PARKS AND RECREATION

YOU CAN'T FLY DRONES in Arizona's state parks. You can't pan for gold, either. And you can't collect rocks, plants, flowers or any natural items. You can, however, get married in most of the parks. And you can ride certain go-karts in certain places in certain parks. None of those things is the main attraction, though. The main draw of our state parks is hiking, biking, horseback riding, history, archaeology, swimming, fishing, camping and kayaking. Fool Hollow Lake is a good place for kayaking.

The lake gets its name from the unkindness of others. As the story goes, a man named Thomas Jefferson Adair moved to the White Mountains in 1885 with the intention of farming. But the locals mocked him, saying that "only a fool would try to farm the area." It was rude, but the name stuck, and a century later, in 1994, Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area was created. It's one of 33 parks in a system that's been recognized nationally with a gold medal for excellence. The success is rooted in the agency's mission, which is to "manage and conserve the state's natural, cultural and recreational resources for the benefit of the people."

Their mission complements ours, which is to inspire travel throughout Arizona. It's something we've been doing for almost a hundred years, and Arizona's state parks are at the heart of what we do. Tonto Natural Bridge, Kartchner Caverns, Riordan Mansion, Slide Rock, the Verde River Greenway ... the lineup is impressive. We encourage you to visit all of them. And when you do, please tip your hat to the park rangers and adhere to the ethics of Leave No Trace.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

1. ALAMO LAKE STATE PARK Location: North of Wenden What to Do: Fishing, hiking, picnicking, boating Information: 928-669-2088, azstateparks.com/alamo-lake 2. BUCKSKIN MOUNTAIN STATE PARK Location: Northeast of Parker What to Do: Camping, hiking, boating, swimming, fishing Information: 928-667-3231, azstateparks.com/buckskin 3. CATALINA STATE PARK Location: North of Tucson What to Do: Hiking, picnicking Information: 520-628-5798, azstateparks.com/catalina 4. CATTAIL COVE STATE PARK Location: Southeast of Lake Havasu City What to Do: Swimming, fishing, boating, camping, hiking Information: 928-855-1223, azstateparks.com/cattail-cove 5. COLORADO RIVER STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Yuma What to Do: Exhibits, tours, special events Information: 928-783-0071, azstateparks.com/colorado-river 6. DANKWORTH POND STATE PARK Location: South of Safford What to Do: Fishing, boating, picnicking Information: 928-428-6760, azstateparks.com/dankworthpond 7. DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK Location: Cottonwood What to Do: Hiking, camping, picnicking, fishing Information: 928-634-5283, azstateparks.com/dead-horse 8. FOOL HOLLOW LAKE RECREATION AREA Location: Show Low What to Do: Camping, picnicking. fishing, boating, swimming Information: 928-537-3680, azstateparks.com/fool-hollow 9. FORT VERDE STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Camp Verde What to Do: Educational programs, museum tours, exhibits, picnicking Information: 928-567-3275, azstateparks.com/fort-verde 10. GRANITE MOUNTAIN HOTSHOTS MEMORIAL STATE PARK Location: Southwest of Yarnell What to Do: Hiking Information: azstateparks.com /hotshots 11. HOMOLOVI STATE PARK Location: East of Winslow What to Do: Hiking, camping, museum tours Information: 928-289-4106, azstateparks.com/homolovi 12. JEROME STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Jerome What to Do: Video presentations, museum tours, picnicking Information: 928-634-5381, azstateparks.com/jerome 13. KARTCHNER CAVERNS STATE PARK Location: South of Benson What to Do: Cave tours, exhibits, camping, picnicking, hiking Information: 520-586-4100, azstateparks.com/kartchner 14. LAKE HAVASU STATE PARK Location: Lake Havasu City What to Do: Boating, camping, swimming, fishing, hiking Information: 928-855-2784, azstateparks.com/lake-havasu 15. LOST DUTCHMAN STATE PARK Location: East of Apache Junction What to Do: Hiking, rock climbing, camping Information: 480-982-4485, azstateparks.com/lost-dutchman 16. LYMAN LAKE STATE PARK Location: South of St. Johns What to Do: Fishing, hiking, picnicking, camping Information: 928-337-4441, azstateparks.com/lyman-lake 17. McFARLAND STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Florence What to Do: Exhibits, picnicking Information: 520-868-5216, azstateparks.com/mcfarland 18. ORACLE STATE PARK Location: East of Oracle What to Do: Hiking, biking, horseback riding, self-guided tours Information: 520-896-2425, azstateparks.com/oracle 19. PATAGONIA LAKE STATE PARK Location: Southwest of Patagonia What to Do: Fishing, waterskiing, boating, swimming, picnicking, hiking, camping Information: 520-287-6965, azstateparks.com/patagonia-lake 20. PICACHO PEAK STATE PARK Location: Northwest of Tucson What to Do: Hiking, rock climbing, camping, picnicking Information: 520-466-3183, azstateparks.com/picacho 21. RED ROCK STATE PARK Location: Sedona What to Do: Hiking, picnicking, exhibits, guided walks Information: 928-282-6907, azstateparks.com/red-rock 22. RIORDAN MANSION STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Flagstaff What to Do: Tours, special events Information: 928-779-4395, azstateparks.com/riordan-mansion 23. RIVER ISLAND STATE PARK Location: Parker What to Do: Camping, fishing, boating, swimming, picnicking, hiking Information: 928-667-3386, azstateparks.com/river-island 24. ROCKIN' RIVER RANCH STATE PARK Location: Camp Verde What to Do: Currently under development and not open to the public Information: azstateparks.com /rockin-river 25. ROPER LAKE STATE PARK Location: South of Safford What to Do: Fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, camping Information: 928-428-6760, azstateparks.com/roper-lake 26. SAN RAFAEL STATE NATURAL AREA Location: Southeast of Patagonia What to Do: Currently not open to the public Information: azstateparks.com /san-rafael 27. SLIDE ROCK STATE PARK Location: North of Sedona What to Do: Swimming, sliding, hiking, picnicking, exhibits Information: 928-282-3034, azstateparks.com/slide-rock 28. SONOITA CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA Location: Southwest of Patagonia What to Do: Horseback riding, hiking, picnicking, educational programs Information: 520-287-2791, azstateparks.com/sonoita-creek 29. TOMBSTONE COURTHOUSE STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Tombstone What to Do: Exhibits, tours, special events Information: 520-457-3311, azstateparks.com/tombstone 30. TONTO NATURAL BRIDGE STATE PARK Location: Northwest of Payson What to Do: Hiking, picnicking, exhibits Information: 928-476-4202, azstateparks.com/tonto 31. TUBAC PRESIDIO STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Tubac What to Do: Exhibits, tours, special events Information: 520-398-2252, azstateparks.com/tubac 32. VERDE RIVER GREENWAY STATE NATURAL AREA Location: Cottonwood What to Do: Hiking, biking, swimming, canoeing, fishing Information: 928-639-0312, azstateparks.com/verde-river 33. YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON STATE HISTORIC PARK Location: Yuma What to Do: Exhibits, tours, special events Information: 928-783-4771, azstateparks.com/yuma-territorial

The State Parks of ARIZONA