Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 303
(Phoenix, Arizona - March 13, 2013) - Lyman Lake State Park in northeastern Arizona is a stunning 1,500-acre lake at an elevation of 6,000 feet with no size restrictions on boats, making it a popular water-skiing destination. The park will re-open on May 3, 2013 for the summer and fall season. The park will be open for day-use only from May 3 through May 23. Starting on May 24 the park will be open for day-use and camping until November 4. However, you can make your camping reservations now for... Full story
Red Rock State Park is the perfect place to experience the red rocks of Sedona, several hiking trails, bird-watching and daily special events. Red Rock's diverse habitat, which is abundant with plants and wildlife, creates the perfect environment to provide environmental education programs. In March 2013 the programs will feature the opportunity to learn about archaeology. Learning Opportunities Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 8 a.m. in March, visitors will find bird enthusiasts joining a... Full story
A new National Park Service report shows that more than 10.1 million national park visitors in Arizona in 2011 spent $766 million and supported 12,886 jobs in the state. Nationwide, visitors to the 398 units of the National Park System had a combined $30 billion economic benefit that supported 252,000 jobs. The Arizona jobs figure is the nation’s second highest after California. “The national parks of Arizona are exceptional and diverse – from the Sonoran Desert borderlands of Organ Pipe Cactu... Full story
-- It's spring and an excellent time to visit Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. Boyce Thompson is an arboretum and state park of Arizona, located in Superior. It consists of a 323-acre (131 ha) botanical collection that includes a wide range of habitats and a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) main loop walking trail. Founded in 1925, the arboretum is the largest and oldest botanical garden in the state of Arizona. It is jointly managed by the Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Inc. (a 501 c(3) non-profit... Full story
For more than 35 years, Arizona's Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program has contributed to the tremendous growth of the state’s bald eagle population and helped save the lives of more than 60 eagle nestlings. This year's nestwatchers participate in four-month tours of duty, watching 14 breeding areas, most along the Salt and Verde rivers in national forests, on Native American lands, and in Maricopa County parks. They collect data about the eagles' behavior, educate the public, and notify rescuers of a... Full story
Oracle State Park, Center for Environmental Education, will be open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 8am to 5pm through April 28. Spring activities will include the popular guided bird walks and hikes, tours of the historic Kannally ranch house, and environmental education school programs are offered weekdays by reservation. Environmental education programs for school children, first through sixth grades, are scheduled by reservation on weekdays at (520) 895-2425. Thousands of... Full story
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – On Tuesday, February 26, Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate the anniversary of its designation as a national park 94 years to the day after An Act to Establish the Grand Canyon National Park in the State of Arizona was signed into law. “Protection of this spectacular landscape actually started long before Grand Canyon became a national park,” said Grand Canyon Superintendent Dave Uberuaga. “People started trying to protect the canyon as early as the 1880s; and its... Full story
Join us for the annual historic re-enactment of an Arizona Civil War skirmish, Battle of Picacho Pass, and the New Mexico battles of Glorieta and Val Verde at "Civil War in the Southwest" at Picacho Peak State Park. The three re-enactments will take place on Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17, 2013. Activities will take place from 10am to 4pm both days but gates will open at 9:30am and no further entry is allowed after 3pm. Visitors travel from around the country to experience these... Full story
Grand Canyon, Ariz. - On January 15, 2013, at 10:30 am, the National Park Service will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Science and Resource Management building on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park across the street from Park Headquarters. Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga and other special guests will dedicate the new state of the art facility which is on track to receive a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is a third party certification... Full story
Oracle State Park Center for Environmental Education will re-open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays beginning Feb. 2, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spring activities will include the popular guided bird walks and hikes, tours of the historic Kannally ranch house, an astronomy night, nature-based workshops and Earth Day programs. Tours of the historic Kannally Ranch House will also resume weekly on Saturdays and Sunday starting Feb. 2 at 10 a.m. and offered again at 2 p.m. House tours are free with... Full story
Kartchner Caverns State Park (near Benson, Ariz.) is a wet, "live" cave with stunning limestone in Southeastern Arizona. Water percolates from the surface and calcium carbonate features continue to grow in the darkness. On the guided cave tours, visitors view dynamic structures such as stalactites dripping down like icicles and giant stalagmites reaching up from the ground, sometimes meeting to form a massive column. The caverns host some of the world's most diverse minerals and formations.... Full story
Red Rock State Park is the perfect place to experience the red rocks of Sedona, several hiking trails, bird-watching and daily special events that feature the opportunity to learn about local geology, archaeology, botany, history and wildlife. The diverse habitat, abundant with plants and wildlife, creates the perfect environment for the Park's mission of providing environmental education programs. Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 9 a.m. in January, visitors will find bird enthusiasts joining... Full story
