VOTE KARTCHNER!

Nominated as one of USA Today's Best Caves, Kartchner Caverns needs your votes! Help us keep the #1 spot by voting daily  here through April 11. Spread the word by sharing with your friends and family on  Facebook and  Twitter

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! 

Our central office is looking for volunteers to help with our visitors center and main entrance. Open from 8am-5pm, the office is located at 23751 N 23rd Ave. #190, Phoenix, Arizona 85085. Primary responsibilities will be: 
  • Greeting visitors
  • Answering phones
  • Assisting front office staff in various projects
Volunteer with us here!  For questions, call  (602) 542-4174 or (877) MYPARKS. 

ARIZONA GIVES DAY

Help support our park community on April 5, 2016 by donating to one of our  Park Friends Groups. Your support helps build and revitalize our treasured parks as thriving gathering spaces for youth, adults, and families. 


HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Love the thought of camping but not the idea of sleeping in a tent?  Our new cozy cabins available at Alamo and Lyman Lake State Parks  provide a variety of amenities to make y our camp ing experience unforgettable! 


SPRING ON TO THE TRAILS! 
ARIZONA PREMIER TRAIL SYSTEM

What is your favorite trail in Arizona?

We're excited to announce the Arizona State Committee on Trails and Arizona State Parks are accepting nominations to designate 100 of Arizona's best trails as Premier Trails.  The Arizona Premier Trail System will recognize and promote non-motorized trails of special significance to residents and visitors. 

Share your favorites, and your stories from the trail at Facebook.com/AZ100BestTrails


GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING

Nicer weather probably has you itching to take your four-wheeler, dirt bike, or ATV out for a spin. Off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation is one of the most extensive recreational activities taking place on public and state lands in Arizona. So stop daydreaming about the open trails, wind in your face, beautiful scenery and plan your next ride today!


APRIL SPOTLIGHT   
Lyman Lake State Park- St. Johns, Arizona

Lyman Lake State Park sits on 1,200-acres that encompasses a 1,500 acre-reservoir at an elevation of 6,000 feet. Home to walleye, channel catfish, and largemouth bass, this park entices anglers from all over the country. Due to its size, Lyman Lake is one of the few bodies of water in northeastern Arizona with no size restriction for boats. Summer temperatures reaching the high 80's and low 90's make the park the perfect destination for fishing, swimming, boating, water-skiing, hiking, and camping!

APRIL SPOTLIGHT EVENT







Lake Havasu Boat Show

April 8-10
Boat Show: Friday 12pm-6pm, Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 9am-3pm
Beach Bash: Friday 6pm start time
Lake Havasu State Park 
  
This is the largest boat show in Arizona and Nevada featuring 100+ exhibitors, 60+ different brands of boats. Everything from family roundabouts, ski/wakeboard boats, fishing boats, cruisers, deck boats, pontoons, personal watercraft, and the largest selection of performance sport boats west of Miami. 


Celebrate National Park Week April 16-24! 

2016 marks the Centennial Anniversary of the National Park Service. Check out these events happening during National Park Week: 
Gifts and Passes
 
Gift Cards
Arizona State Parks Gift Cards make great gifts and are the perfect way to show your coworkers or employees that you appreciate them. You can order one or more gift cards online.




Annual Park Passes
For those true outdoor enthusiasts, an Arizona State Parks Annual Pass provides seamless access to the parks. Giving them the freedom to explore all 30 parks. Purchase a pass for yourself or as a gift, and learn more at
AZStateParks.com.

The Gift Shop
If hi king maps, hats and drinking glasses are more your speed, stop by the gift shop on your next trip out to your favorite state park. We carry locally made products sure to impress even those "hard to buy" types.
Star Party Astronomy Events 

April 2 - Catalina State Park - Oro Valley/Tucson
April 9 - Oracle State Park - Tucson
April 9 - Red Rock State Park - Sedona
April 15 - Homolovi State Park - Winslow
April 30 - Tonto Natural Bridge State Park - Payson

Spend an evening at one of the parks and observe the wonders of the night sky! Learn More!
History of the Soldier  
April 9-10 
Fort Verde State Historic Park - Camp Verde
Saturday - 9 am - 5 pm
Sunday - 9 am - 2 pm

Fort Verde will honor Veterans at its annual event. The event offers visitors a living history timeline of military and civilian encampments up to the present day. 
Learn More!
Picture Perfect Wine Tasting 
April 16
Lost Dutchman State Park - Apache Junction

5:45 pm.
The 4th annual Picture Perfect Park wine tasting is just around the corner. This is our biggest fundraising event of the year and we can't wait to see you! Click here to purchase event tickets!
Bat Day 
April 16 
Kartchner Caverns State Park - Benson
 
9 am to 4 pm. Bat Day celebrates Earth Day and the return of the Myotis velifer bat colony to Kartchner Caverns State Park. Tours reserved in advance. Learn More!  
Verde Valley Birding & Nature Fest 
April 21-24 
Dead Horse Ranch State Park - Cottonwood    
 
Verde Valley Birding & Nature Festival celebrates nature with workshops and field trips where expert guides take visitors to the area's birding hot spots. Registration required.  Learn More!
Tsu'vö Loop Trail & Petroglyphs 
April 30 
Homolovi State Park - Winslow

Join a Park Ranger on a two-mile hike to the T su'vö Petroglyph Site. Meet at the Homolovi SP Visitor Center.  Learn More!
Solar Potluck and Exhibition  
April 30 
Exhibition- 10 am to Sunset,  Potluck- 5pm
Catalina State Park

Experience the flavors of solar-cooked food and learn about solar by viewing solar appliances and exhibitions and solar arts.  Learn More!

ICYMI: Family Campout Program
Limited Spring Registration Still Open!

We'll supply all the necessary equipment, food, and plan the activities! Schedule includes:

Catalina State Park - April 16-17
River Island State Park - April 23-24
Dead Horse Ranch State Park - June 4-5

VISIT OUR  PARKS EVENT CALENDAR FOR MORE GREAT EVENTS ACROSS THE STATE
Did you know?
Making a voluntary gift on your 2015 Tax Return to the Sustainable State Parks Fund helps support State Parks. Gifts will aid to operate, maintain and make capital improvements.

Information on all of Arizona's 30 beautiful State Parks in one convenient place

Arizona State Parks offers diverse recreation opportunities throughout the state. Hiking, biking, camping, cabins, boating, fishing and more are waiting for you to discover. Download the latest issue of our statewide guide for what to do and where to go in both English & Spanish.