Outdoors & Rec

With the first days of fall just behind us, October brings with it breezes, changing foliage, and a great reason to go outside. Grab your shoes, because we’re going outside on purpose. To get you started, we’ve compiled a list of five great outdoor events going on this October. Tour…

Here in Arizona, we may not have many seasons, but one of our most anticipated is monsoon season. Named for a weather pattern caused by a shift in wind and increasing precipitation, monsoons bring with them the slow build of massive clouds, often brief and sudden downpours, and a delightful…

Now, while August may be hailed as the number-one month for traveling, staycations have become a great way to enjoy and explore your own city with new perspective. And for those of you looking to bring a little outdoor adventure to the beginning of the end of summer, then look…

Not only are we celebrating our independence as a country this July, but we’re also rejoicing at the anniversary of the invention of the air conditioner in 1902 — bless you, Willis Carrier. Regardless of the season, we Phoenicians have a knack for enjoying the outdoor beauty that surrounds us…

John Muir once wrote, “The mountains are calling and I must go…” It’s a partial line taken from a letter to his sister Sarah Muir Galloway in which he discussed the intense research he undertook as a naturalist in hopes of contributing to the realm of science. And while it would…

Springs is here, and it’s no secret: March is one of the best months to be an Arizonan. With weather like this, there is no reason to stay inside. Lucky for you, we have compiled a list of five outdoor adventures to get involved in this month. Dance Walk Phoenix…

December is a wonderful time to be outdoors in Phoenix. With the city getting increasingly busy, and the holidays speedily slinging the days past, escaping into the cool desert is a great way step back and enjoy this time of year — and our surroundings. Plus, it’s a chance to…

The leaves are changing, the winds are blowing a little cooler, and the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon is in the air. With that in mind, here are five great outdoor activities to celebrate the return of fall. Questival Scavenger Hunt Looking to experience a taste of adventure, Amazing Race…

On Tuesday, October 27, Phoenix Spokes People announced the news on Facebook. “HUGE NEWS! We are thrilled to report that the City of Phoenix has been awarded a $10.3 million federal grant to improve the Grand Canal,” read the post. “Our canals are such an asset to our bicycling community,…

Every once in a while, local government spits out something amazing – like a map of all the bike routes in the Valley of the Sun. The Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) has all kinds of resources for prospective riders, most of them detailed on their Facebook page. You can…

The Bureau of Land Management has a big job: It has to oversee 245 million acres of public land, track herds of wild horses, deal with forest fires, and patrol the wilderness for smugglers. Last week, they added another checkbox to their task list: Map the sweetest mountain bike trails…

Nothing goes together quite like bikes and beer. For many a scruffy cyclist, a day of hard-core riding is only complete after guzzling a pint of frothy IPA. Gear-heads and craft brewers have a lot in common, after all: They like their toys, they savor their experiences, and they like…

Labor Day has come and gone, Halloween is just around the corner, and we’re told that one of these days the temperature just might fall down into the double digits. Here’s a list of great outdoor events that’ll get you up and moving this October — but won’t break the…

On the Third Friday of each September, metered car spaces across the globe are transformed into tiny personal parks inhabited by activists and spectators who, quite literally, just want somewhere green to sit. The Park(ing) Day project began in San Francisco in 2005 at Rebar, an art and design studio…

Whether chasing sunsets or simply trying to escape the sun, night hiking is a great way to hit the Arizona trails year round. With that being said, there are some important safety precautions to take when exploring nature after dark, as the desert does change and come alive in different…

If you’re tired of fluorescent lighting and the omnipresent hum of your air conditioning unit, and you want to get back out and feel the sunshine on your shoulders, you should look no further than this list of fun outdoor opportunities coming to Metro Phoenix in September.  Fitness Friday Hikes…