with where I was going and what I was doing. my only gripe is the price for the cooler tube compared to the regular tube is kinda wild. It would have been nice to have a second smaller tube for things and drinks, but when it's almost the same price as a tube pass itself, it didn't make sense to rent one. A couple recommendations would be to bring a sheet of some kind to out over the tube if you're renting one as they get hot VERY quickly. I also recommend having a second tube as there is barely enough room for just you on the ones you can rent. While I suffered because I didn't want to spend the hefty rent price for their carrying tube, I would recommended buying a cheap one to bring.