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Arizona State Parks

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Arizona State Parks happily accept pets. Each parks rules and regulations may vary. Click on a park and read the the regulations for that specific area. For more information on Arizona State Parks you may visit the ASP website.

Alamo Lake State Park - is one of Arizona’s best kept secrets. The stark desert beauty is reflected off the water. Cacti dot the mountainous landscape that surround the lake. Nestled in the Bill Williams River Valley away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Alamo Lake State Park offers outdoor fun, premier bass fishing, rest and relaxation. For nature lovers, spring rains bring an abundance of wild flowers and the lake environment attracts a variety of wildlife year round, including bald and golden eagles, waterfowl, foxes, coyotes, mule deer and wild burros. Stargazers are sure to enjoy the unbelievable view of the night sky with the nearest city lights some forty miles away!

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park is the place to discover the intricate beauty and many faces of Arizona’s oldest and largest botanical garden. Featured are plants from the world’s deserts, towering trees, captivating cacti, sheer mountain cliffs, a streamside forest, panoramic vistas, many natural habitats with varied wildlife, a desert lake, a hidden canyon, specialty gardens and more.

Buckskin Mountain State Park commands one of the finest views along the Parker strip, an 18-mile stretch between Parker Dam and Headgate Dam. Mountains line the river on both the Arizona and California sides, and the wildlife is as varied as the recreational opportunities along the river. This picturesque park provides a scenic respite, mountain hikes, a desert escape and fun-filled water adventure.

Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons and streams invites camping, picnicking and bird watching — more than 150 species of birds call the park home. The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails which wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet. The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area.

Cattail Cove State Park
The beach, boat ramp, and 61 campsites at Cattail Cove State Park  offer a broad spectrum of activities for all to enjoy. Whether you’re interested in swimming, fishing or just lounging and relaxing, Cattail Cove State Park  offers you and your family a chance to get away and enjoy tranquility along Lake Havasu. The 2,000-acre park has been operated by the Arizona State Parks Board since 1970.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park
The developed portion of Dead Horse Ranch State Park  covers 423 acres. The 3,300 foot elevation accounts for the mild temperatures that are ideal for camping, mountain biking in the Coconino National Forest, hiking along the Verde River, canoeing, picnicking, fishing, or just wading in the cool water.

Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area
Imagine camping among 100-foot pine trees beside a quiet lake watching majestic great blue herons at a cool 6,300 feet in elevation. Year-round camping, fishing, picnicking, boating and wildlife viewing opportunities make Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area a popular place. This 800-acre, cool, country recreation area with a 150-acre lake offers history, too.

The tiny town of Adair has long since been covered by the lake, but it was Thomas Jefferson Adair who was responsible for the name Fool Hollow.

Fort Verde State Historic Park
Experience life through the eyes of a frontier soldier at Fort Verde State Historic Park. The fort was a base for General Crook’s U.S. Army scouts and soldiers in the 1870s and 1880s. From 1865 – 1891 Camp Lincoln, Camp Verde and Fort Verde were home to officers, doctors, families, enlisted men, and scouts.

Homolovi Ruins State Park (Park Closed)
Jerome State Historic Park (Park Closed)

Kartchner Caverns State Park
Experience a stunning limestone cave in Southeastern Arizona that boasts world-class features. This “live” cave, discovered in 1974, is host to a wide variety of unique minerals and formations. Water percolates from the surface and calcite formations continue to grow, including stalactites dripping down like icicles and giant stalagmites reaching up from the ground.

Lake Havasu State Park
The scenic shoreline of Lake Havasu State Park is an ideal place to enjoy beautiful beaches, nature trails, boat ramps, and convenient campsites. This spot is truly a watersport haven located near the famous London Bridge of Lake Havasu City. The park offers 3 boat ramps, 47 campsites, a special events area (not available on holiday weekends), picnic area, and beach area.

Lost Dutchman State Park
The Superstition Mountains (their name inspired by Pima Indian legends) have been a source of mystery and legend since early times. The area is dotted with ancient cliff dwellings and caves, many showing signs of former habitation. It is not certain who these people were; some believe they were Salado or Hohokam Indians who populated this part of Arizona several centuries ago. Later, Pimas and “Apaches” (some of whom may have been Yavapais) occupied parts of the region. However, the name “Apache” came to be closely associated with the Superstitions, and the mountains became an Apache stronghold in the 1800s.

Lyman Lake State Park Created as an irrigation reservoir by damming the Little Colorado River, Lyman Lake State Park  is a 1,200-acre park that encompasses the shoreline of a 1,500-acre reservoir at an elevation of 6,000 feet. It is fed by snowmelt from the slopes of Mount Baldy and Escudilla Mountain, the second and third highest mountains in Arizona.

McFarland State Historic Park (Park Closed)
Oracle State Park (Park Closed)

Patagonia Lake State Park
Tucked away in the rolling hills of southeastern Arizona is a hidden treasure. Patagonia Lake State  Park was established in 1975 as a state park and is an ideal place to find whitetail deer roaming the hills and great blue herons walking the shoreline. The campground overlooks a 265-acre man-made lake where anglers catch crappie, bass, bluegill, and catfish. Trout is stocked every three weeks from October through March.

