Sun City West, AZ Outdoor Activities

Though glimpsed by many people for the first time on an episode of The Amazing Race, the desert acres traversed by Fort McDowell Adventures are steeped in millennia of Yavapai Indian history. Guides lead visitors across the Arizonan foothills on a range of outdoorsy and sometimes anachronistic adventures, such as cattle drives and Segway tours through the Sonoran desert, kayaking adventures on the Verde River, and nature walks with Yavapai Indians. These excursions often end in nighttime wiener roasts, s'mores, and cocktails, a break from the frontier tradition of telling campfire sci-fi stories.

Activities at Fort McDowell Adventures’s four venues further immerse guests in the American Western experience. They gather for Dutch oven–style cowboy cookouts and depart for wilderness excursions from The Stables. At La Puesta del Sol, guests pass through a Spanish mission entrance into a dining hall, saloon, stage, and dance floor, and at Rosa's Ranch, they gather under the stars and around cookout fire pits nestled between rustic wooden ranch buildings. Groups dine at The Boulder House, named on the National Registry of Historic Places, whose rock walls bear evidence of petroglyphs, Native American occupation, and ancient spelunking expeditions.

Born in 1945, Fred Amator's Arizona-bound life began on a dairy farm southwest of Phoenix. Later, work took him across the state, from the Sonoran Desert and Mogollon Rim to the Grand Canyon. During his Jeep tours, the CPR-certified driver's intimate knowledge of Arizona comes alive as he escorts two–four guests on desert journeys full of historical anecdotes, rather than mirages of Benjamin Franklin greedily chugging water.

During expeditions, Amator’s passengers take in panoramic views of the Gila Bend Mountains, off-road past the native trees and cacti around the White Tank Mountains, or potentially spot coyotes and rabbits at Margie's Peak. Amator also accompanies guests on three-hour trips to a farm in West Phoenix, where they observe fields full of growing cotton and the beginning of vegetable season before touring a dairy.

Trained professional guides oversee each of Rappel AZ's rappelling and ziplining sessions. Upon arriving at the outfit's private Sonoran Desert location, groups get into the adventuring spirit by embarking with guides on a brief hike to a playground of rock and rope. Among the attractions, a zipline glides 400 feet through the valley at 40 feet off the ground, offering spectacular views of the desert. A variety of other rappelling and climbing packages provide plenty of opportunities for elevation changes, whether it's rappelling 70 feet off a mountainside or attempting a 100-foot chimney climb faster than Santa Claus. As they enjoy the breathtaking views, guests stay safe in provided harnesses for safe dangling and helmets for pumping up other rappellers with head butts.

Survive Off Road's four-wheel drive and survival training courses equip students with the preparedness to overcome dire situations including navigating treacherous terrain or being stranded in the desert. Primary instructor Chuck Davis is certified by the International 4-Wheel Drive Trainers' Association and typically caps his classes at 10 students, preferring to share his expertise in an intensive, personal setting. In addition to scheduling Basic Survival 101, Four-Wheel Drive 101, and Stranded classes, Davis can customize his lessons to meet customers' schedules, objectives, and desire to give Mother Nature last year's Mother's Day card.

Since 1969, the FAA-certified instructors at Arizona Soaring have placed their faith in powerful breezes instead of manmade engines. Their fleet of 15 single- and two-person sailplanes catch thermals¬—which are a daily occurrence at the fair-weather desert location—to soar over the sun-drenched Sierra Estrella among airborne hawks and bounce houses filled with helium. Teachers train new and experienced pilots in the art of gliding or launch crafts skyward with riders in tow. Demonstration rides treat thrill-seekers to mellow basic rides or aerobatic adventures that set hearts pounding like ocean waves before a thunderstorm or after a moon implosion.

Maintaining a fleet of 19.5- and 25-foot speed boats, Sunset Toy Rentals' crew sees the water as an endless canvas on which to paint high-speed adventures and relaxing getaways. The team complements every boat rental with the addition of skis, tubes, and wakeboards so customers can add water-slicing entertainment to their time afloat. Alternatively, Sunset Toy Rentals' experienced drivers can captain charter cruises for customers. Aboard a 28-foot yacht, an experienced driver churns the vessel through the water as groups relax—lounging atop couch seating, sipping beverages from a cooler, and listening to their favorite phone messages on built-in stereo equipment.