Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy natural playgrounds throughout the state. Visit Arizona state parks that preserve the history and grandeur of this special region, with plenty of surprises around every bend.
History on Display
Ancient history is preserved at state parks that protect cherished sites inhabited by indigenous communities. At Homolovi State Park near Winslow, tour remnants of an enormous pueblo village tied to ancestors of the Hopi community. At Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, visitors encounter archaeological sites that date back centuries before Arizona statehood.
Other state parks honor territorial and frontier history. At Colorado River State Historic Park in Yuma, learn how the Colorado River helped tame the rugged frontier in the late 1800s. At Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Site, step inside historic jail cells overlooking the Colorado River. At Fort Verde State Historic Park in Camp Verde, remnants of frontier life still exist in the middle of downtown. Visitors can also immerse themselves in the tumultuous history of one of Arizona’s most notorious frontier towns at Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park.
Many parks are anchored by historic frontier homes. At Jerome State Historic Park, the former mine owner’s hilltop home is now a great museum captured in time. At McFarland State Historic Park in Florence, tour a courthouse and museum that chronicles one of Arizona’s most notable territorial politicians. At Oracle State Park north of Tucson, the visitor center and museum fill a lavish frontier home that anchored this former cattle ranch. At Riordan Mansion State Historic Site in Flagstaff, see what life was like for a pioneer logging family.
Natural Wonders
Many state parks attract visitors to the mind-boggling natural beauty on display. At Lost Dutchman State Park on the outskirts of Phoenix, take epic hikes in the Superstition Mountains. At Picacho Peak State Park outside of Tucson, hold onto cables to navigate the tougher stretches of this steep mountain hike. At Catalina State Park near Tucson, the north face of the Santa Catalina Mountains offer rugged trails through fields of saguaros. In Central Arizona, unusual rock formations near Prescott set the stage for the reverent Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park.
Even more Arizona state parks feature surprising natural landmarks. Go underground at Kartchner Caverns State Park in Southern Arizona to explore a massive network of caves accessible to all visitors. At Red Rock State Park, easy hikes get visitors up close to magnificent sandstone formations. At Slide Rock State Park, also near Sedona, whisk down a natural waterslide. At Tonto Natural Bridge State Park in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona, walk under a rock formation seemingly suspended overhead.
Waterfront Parks
Along Arizona’s west coast, the Colorado River is dotted with state parks. Popular water playgrounds along Highway 95 include Buckskin Mountain State Park, River Island State Park, Cattail Cove State Park and Lake Havasu State Park. These splashy playgrounds feature multiple day-use beaches, on-site outfitters that get visitors on the water plus fishing piers and camping and RV sites.
Head east from the river to find a secluded retreat at Alamo Lake State Park, where remote fishing and chill time are the big draws. Near the Arizona-Mexico border, Patagonia Lake State Park offers beaches and water recreation in a high-desert oasis. At Lyman Lake State Park on the Arizona-New Mexico border, high elevation hikes are paid off with serene lake fishing. Roper Lake State Park and Dankworth Pond State Park near Safford attract campers and anglers, while the National Wild & Scenic Verde River flows through Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. Head to neighboring Camp Verde to visit the newest Arizona state park at Rockin’ River Ranch.
Arizona Office of Tourism
These articles are brought to you by the staff of the Arizona Office of Tourism, and occasionally local tourism organizations around the state.