Picacho Peak State Park
Visitors traveling along I-10 in southern Arizona can’t miss the prominent 1,500-foot peak of Picacho Peak State Park. Enjoy the view as you hike the trails that wind up the peak and, often in the spring, overlook a sea of wildflowers. The park and surrounding area are known for its unique geological significance, outstanding and varied desert growth, and historical importance.

Red Rock State Park is a 286 acre nature preserve and environmental education center with stunning scenery. Trails throughout the park wind through manzanita and juniper to reach the rich banks of Oak Creek. Green meadows are framed by native vegetation and hills of red rock. The creek meanders through the park, creating a diverse riparian habitat abounding with plants and wildlife.

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park
Built in 1904 for two Riordan families, Riordan Mansion is an impressive reminder of gracious living in a small, territorial logging town. The historic building is an Arizona treasure — a remarkable example of Arts and Crafts style architecture featuring a rustic exterior of log-slab siding, volcanic stone arches, and hand-split wooden shingles.

River Island Unit
River Island State Park is ideal for tent campers and can provide a scenic respite, a desert escape, or a fun-filled water adventure. It offers 37 campsites, a ramada, sandy beach, cove, and boat launch area. In the summer, the park unit is most popular for boating, fishing, jet skiing, swimming, and camping amidst a backdrop of beautiful mountains.

Roper Lake State Park
After a long day of driving or hiking, the natural hot springs at Roper Lake State Park  are inviting and invigorating. Enjoy desert vegetation, an accessible fishing dock, and stunning views of Mount Graham. Roper Lake is stocked with Largemouth bass and Rainbow trout; it’s a great place for kids to catch their first fish. Boats are limited to small electric motors, creating ideal conditions for a sail board or a canoe.

San Rafael State Natural Area

Important Information: The San Rafael State Natural Area is currently NOT  open to public. The Natural Area preserves a native grassland area that has not suffered problems of shrubs and cactus invasion, nor has been taken over by exotic plant species that affect so much of this vegetation type elsewhere in Arizona and the Southwest.

Slide Rock State Park originally the Pendley Homestead, is a 43-acre historic apple farm located in Oak Creek Canyon. Frank L. Pendley, having arrived in the canyon in 1907, formally acquired the land under the Homestead Act in 1910. Due to his pioneering innovation, he succeeded where others failed by establishing a unique irrigation system still in use by the park today.

Sonoita Creek State Natural Area
Established in 1994, Sonoita Creek State Natural Area’s  mission is to preserve this fragile riparian area and its surrounding environment. Encompassing a major portion of the Sonoita Creek and Coal Mine Spring watersheds, this is the State of Arizona’s first significant Natural Area.

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
Get a glimpse of the true old West at Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park. Built in 1882 in the shape of a Roman cross, the two-story Victorian structure once housed the offices of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, board of supervisors, jail, and courtrooms of Cochise County. Today, the 12,000 square foot courthouse is a museum filled with the glitter and guns of those who tamed the territory.

Exhibits portray the authentic history of Tombstone as a frontier silver mining boomtown. Learn about miners, cattlemen and pioneers, and see a reproduction of the courtroom and sheriff’s office. Displays include a tax license for operating a brothel and an invitation to a hanging. A replica of the gallows in the courtyard represents where seven men were hanged.

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
Tucked away in a tiny valley surrounded by a forest of pine trees, Tonto Natural Bridge State Park  has been in the making for thousands of years. It is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. The bridge stands 183 feet high over a 400-foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point.

The discovery of the small and beautiful valley between Pine and Payson was documented in 1877 by David Gowan, a prospector who stumbled across the bridge as he was chased by Apaches.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
The church and the military were the vanguards of Spanish frontier expansion throughout New Spain. The Jesuit, Eusebio Francisco Kino, established missions from 1687 to 1711 to christianize and control Native Americans in the area. He established nearby Tumacacori in 1691, and Tubac, then a small Piman village, became a mission farm and ranch.

Verde River Greenway State Natural Area
The nearly 180-mile long Verde River is a significant resource in Arizona. It is one of the desert’s last free-flowing rivers sustaining a large regional wildlife population and a lush riparian community. In 1986, the state purchased the area that is now known as the Verde River Greenway State Natural Area between the Tuzigoot and Bridgeport bridges.

Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park
As you walk the grounds of the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park, imagine the once-bustling grounds teeming with military life, preparing to travel to all parts west. The Yuma Quartermaster Depot was used by the U.S. Army to store and distribute supplies for all the military posts in Arizona, and some in Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas.

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
On July 1, 1876, the first seven inmates entered the Territorial Prison at Yuma and were locked into the new cells they had built themselves. At Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park  walk through the actual strap iron cells and solitary chamber of Arizona Territory’s first prison.

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