Arizona State Parks

There are 27 state parks in Arizona that are open to the public.

Alamo Lake State Park (Wenden): Fishing, campling, wildlife viewing, boating.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park (Superior): The arboretum is located at the bottom of the Picketpost Mountain. It is one of the world’s largest collections of arid-region plants, including cactus from all over the world.

Buckskin Mountain State Park (Parker): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, skiing.

Catalina State Park (Tucson): Hiking, horseback riding, scenic views of the Catalinas, wildflowers in the spring.

Cattail Cove State Park (Lake Havasu): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, skiing.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park (Cottonwood): Bird-watching, camping, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding.

Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area (Show Low): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating.

Fort Verde State Historic Park (Camp Verde): Dating back to the mid-1800’s, the fort played a role during Gen. George Crook’s campaign against the Apache Indians. Preserved original buildings furnished in their traditional style – it is the best preserved example of an Indian Wars period fort in Arizona.

Homolovi Ruins State Park (Winslow): Considered sacred to the Hopi Indians, this site holds four 14th-century pueblo ruins built by the Hisatsinom (known to archaeologists as the Anasazi).

Jerome State Historic Park (Jerome): The mining history of Jerome can be found in the Douglas Mansion, built in the 1920’s by “Rawhide Jimmy” Douglas, a mining magnate.

Kartchner Caverns State Park (Benson): One of the world’s top ten caves. It is an immense limestone cavern that was discovered in 1974 by two amateur cavers. Remarkable structures inside, and the cave is still growing.

Lake Havasu State Park (Lake Havasu City): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, skiing.

Lost Dutchman State Park (Apache Junction): Named after the fabled lost gold mine, this park is located in the Sonoran Desert at the base of the Superstition Mountains. A variety of hiking trails and camping.

Lyman Lake State Park (St. Johns): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, skiing.

McFarland State Historic Park (Florence): The historic home of former Arizona Superior Court Justice Ernest McFarland. The park consists of a preserved courthouse and other buildings dating back to Arizona's history as a territory.

Oracle State Park (Oracle): Environmental education park and wildlife refuge. Programs being developed to enhance public awareness of the importance of safeguarding natural resources.

Patagonia Lake State Park (Patagonia): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, boating, skiing.

Picacho Peak State Park (Pinal County): Picacho Peak was often used as a landmark by early explorers. A stiff hike. There are five trails with varying degrees of difficulty; and prime spring wildflower viewing.

Red Rock State Park (Sedona): Nature preserve and environmental education center. Arizona’s Oak Creek meanders through this scenic park, creating a diverse habitat abounding with plants and wildlife.

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park (Flagstaff): The mansion was built in 1904 for two lumber baron brothers and their families. The historic building, with its 40 rooms, is an Arizona treasure.

Roper Lake State Park (Safford): Fishing, camping, hiking, wildlife viewing.

Slide Rock State Park (Oak Creek Canyon): Known for its natural rock water slide – a short stretch of slippery, smooth rock in the shallow creek. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park (Tombstone): The 1882 courthouse and jail is now a museum. The two-story building also once housed offices of the sheriff and other Cochise County government officials.

Tonto Natural Bridge State Park (Payson): Believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in North America, the Tonto Natural Bridge was created partly by the flow of Pine Creek eroding its way through the rock and limestone. The bridge stands 183 feet high over a 400-foot-long tunnel measuring 150 feet at its widest.

Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (Tubac): Founded in June 1752 after the Pima Indians surrendered to the Spaniards. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Yuma Crossing State Historic Park (Yuma): Site of the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, the site used by the U.S. army to store and distribute supplies for all Southwest military posts during the Indian Wars of the 1870’s. Also the spot where travelers crossed the river to get to California and its gold.

Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park (Yuma): The prison, one of Arizona’s top attractions, opened on July 1st in 1876 with seven inmates locked into the new cells they had just built themselves. In 1909, after housing 3069 prisoners during 33 years of operation, the prison was closed due to overcrowding.

Discover Native America in Arizona

Arizona is home to the 21 federally recognized Indian Nations and Tribes listed below. Collectively, their ancient cultures and vast lands contribute to the rich cultural diversity of Arizona.

Ak-Chin Indian Community: 21,000 acre reservation, located 30 miles south of Phoenix, AZ.

