We love going to Saguaro lake. Boating, fishing, wildlife nature, trails, and excitement love the…read moreadventure every time.

My tips when visiting saguaro lake:…read more - Arrive early if you're planning to rent a boat or kayak, especially on weekends. The marina can get crowded and boats are in high demand. - Bring plenty of water! Arizona heat can be brutal, even in the fall and spring. Make sure to stay hydrated, especially if you're hiking or spending time on the water. - If you're visiting for the first time, be sure to take a boat tour to get a unique perspective of the area. - Watch out for wildlife . You might spot herons, eagles, and even bighorn sheep along the trails, so keep an eye out! Plan your visit during the off-season (fall or spring) to avoid the summer heat and the crowds.

The view just cannot be described in words! Check out desert belle cruises online to book a tour!…read moreYou won't regret it ! Visit Julie at the gift shop, it's adorable inside and she's so kindness

If you don't have a boat don't come. Paid 12 bucks to drive around and look at full parking spots…read moreand absolutely no where by to the water that wasn't dangerous. They definitely need to make some more spots to be right by the water instead of boulders and big drop offs and

Nice area to walk on boulders along the river's edge. Rather populated and not as many easy-walking…read morepaths as other rec areas, but it's a pleasant place to kick back and relax.

I have lived in the general area and had never been here before. Today, I decided to change that…read moreand added it as part of a bike route I planned for the weekend -- before the rain started! There is a large parking lot and a bathroom. From what I could see, the people at the water were fishing and most of those in the lot were preparing to fish. There were some people further upstream on the water -- either paddle boards or kayaks. The water looked to be deeper than I thought it would be and had a good bit of a current to it. The day I was here, it was getting cloudy and it was starting to sprinkle, but there were many trees so a good amount of shade was available for those sunny days. I need to come back and spend some time on the nearby trails to see what they're like. Note that this is in the Tonto National Forest, so you'll need a Tonto Pass to park -- and there is no kiosk here to purchase those passes, so you'll have to be prepared.

Such a gorgeous and interesting place. Feels like an escape. Trail is not hard…read more -parking on the street -wear pants you are okay with sliding down a granite rock with -bring grippy shoes if you want to climb rocks -mostly just a long walk -be aware of mountain bikers

The hike up to Fatman's Pass via Mormon Loop Trail is not very difficult. Completed the hike and…read morejust over two hours with ample stops. I am a moderate hiker, not novice but not advanced by any means and thought this trail was fairly easy even after a long summer of not hiking outside in the brutal Phoenix heat. The trail is very rocky and requires a close eye on your footing to not trip. The trail is mostly clearly marked. However, there were a few instances where I had to pull out my AllTrails map just to verify that I didn't veer off the trail down a wash or an unofficial pathway that other hikers has created. Fatman's Pass should be actually be called Not-Fatman's as the opening between the two rocks is very narrow. I could barely fit with my Camelback on my back and my hat on my head. Others have reported there is no shade along the trail; however, I did find a few shady spots around noon on a November day. There's also ample shade at the pass itself. I chose to take the loop counterclockwise and glad I did! My original theory was that it looked to be a sharper incline going uphill and I prefer to do that versus a steep decline. But to my surprise after the pass, there were very slippery, smooth granite rocks that we were sliding across even with proper footwear. I decided to use five points of contact and slide down on my bottom, just to make sure that I didn't slip and fall. I saw a number of hikers with their dogs and think this trail would be okay in the cooler months with plenty of water. But I would feel very nervous about taking my own dog on those slippery granite rocks. Maybe I'd hold my dog in my lap and slide down and pretend I was on a playground with a friend at the bottom to catch us. lol! I saw several chipmunks, dragonflies, and even a small snake (not a rattlesnake) on the trail. Not very buggy and pretty clean minus a couple not-picked up dog poops. There is a small parking lot at the trailhead and plenty of street parking in the surrounding neighborhood. There is no bathroom or water station so make sure to use the bathroom and fill up your water before hitting the trailhead!

This place is nice and peaceful. Plenty of area for your picnicking needs. The river is right next…read moreto the picnic tables. Lots of things you can do like fish, kayaking, taking a walk and they even have grills to cook on. The restrooms are clean. We came to hang out today early morning to fish and enjoy the cool temperatures before the it starts to heat up.

