Sedona, AZ Outdoor Activities

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.

Since hosting their first class in 1989, Arizona Climbing and Adventure School's instructors have sent an estimated 37,000 students scurrying up the earth's craggy cliffs. Instead of learning climbing in an indoor facility, participants climb nature’s precipices outdoors upon the Southwest's cliffs and mountains. Adventurer and school director Mark Brontsema guides his students and fellow instructors by a philosophy that emphasizes self-reliance, goal setting, and teamwork. He now brings more than three decades to his post as school director, taking time from a busy schedule that includes writing gear reviews for the New York Times.

The school offers a large number of courses that target students of varying skill levels and reveal technique secrets in small groups of two to six students. Classes may focus on rappelling and anchors, guide services, and equipment-free bouldering, which relies solely on the climber's hands, feet, and retractable suction cups. Adventure courses include day trips and overnight climbing excursions, while special workshops address topics such as backpacking, being an ecologically responsible climber and hiker, and using GPS devices.

Just south of the gateway to the Grand Canyon stands Bearizona, a drive-thru wildlife exhibit that regales creature-seeking carpools with bison, mountain goats, and other animals from the comfort of their own automobile. The 3-mile drive takes guests through sprawling enclosures, where they can peer in on packs of cuddly arctic wolves or ask black bears for directions to the nearest stocked cooler. After traversing the park’s drive-thru section, visitors can stroll through the forested Fort Bearizona enclosure, which houses exhibits of smaller animals and Bearizona Barnyard, an interactive petting zoo.

Juniper trees, prickly pear cacti, and other desert flora shade the rugged Sedona landscape, where A Day in the West's knowledgeable tour guides roam under the guidance of the outfit's owner, John Bradshaw, who's also the son of prolific Western movie star Bob Bradshaw. In fully equipped jeeps with four-wheel drive, they marshal adventurous sightseers on tours past sites such as the Mogollon Rim and historic Van Deren Cabin. For less rugged tracks, the team shepherds visitors on horseback along scenic trails, stopping for occasional alfresco picnics or dinners, shows, and elective hoof-implant surgeries. Future ascenders can check here for helpful tips on weather, clothing, and recommended accessories.

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.