Fort Verde State Historic Park will be decorated for the Christmas holiday through Jan. 4, 2013. Visitors can glance into the past and see how those who once resided at Fort Verde celebrated Christmas on the Frontier. Christmas trees and fireplace mantels will be adorned with unique Victorian decorations, while wreaths and garlands help spread the holiday cheer. Fort Verde State Historic Park is the best-preserved example of an Indian Wars period fort in Arizona. Spanning from 1865 through 1890 Camp Lincoln, Camp Verde and finally Fort Verde... Full story
Earlier this fall, the Arizona State Parks Board awarded $24,646,380 in Growing Smarter State Trust Land Acquisition Fund grants from the Land Conservation Fund. "The State Parks Board feels these six open space projects will ensure protection of Arizona's scenic deserts around urban areas that are experiencing high growth," said State Parks Director Bryan Martyn. The following six grants were awarded: 1. City of Scottsdale — McDowell Sonoran Preserve/Cholla Mountain-Rawhide Wash towards the purchase of 2,045 acres for up to $4,824,330 2. C... Full story
Every Saturday — Wildlife Exhibit The Reptile/Wildlife Exhibit runs every Saturday from 9am - Noon, weather permitting. Volunteer Jim "the Snake Man" Cloer and his crew of volunteer assistants enchant visitors at the park trail head with a menagerie of reptiles, arachnids and animals who inhabit the Sonoran Desert. Meet at Main Trailhead parking area at Catalina State Park. Contact the Park for more information at (520) 628-5798. Sunday Hikes Register with Volunteer Gaston Meloche at (520) 6... Full story
The last of Mata Ortiz Pottery demonstrations will be held at Kartchner Caverns State Park on Jan. 28. Demonstrations will take place at 11am and 1p.m. in the park theater on the event days. Learn more about Mata Ortiz pottery and see examples during the demonstrations. In a remote river valley on the plains of Northern Mexico, a remarkable ceramic arts revival is taking place. In the village of Mata Ortiz, master potter Juan Quezada, inspired by ancient potsherds, is leading a renaissance of... Full story
Each year as part of its highly successful program to manage and conserve bald eagles in the state, the Arizona Game and Fish Department asks outdoor recreationists to help protect important eagle breeding areas by honoring the closure of 21 areas across the state. Various land and wildlife management agencies close the breeding areas for part of the year, beginning in December, to protect the state’s 55 breeding pairs of bald eagles. Some of the closure areas are located near popular r... Full story
For the entire month of March 2013, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)/Arizona State Parks (ASP) is coordinating activities throughout the state for the 30th annual celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM). These events will focus on current efforts to preserve our past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. AAHAM combines education with entertainment to reach both adults and children in an effort to teach responsible stewardship... Full story
As always, we are planning a multitude of activities for the holidays at State Parks. "First Day" hikes on January 1, 2013 are always popular and you can start booking them now so you can be out walking on New Year's Day. We know taking your family for a holiday excursion can be daunting when you add up all the costs for meals and hotels. But did you ever think it was odd you were traveling somewhere else when your family from cold states always wants to come to warm Arizona for the holidays?... Full story
As most of you have read or heard, the Arizona State Parks department has struggled to survive during the budget crisis. What we want you to know is largely because of 14 partnerships with rural communities, we have been able to keep all 27 of State Parks open, although some of them only seasonally. Because the State Parks are open, we can invite visitors to Arizona from around the world. Arizona is fortunate to have 900 dedicated volunteers who work every day to greet two million guests in... Full story
The Arizona State Parks Board is seeking non-motorized recreation enthusiasts from throughout Arizona to serve as volunteer advisors. The Arizona State Committee on Trails (ASCOT) represents non-motorized trail interests and serves in an advisory capacity to the Arizona Outdoor Recreation Coordinating Commission (AORCC) and the Parks Board. The overall mission of the State Trails Program is to promote, develop, and preserve non-motorized trail opportunities throughout the state for mountain... Full story
The Arizona State Parks department is responsible for writing Arizona's Statewide Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) every five years. This plan sets the evaluation criteria to allocate the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grants, along with other applicable grant programs consistent with the state's outdoor recreation priorities as identified by public participants in the research. This policy plan is now available online in a draft format for public review at AZStateParks.com and will be... Full story
‘Happy Trails’ To Sail Major Sailing Magazine Salutes Lake Havasu “Trailer Sailers,” or “Pocket Cruisers” — known by both names — are one of the features in the online August issue of Sail magazine. The article is “Destination Hunters: 10 Great Trailer Sailing Destinations” by Hilary Sharp and can be found at the following Web address: http://sailmagazine.com/cruising/destination-hunters-10-great-trailer-sailing-destinations According to Sailhavasu, Sail magazine — one of the largest sailing m... Full story
Three 2012 Chicks Bring Total Condors To 77 Third wild-hatched California condor chick confirmed in Arizona-Utah population GRAND CANYON, Ariz. — A biologist from the Peregrine Fund was finally able to obtain visual confirmation of a wild-hatched California condor chick that had been suspected, but not seen, in a nest cave deep in Grand Canyon National Park. This confirmed sighting brings the total number of wild condor chicks produced by the Arizona-Utah flock this season to three. “Based on... Full story
Editor’s Note: Eric Dennison is an aspiring freelance writer who lives in Hatfield, Pa., a small suburb just outside Philadelphia. Dennison is an outdoor enthusiast who loves to fish and chronicle his experiences in print. We at Western Outdoor Times/Arizona Boating & Watersports thank him for his insightful and moving recollections inspired by his visit to our state. Wander the worlds suspended between this one and the next long enough and you are bound to see ghosts. One second they are s... Full story
