The town of Payson is a beautiful small town, about an hour and a half drive from the Phoenix area…read more We enjoyed the hiking, food scene and culture. This is definitely a "tourist trap" type area, and I wouldn't say there's much more than 2-3 days worth of things to do. Any longer, you may get bored. It's significantly cooler than the Valley so that's a plus!!

Cute little town outside of the Phoenix area. It is in the Tonto National Forest at about 4,900 ft…read more elevation. It has summer temperatures in the 80-90's making it a great get away from the heat of the valley below. I came up in December when daytime temperatures are in the mid-to upper 50's and night time in the upper 20's. Almost all of the land around Payson is under the U.S. Forest Service or by tribal governments so much of the land is still natural for hiking, horseback riding, fishing and hunting activities. The Tonto Natural Bridge is the largest known travertine natural bridge in the world, is just northwest of Payson in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. Payson is also a good place for rock hunters. There are quartz crystals, geodes, agate and onyx. In town, there are so many restaurants and shops to explore. The area has three golf courses, two being private country clubs. Mazatzal Casino, a tribal casino, is on the south end of the city. I'm not sure about other carriers but T-Mobile has decent service in town but sketchy as you travel Payson and beyond for activities. There are lots of places where I have No Service. Payson is a nice town with lots of things for me to do. It has, obviously grown a bit, since the last reviews. It is a nice place to explore and enjoy both beautiful outdoors and fun activities in town.

Over Memorial Day weekend we were on the quest to play in as many parks as possible. When we…read morestopped for lunch in Payson I went on Yelp! to find a park to play in before driving back down to Phoenix so my daughter could get out and play. When we first drove up to the park, we went to the older swing set (not shown in the photo) and were a little let down because it wasn't kept up very well and pieces of the play equipment were broken. When we walked around and up the hill we found the nicer playground with better looking and more updated equipment! It was so fun even I got out on it and played. It looks like a really great neighborhood park that was very busy with baseball tournaments. We would definitely stop by the next time we are in town.

We had a phenomenal hike here. This park is easy to find, has great views, and the hikes aren't too…read morehard physically. Be sure to download AllTrails and track/rate your hike! Decent amount of parking and a variety of sports courts as well. Payson's such a fun spot to get in touch with nature.

I was in town in Show Low staying at my friend's place and decided to take my dog to Tonto National…read moreForest (specifically the two sixty trail area) so we could enjoy the weekend day. It was an hour ride, but I think it was so worth it! My dog really enjoyed it! What I loved was that the facility and trail were clean and well maintained. There was a restroom station and a marker/direction for a subtrail at the entrance from a parking lot. The trail itself was clear and not crowded at all. There were just 2 other people we met during a weekday late morning during our visit for an hour there. My dog really enjoyed roaming around the trail and we loved that we didn't see any trash at all. While the trail was a bit unleveled, the path was clear! Bonus too that it was a free hike/walk for us, including parking! The only minus was that there was no cell phone signal (T-mobile/Mint Mobile), so I was very wary that we might get lost if we didn't keep track of ourselves well enough..so we mostly stayed on the trail and didn't go in too far. But...it is a wonderful place to enjoy the nature for sure!

Even if you're visiting the Phoenix area for only a few days the Tonto National Forest area…read moreprovides several memorable experiences. We spent a full day visiting the Lost Dutchman national park, Goldfield Ghost Town and the Apache Trail road (at least to the part where it was closed) Because of large fires the Apache trail is closed at the halfway point. Dont let that stop you from driving it anyway. Lots of place to pull over and take pictures.. There's also a nice lookout at Canyon Lake, and if you can swing it try getting there at sunset.... The Goldfield Ghost town is also a fun and free diversion with gun battles and plenty of sweets and gift shops.. The Lost Dutchman park has a great morning hike called Siphon Draw to Flatiron trail.. 6 miles total and it's not easy but the views are epic. Look it up on Yelp...

This Memorial is located within the Green Valley Park, across from the stage. You can see it from…read morethe playground. This is a reverential memorial to the people that gave their lives while serving in the United States Armed Forces, and in the Merchant Marine. The plaques on each wall are moving. Definitely worth stopping by.

Michelle was incredibly friendly and helpful. The paddle board I rented was in great condition and…read moreeasy to transport and use as it was inflatable and she provided a pump. She made returning the equipment easy as well. She doesn't hassle you with an extra fee for having the paddle board past 4 hours or for the pump as some spots for renting down in Phoenix do. All around great experience!

Excellent experience with Michelle!…read more We came unprepared from phoenix to escape the heat -decided to spend weekend on the water and called Michelle the last minute. She kindly showed us how to place the kayak on the car rack & extra tips and recommendations. Best kayaking experience in Payson ever Highly recommended

Everything is great. It's the third gym I have been to in Payson. The equipment is awesome! The…read moregym is clean and the management is so responsive to any needs or situation. I highly recommend this gym.

Very good gym thats 24hrs with TONS and of equipment! Great atmosphere! Definitely recommend this…read moregym!

Highly recommended…read more All equipment works Good atmosphere Honest friendly staff and members Immaculate restrooms and club

Great place to work out! Everyone is friendly and I…read moredefinitely feel safe there. I had Veronica as my trainer and she was very helpful and professional. Sorry to say she has moved out of town.

This is a beautiful trail with a lot of vegetation and scenic variety. We did the trail from the…read moreStrawberry side hiking towards Pine. Park in the lot just east of Ralls Dr on the south side of AZ-87 in Strawberry. The first 1.5 miles wander gently up and down through pine, juniper and manzanita forests with some of the largest junipers and manzanitas that I have seen. The first 1/4 mile is close to the highway, but after that the highway noise dies out. Views of the Rim to the east and also the town of Pine open up after a mile. At about 1.5 miles the vegetation changes to juniper and low growing manzanita with little shade; however in another half mile you come to a pine shaded area and a junction to trails that lead down into the town of Pine. On a weekday in May we only saw one other hiker!

It's a beautiful walk through the Rim Country with lots of wildlife and occasional views.read more