Things to Do in Prescott Valley

In the shadow of the mountains of Tonto National Forest, Bartlett Lake watercrafts skid across 2,815 acres of the lake's pristine waters. The marina abounds with recreational facilities—its fleet of professional jet skis, pontoons, and ski boats sit parked along docks of grills, a general store, and a covered, floating patio. A 45-foot yacht towers over the rest of the rental boats, furnishing lively parties of up to 25 people with a slide, bar, and restroom, while a large houseboat floats along the lake peacefully—an impressive vessel complete with private rooms, a deck, and kitchen. As visitors navigate the lake or forage the surrounding area's desert terrain trails, they have the opportunity to admire indigenous plants and abundant wildlife.

There's something timeless about Macdonald Ranch. Maybe it's that visitors can take a guided horseback ride through the desert, pose for an old-time photo, or ride a stagecoach—which in certain cases, might be held up by actors dressed as outlaws. But whatever the reason guests dock their zeppelin at Macdonald Ranch, the staff hopes to treat them to a fun ranch experience. They surround them with music, cowboy shows, and seasonal attractions such as the annual pumpkin festival.

Macdonald Ranch covers 1,300 acres of the scenic Sonoran Desert. Whether on horseback or a hayride, guests can explore the area and view its desert flora, hawks, petrified spurs, and coyotes.

Front Range Climbing Company offers some of the best guided rock climbing in Colorado. Try our climbing instruction from the very basics of the sport to the cutting edge of technical climbing. Our climbing classes don't stop at the end of the summer but continue through the winter months.

At Lynda Orescanin’s lampwork studio, she melts rods and tubes of glass into silver-studded spheres and delicate aquamarine swirls. Intricately detailed and no bigger than an eraser tip, the glass beads resemble paperweights for a doll’s desk. “I love the way the glass flows,” says Ms. Orescanin. “I love that you can’t rush it.”

Ms. Orescanin brings that same passion and expertise to her shop’s jewelry-making classes. She seeks out striking materials for her students, from Czech pressed-glass beads and Afghan lapis to metal charms cut from recycled filing cabinets. Inside her intimate studio, she strives to create a nurturing, friendly environment that encourages experimentation. Classes allow up to six students to sidle up to the well-lit worktable and try their hand at making jewelry. Ms. Orescanin walks them through the basics of jewelry making, from tool use to beading technique. “People say, ‘Oh, I’m not creative, I don’t know anything about color,’" she says. "But when they finish something, I’m like, ‘Wow, it's magnificent. I would have never thought to put those together in that particular way.”

Generally, adulthood forces people to give up childish pleasure, robbing them of the joy associated with playing in puddles, throwing dirt clods, and eating clay. The organizers behind Mad Mud Run Phoenix want grownups to regress, if only for a day. Held in the Sonoran desert, the race challenges participants to sprint and frolic through a dirty and deliciously fun outdoor obstacle course. Racers aged 12 and up bound over manmade obstructions such as cargo nets, hills of hay bales, monkey bars, and slimy mud pits. The boot-camp style odysseys stretch anywhere from three to five miles in length, and can be run individually or in groups of two or five. Racers are encouraged to compete in costumes of all types save for gremlins, which multiply in water and unfairly dominate the timed results.