Cocopah Tribe: 6000 acre reservation south of Yuma, AZ on the Colorado River.

Colorado River Indian Tribes: 268,000 acre reservation spanning the Colorado River in Arizona & California. Approximately 225,000 acres of the reservation are in Arizona. Chemehurvi, Hopi, Mohave and Navajo tribes reside on the reservation, each with their own cultures and traditions.

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation: 24,000 acres located in northeastern Maricopa County, approximately 23 miles northeast of Phoenix, AZ.

Fort Mojave Indian Tribe: 42,000 acre reservation in the tri-state area of Arizona, California & Nevada. Approximately 22,000 of these acres are in Arizona, running along 17 miles of the Colorado River in Mohave County just south of Bullhead City.

Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe: 44,000 acre reservation north of Yuma, AZ and spreading into California and Mexico.

Gila River Indian Community: 373,000 acre reservation, just south of Phoenix, AZ.

Havasupai Tribe: 185,000 acre reservation on the South rim of the Grand Canyon.

The Hopi Tribe: 1.56 million acre reservation in northeastern Arizona.

Hualapai Nation: 992,000 acre reservation along the West rim of the Grand Canyon.

Kaibab Band of Palute Indians: 120,000 acre reservation on the Arizona/Utah border near Fredonia, AZ.

Navajo Nation: 14.7 million acre reservation in northeast Arizona and extending into New Mexico & Utah. Arizona's portion of the reservation covers 11.6 million acres.

Pascua Yaqui Tribe: 900 acre reservation just southwest of Tucson, AZ.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community: 53,000 acre reservation located 15 miles east of Phoenix, AZ.

San Carlos Apache Tribe: 1.9 million acre reservation located 20 miles east of Globe, AZ.

San Juan Southern Palute: The small tribe of approximately 300 members is the newest federally recognized Indian nation in the State of Arizona. The tribe currently has no land base and is residing in distinct communities on the Navajo reservation. Tribal headquarters are located in Tuba City, AZ.

Tohono O'odham Nation: 2.7 million acre reservation in south central Arizona.

Tonto Apache Tribe: 85 acre reservation adjacent to Payson, AZ; it is the smallest in the state.

White Mountain Apache Tribe: 1.6 million reservation in east central Arizona, situated in the heart of the White Mountains.

Yavapai-Apache Nation: 600 acre reservation in the Upper Verde Valley of central Arizona.

Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe: 1400 acre reservation adjacent to Prescott, AZ.

Arizona Loves Sports!

• Arizona big league sports include: Arizona Cardinals (NFL), Arizona Diamondbacks (MLB), Phoenix Suns (NBA), Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) and Phoenix Mercury (WNBA).
• During February and March, Arizona serves as the training home for the Cactus League - 12 major league baseball teams that want to take advantage of the state's warm weather and multi-million dollar training complexes. Nine train in the greater Phoenix metro area and three in Tucson. The teams that claim the Phoenix area as their summer home are: Anaheim Angels, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. The teams that train in Tucson are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox.
• The new Cardinals Stadium will be the site of Super Bowl XLII in 2008 and Fiesta Bowl in 2007.
• With more than 300 golf courses throughout the state, Arizona is recognized as one of the world's premier golf destinations. Three pro golf tournaments have regular stops in Phoenix: The FBR Open (PGA), the Safeway International (LPGA) and the Gila River Classic (PGA); and the Accenture Match Play Championship (WGC) will stop in Tucson.

KokopelliGram Introduces Professor Kokopelli

INTRODUCTION TO ARIZONA: Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It borders New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, touches Colorado and has an international border with Mexico. The sixth largest state in land area, Arizona is best known for its desert landscape. Residents are called Arizonans.


Some fun facts about the state:

State Motto: "Diat Deus" (God Enriches)
State Nickname: Grand Canyon State
State Colors: Blue & Old Gold
State Song: Arizona
State Gem-Stone: Turqoise
State Neckwear: Bola Tie
State Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
State Tree: Pale Verde
State Fossil: Petrified Wood
State Bird: Cactus Wren
State Butterfly: Two-Tailed Swallowtail
State Fish: Apache Trout
State Amphibian: Arizona Tree Frog
State Reptile: Arizona Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake