Things to Do in Marana

On the Riptide slide, brave park goers grip small, yellow rafts as they descend down a nearly vertical 35-foot drop into a long alley of water. This thrilling ride is one of the Breaker Water Park's main attractions, joined by the twisting and turning Bonzai Pipeline—which propels bodies through a large jumble of pipes—and a massive wave pool filled with more than 1 million chlorinated gallons. The sprawling Breakers compound also has two food and refreshment stands and plenty of space for dining or relaxation. Sunbathers and those afflicted with wicked-witch syndrome can plant their beach towels and collect sunshine at one of many seating areas, and families with children too small for larger water slides can escort the tykes to Captain's Kidd's Surfari. A designated kids' area, the Surfari gives littler kids an oversized and waterlogged playground outfitted with wading pools, tamer slides, and elaborate sprinkler fountains.

Across Disruptive Paintball’s six battlefields, teams splatter blotches of color across 18 acres of dry desert landscape. Amidst the shrubs and sparse trees, they slink behind giant wooden spools and up stairs into watchtowers, where they pick off opponents belly crawling up dirt mounds. Players can also post up inside a dilapidated helicopter and various forts or challenge their aim and reflexes on the small speedball court furnished with large inflatable obstacles. Because the center's varied and exciting arena attracts players of virtually every age and skill level—from seven-year-old girls and boys to elderly grandparents—staff members divide participants by skill level to ensure every player has a safe and fun experience. Disruptive Paintball also hosts airsoft nights, a game similar to paintball that uses soft pellets in place of paintballs.

Burnt ambers set the Sonoran Desert ablaze at sunset, when the guides at Spanish Trail Outfitters shepherd horseback riders through the desert's serpentine trails. Tours launch from two locations, the Rocking K Ranch and Westward Look Resort. The Rocking K Ranch sprawls across 3,300 acres in the Rincon Valley, riddled with Native American petroglyphs, panoramic views of mountain peaks, and dirt donated from philanthropic Mars civilizations. Humans and horse compatriots embark on short jaunts or half-day rides, complete with lunch, and gallop between the prickly prongs of Saguaro cacti and herds of grazing cattle and hungry rock formations. Nestled in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains, Westward Look Resort affords breathtaking views of mountain peaks and the Tucson valley.

Amid cacti and brush, beneath milk-white clouds, Cocoraque Trail Ranch & Pavillion's sprawling desert scenery makes it impossible to discern whether it's 1890 or the twenty-first century—and it hardly matters. Wranglers and ranch hands still work as they did more than a century ago when Señor Benito Robles homesteaded the rustic ranch. Today, Tucson native and third-generation cattle rancher Jesus Arvizu is at the helm. Under his guidance, ranch hands rise before sun up to shoe and groom horses, mend fences, and film commercials for blue jeans.

Upon arrival to the 16,000-acre ranch, visitors step into the time of cowboys and cattle. A red-dobe ranch house built in the 1890s facilitates cookouts with a mesquite-fired grill and an adjacent picnic area. Aspirant riders can team up with seasoned wranglers and ranch hands to participate in genuine cattle drives, herding livestock in their signature "V" formation. For large-scale old-timey gatherings, the ranch's open-air pavilion accommodates weddings, birthdays, and parties with a saloon-style bar, a covered eating area, a dance floor, and a bonfire pit.

Founder Brianna Arndt dreamed of a place where her fellow citizens checked their stress at the door, engaging only in meditative exercise and relaxing spa treatments. So she got her hands on a 2,400-square-foot studio with new, polished hardwood floors and used her know-how as a registered yoga teacher and massage therapist to open Barefoot Studio. Brianna blends an intimate knowledge of the body's workings into every class, choosing asanas that help relax, heal, or energize clients. Outside the studio, she employs massage to relax tense muscles or beautifies bodies with waxing, facials, and pedicures, the only known treatment for a chronic fear of toes.

Funtasticks Tuscon entices visitors of all ages with abundant play areas along with racing, riding, and sporty attractions. Guests can test their aim by precisely putting through one of two 18-hole miniature golf courses, sniping opponents in a high-tech laser-tag facility, or hitting softball or baseball homers in a batting cage that launches orbs between 40 and 70 mph from an accusatory foam pointer finger.

Electric bumper boats come equipped with water guns for squirt-attacks against other seafarers, and go-karts navigate a racetrack's lengthy stretches and curves. The video arcade's plentitude of games rewards players with tickets redeemable for prizes, and Kiddie Land sequesters a bouncy castle, rookie go-kart track, and mini roller coaster geared to younger attendees. Funtasticks Tucson accommodates organized group outings and birthday parties with an extensive selection of packages.