The Tonto National Forest is a large territory of preserved lands northeast of Phoenix ideally…read moresuited for recreation. There is a lifetime of official and unofficial trails in the Forest. Most of them are in the desert, with little shade and oppressive heat, but if you live in Arizona that probably doesn't stop you. Based on its size and preservation, there are stunning vistas of the Forest even a short drive from the Phoenix area. Describing it as a "forest" is a deceptive term. It is more of a National Desert. Acknowledging that point does not make it a less impressive place to explore. Arguably, the panoramic views are even more impressive in the desert because there are no trees blocking your line of sight. One of the more surprising aspects of the forest is how few Arizona citizens take advantage of the recreation opportunities. Phoenix is a megacity, but if drive 30 minutes away, you can have a 10 mile trail all to yourself. This means either Phoenix citizens are not into the outdoors or there are enough trails for everyone to spread out. One trail in particular that my brother, wife, and I were able to explore by ourselves was the Ballantine Trail. It's halfway between Mesa and Payson on highway 87. The first couple of miles suffered significant burn damage a year earlier. This was quite disappointing at first. As we continued hiking, we were able to appreciate the signs of transition from burned and blackened landscape to fresh grass and bush rejuvenation. The return hike along the side of the mountain, rather than over the top, yielded one of the most stunning views of grass and saguaro cacti that I have seen.

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!

This place is magical! You have to stop her if in Payson I love bringing my little dog! I love…read moreseeing the ducks swimming in the water. I enjoy going out on the pier and being amongst all the fishermen. I just love walking around there and basking in the sun and seeing the beautiful weeping willows and grass!

Super nice park! Came here from phx to somewhat escape the July heat! Had been here before but not…read moreto the playground/splash pad. Took us a bit of driving as google maps was unclear on where to find the playground. It's a good sized playground with a nice splash pad. Perfect way for kids to cool off and my on had fun! It was a little crowded when we were here but I think there may have been a bday party going on. Would for sure come again.

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

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!

From the moment our group booked this tour, we have had nothing but a seamless and smooth ride!…read moreThere were four of us on our trip and we chose the combo rim/broken arrow tour. Upon arrival we had to wait a few minutes longer than start time, but it was because agent ensured we were able to tour without any other group issues! We had John T as our driver and this was one of the best tours we have had in a very long time! We laughed so hard, we literally cried. He was knowledgeable and funny and accommodating, and we would recommend this tour and John T to anyone even thinking about it. In terms of difficulty, there were moments that were a little harrowing, but we were definitely at ease with our driver. The views and experience more than make up for it though! Please do yourself a favor and utilize this company and ask for John T. Because we booked more than one tour with them, they even accommodated a deal for us on our next tour! Such a great time had by all!!

Well organized, clean and pleasant from making the reservation check-in, waiting area and the tour…read moreitself. We had "Andrew" for our guide and he was informative, courteous and pleasant to be hosted by. Took various photos for us using our mobile phones which was nice. They have various tour options which I think will fit most anyone's interest and fun level.

This was an interesting historical site. Identified as the remains of a prehistoric community from…read morebetween 1,000 and 1,200 AD, it is a peaceful area along the drive to Payson, AZ. Beautiful backdrops are everywhere as you walk along the trail with historical fact placards. Several spots with ruins are unmarked and it would be nice to know what we were seeing. But there were also many placards which explained different practices from the time of the ruins. There are also several drawings of what the community would have looked like so it was very informational. Overall a nice stop where natural beauty abounds.

This was my first visit to the Verde Valley archaeology center, and I was truly amazed! I was…read morehoping to see artifacts from the immediate vicinity at this location and was not disappointed! The center has been here for 15 years and exists primarily to display artifacts recovered from a single site in the area. This is extremely rare as most sites have been pillaged by pot hunters over the last 100+ years, and this site was privately owned and protected for many decades. I was honored to received what was basically a private tour of the facility by the executive director Monica Buckle. She took her time and provided much detail to give an excellent overview of this facility. Thank you so much Monica! The entire Verde Valley area is a much overlooked archaeology gem in the history of our country & this facility champions the learning and understanding of this unique place. If you're ever in the area, I strongly recommend a visit. Please note the visiting hours change for the summer season so be sure to research this first.

This spotless well appointed museum is user friendly and can be completed quickly under 1/2 hour if…read moreyou breezed through. We chose the guided free tour which lasted about an hour and was quite thorough. I really enjoyed the quality of items on display and learning about the artifacts. If one is lucky the libraries in Scottsdale have a free pass for 2 people to enter. We paid but it was worth the $5 entry fee each.

The trip today was amazing! Our tour guide was Frank aka Franklopedia and he truly made the…read moreexperience worth while! The only downfall is the 3 hour time frame but if you're staying longer you can always revisit the park :) 10/10

We had such an amazing time! My friend and I booked the sunset tour which was so much fun. William,…read moreour guide, was super knowledgeable, funny, and friendly. TBH, everyone we interacted from booking to checking in for the tour and beyond was kind and helpful. It was neat getting to see a different side of the park. The jeep was comfortable and let us see a lot of different views. It was nice having guidance for the different viewing spots that we wouldn't have thought to go to on our own. Definitely would highly recommend for someone visiting the GC!

I found this transportation service because I needed a ride in Payson, AZ and realized that there…read moreweren't any good options for transportation. I was so impressed by the professionalism and friendliness of the driver! She was amazing and we had a great conversation, I also felt very safe- she was very familiar with the roads in AZ. I would highly recommend if you need a ride to reach out to this company. Their rates are very reasonable and you feel like a VIP!

Driver was friendly, polite, on time. Rates are fair. We called her to take us back and she didn't…read morerespond. We tried flagging her down also but she paid no mind. Theres no ubers or lyfts in this town so we were stuck. Maybe she was busy

Canyon ministries provided the most informative tour for the Grand Canyon that we've ever done…read more David, our tour Guide, was charming, funny, and had many great facts and history to share with us on the tour. I highly recommend this for Adults & Teenagers especially.

The best tour of the Grand Canyon mixing sound Biblical doctrine supported by strong scientific…read moreevidence. We highly recommend this tour David is amazing- from Jerry and Kathleen PA