Prescott, AZ Outdoor Activities

Under the red, rocky peaks carved by Arizona's waterways, The Hook Up Outfitters's expert guides lead chartered trips in search of trophy-size largemouth and striped bass. During each all-inclusive daytime adventure, the staff equips anglers with necessities such as G.Loomis rods, Shimano reels, tackle and gear, and refreshing beverages. The Hook Up Outfitters's team includes Bassmaster Classic competitors and nationally profiled elite fishermen who tailor expert guidance to participants' individual goals, such as learning how to fish a particular spot or identify their aquatic doppelganger.

The guides at Arizona Trail Horse Adventures lead sightseers on horseback rides through Dead Horse Ranch State Park and the Verde Valley. Horse and rider traverse a variety of terrain, crossing barren riverbeds, trotting through high desert, or pondering the duality of cottonwood trees, all while absorbing the beautiful scenery of their surroundings. The trails pose numerous opportunities to spot the wild animals indigenous to the region, including great blue heron, black hawks, beavers, and mule deer. On the 180-minute Monument Loop Trail, peeled peepers can spot the Tuzigoot National Monument, which displays the remains of a Native American pueblo.

The highly trained guides at Canyon Rio Rafting spearhead half-, full-, and multi-day expeditions down the Salt River, Rio Chama, and San Juan River. Certified in first aid and versed in advanced wilderness medical and rescue training, they ensure that trips run as smoothly over Class II–IV rapids as a mustache over the foam of a cappuccino. Following romps on oar rafts, paddle rafts, and inflatable kayaks, guides nourish excursionists with gourmet meals.

Alternatively, Canyon Rio Rafting's certified instructors help foster future whitewater navigation by staging courses for guides, rescue technicians, and kayakers.

The certified instructors at Go Stand Up Paddle propagate their passion for serenely skimming the waters during paddleboard lessons for first-time paddlers to aspiring paddleboard racers. The classes range in subject matter from basic skills to prodding aside herds of lake monsters to fitness—incorporating flexibility, cardio, and core-strength exercises into the low-impact, full-body sport. The teachers also lead parties to introduce groups to paddleboarding and help them to celebrate a special occasion, and Paddleboard Adventures, in which they supply the gear, know-how, and midday meal necessary to fuel paddlboarding excursions. Before setting onto the gentle body of water, athletes can rent a board or build their own out of popsicle sticks.

Starting more than a decade ago with self-driven seven-day excursions in northern Arizona and Baja California, Sedona Off Road Adventures has since expanded into scenic day tours, sunset tours, and treks down extreme terrain. Guides dispense geological and historical tidbits as up to 12 Hummer passengers weave through trails tucked behind mountains and navigate obstacles down rougher trails littered with rocks and hitchhiking tumbleweeds. Jeep tours whisk guests 2,000 feet above a pine forest or deep into ancient Indian ruins, and helicopter and Hummer combo tours grant glimpses of Boynton Canyon from overhead before returning customers to terra firma for a trek through primitive trails. Later, clients eager for a chance behind the wheel can enrich their Hummer-piloting ability at driving-school sessions.

Lake Pleasant Watercraft Rentals’ staff helps its customers explore 10,000 acres of water surrounded by the rolling foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The company's three-person Yamaha jet skis speed across the water's surface, sending blasts of mist and churned water into the faces of tailgating pelicans. Nearby, 200 horsepower speedboats create rushes of adrenaline as they tow wakeboards, tubes, and water skis. Pontoon boats take up to 10 passengers on floating picnics and fishing trips, and tours let customers experience the lake without having to learn its fish community’s complicated traffic laws.