Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

When the weather starts heating up in Arizona, everyone begins to long for a large body of water to dive into. In an ideal situation, this body of water would also be beautiful and have lots of things... Full story

The State Parks in Arizona are offering guided hikes for New Years Day as part of a program called 1st Day Hikes. Guided hikes are great, even if you are an experienced hiker, because the guides will... Full story

Tip Of The Week Silver Creek near Show Low is a spring creek that comes out of the ground at a constant temperature and does not freeze in the winter. Catch-and-release fishing for big rainbow trout... Full story

Cooler temperatures have finally come back, which means it's time to switch to trout stocking. The week of Nov. 2 included our final catfish stockings for the season. We will resume stocking catfish n... Full story

(Phoenix, AZ - July 1, 2015) - Get away from the sizzling temperatures and make a splash at one your State Parks on the Fourth of July weekend. Cool down and relax by swimming, water-skiing, boating,... Full story

The area around Sierra Vista Arizona is diverse: everything from pine forests to desert and riparian areas. It makes for a great little vacation, and there is plenty to do down there. Last month I... Full story

Sixteen tons - of fish! You may have heard the old song by Tennessee Ernie Ford, "16 Tons." Well, by early April, that's how many catfish and sunfish will have made their way into Community Fishing... Full story

Have you ever wanted to bring your family camping but weren't sure where to start? The Arizona Family Campout Program is a one-weekend adventure designed for families who have little-or-no experience... Full story

Each year as part of its nationally-recognized and highly successful program to manage and conserve bald eagles in the state, the Arizona Game and Fish Department asks outdoor recreationists and aircr... Full story

Tip Of The Week For rainbow trout in the high country, PowerBait and worms are still the best baits, but trout are also more willing to chase down a lure in these cooler water temperatures than they... Full story

The Community Fishing Program resumed stocking catfish in the core waters in mid-September. Two trucks serviced the Phoenix and Tucson areas from two separate ponds in Arkansas. Unfortunately, one of... Full story

Lake levels at the Salt River chain lakes did not rise as much as some anglers might expect, but there was enough rain to cool the water temperatures. Many anglers are reporting the bite at desert... Full story

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, bedroom and the living room and head for your favorite family retreat, the State Parks! Rural State Parks in Northern Arizona can be five to 20... Full story

Are catfish limits too liberal at Arizona Lakes? Would you like to see more opportunity to catch Arizona’s native trout species? In order to best manage fish populations, simplify and streamline r... Full story

Lynx Lake One of our favorite little hikes in the pines is the easy trail #311 that circles Lynx Lake. Most of this trail is shaded by trees, and the lake and the forest around it are gorgeous. We oft... Full story

(Phoenix, AZ - July 2, 2014) If you can't stand the heat...get out of the kitchen, bedroom and the living room and head for your favorite family retreat, the State Parks! Rural State Parks in... Full story

At the end of April, eleven of the Community Fishing Programs expansion waters were stocked with catfish. Ponds stocked include Bonsall (Glendale), Discovery and McQueen (Gilbert), Pacana (Maricopa),... Full story

(Phoenix, AZ - May 21, 2014) - The State Parks in Arizona provide many opportunities for Memorial Day 2014 campers. If you have not already reserved your campsite, some campsites are already full.... Full story

Catfish stockings will be coming back to the core Community Fishing Program lakes and ponds in Tucson and Phoenix on Friday. Here are the core lakes and ponds: (Phoenix area) Surprise, Rio Vista... Full story

Each year America's State Parks announces a national collaboration of all 50 State Park systems across America to sponsor guided "First Day Hikes" on New Year's Day. Arizona State Parks will charge da... Full story

Tip Of The Week When trout are more active. it's sometimes better to use lures rather than bait, especially inline spinners such as Mepps, Rooster Tails and the like. Casting spoons, such as... Full story

Many hunters, anglers and other outdoor recreationists have been wondering how the current federal government shutdown, which began Oct. 1, will impact their upcoming outings. Despite closures by fede... Full story

Widespread rains across the state have helped drop lake water temperatures. Look for fish to get active once again, assuming this typical pattern holds true. We'll see. Lake Pleasant The top-water...

Arizona State Parks' headquarters is now "Camping Central." Arizonans are welcome to stop by and pick up a bag of brochures, maps and information about all the facilities where you can camp, hike, fis... Full story

(Phoenix, AZ - May 22, 2013) - Arizona State Parks' headquarters is now "Camping Central." Arizonans are welcome to stop by and pick up a bag of brochures, maps and information about all the... Full story