Beautiful scenery. Explored the fossil creek area with several amazing waterfalls. Very difficult…read morehikes but taking a dip in the ice cold mountain spring water is so refreshing. Make sure you are hydrated for the long challenging hikes in the desert. Be careful not to swim under waterfalls as there are several drownings every year. The drive to get there is 2 hours north of Phoenix followed by a 15 mile drive on a very bumpy dirt road. You need a 4x4 for sure.

The address listed as of April 2023 is for their headquarters. This address will not take you to…read moreTonto National Park. Tonto National Park is located about 1 hr - 1hr and 45 min from the Phoenix area. The difference in time is due to the size of the park. At 2.9 million acres, Tonto National Forest is the largest national forest in Arizona. Tonto is the 6th largest of the USDA National Forests. About 20 minutes into the forest, we lost cell phone reception. If using Google Maps to get to your destination, I recommend downloading the offline map(s.) Water levels were low enough in the creek crossings that cars were able to get to the site we stayed at without any issues. We camped over a weekend at the Cave Creek Group Campground. This campground must be rented, and is only rented as a group camp site. There is a central area with cover picnic tables/ramadas, grills, and group fire pits. Some of the campsites have their own fire pits as well. There is no water at this campground. Vault toilets. One toilet for men and one for women. While toilet paper is provided, it was not enough for the weekend. Someone in our group had a satellite phone. They were able to ask someone who was coming up late Saturday to bring more. The way the group camp site is situated, make for a secluded area. The scenery on the drive in and out was lovely. Driving in from the Phoenix area, it was nice to have a change in scenery. The landscape around the Cave Creek Campground has a less desert feel. The campground is surrendered with trees. Beprepared to take it slow. The road to the Cave Creek Group Campground is winding and, at times, narrow. There was a hill that was almost a yellowish orange from wildflowers. (It photographed with more green.) Coming around the corner and being met with the sight of that hill was a breathtaking moment. As for animals, we saw some random birds, lizards and cows.

Great Place for pictures! This is the second time I have come here to get pictures. Last year and…read morethis year, our children opted to come to Manistee Ranch for Homecoming pictures with their friends. Tip: The evening light is gorgeous. The ranch offers great places for photographs with the backdrop of greenery, a rarity in the desert landscape of Phoenix. There are arboretums, trellis with gorgeous vines, park benches, quaint historical buildings that suit a photoshoot. Parking is nearby albeit it is hidden. Turn south on 51st from Northern. Watch carefully for the sign next to the Walgreens parking lot that says in fine print: Manistee Ranch Parking. For those in heels and finery, the grounds are small so there isn't a long walk to the great photo spots!

I almost hate to put this place on the Yelp! map because of wanting to keep this "secret" garden…read moreall to myself :) But seeing as I do love a good park amidst the city scene it is worth a mention. Note: you have to walk to it since there is no dedicated parking for this park, but it is definitely worth it!

A really nice place to walk enjoy the views and see amazing wildlife ! Bring a sandwich and have a…read morepicnic but remember to clean up after yourself too :)

A quick disclaimer for the following review -- This review pertains to the fishing quality of the…read morearea. I worked in Laveen for many years and drove past this location on 91st Ave hundreds of times but did not know about the Tres Rios Wetlands until a friend suggested it for a fishing outage. The first recommendation I will make is to bring/leave nothing of value in your vehicle. This is a high-crime area of Phoenix and the "parking lot" for Tres Rios is essentially just the shoulder of the main road. There have been several police reports filed at this location for vehicles being burglarized and catalytic converters being stolen. Secondly, a permit is required to park/use Tres Rios. The permits are free and available through the Tres Rios Wetlands page on the Phoenix.gov site. Each permit is good for a 6-month block. I have no idea if there is any enforcement action taken against non-permit holders but the consequence is a class 5 felony for trespassing on government land per multiple signs posted all over the park. Finally, if you went through the trouble of obtaining a permit and driving here just to fish, you may have set yourself up for disappointment. The actual wetlands sanctuary area that is advertised on the website is completely off limits to the public (including permit holders) and is surrounded by a 7 ft barbwire fence. The only area where fishing is actually permitted is a small strip of water outside of the sanctuary. The area is not maintained and it is completely surrounded by thick 6ft tall reeds and grass with only 3-4 gaps over about a half mile about the width of a single person. Maybe I went during wrong season, but the ground was covered in swarms of millions of ants crossing the pathway. Be careful what you put down on the ground or where you stand as you're likely to be covered in ants. If you're here to walk, hike, or birdwatch, I'm sure this location is beautiful gem in the desert thats full of wildlife. If you're here to fish it's unfortunately a big disappointment.