Surprise 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.

Shalimar Country Club's 2,417 yards of manicured golfing terrain are peppered with towering trees, slinking sand traps, and rolling hills. The design of the nine-hole, par-33 course masterfully incorporates its scenic assets—the fifth hole sits across a yawning lake, and the ninth hole's island green is flanked on all sides by water hazards, bunkers, and punks who steal golf balls for their solar-system dioramas. To be prepared to dodge these obstacles, players practice on a driving range and chipping-and-putting green. After their rounds, golfers can wander into the restaurant and lounge for a meal or a drink or peruse the golf shop to try on new apparel and test the mettle of name-brand equipment.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par-33 course

• Distance of 2,417 yards from the farthest tees

• Course rating of 31.2 from the farthest tees

• Three tee options

• Link to scorecard

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.

Sunbird Golf Resort lines up 18 picturesque holes in its par-66 executive course, which spreads over 4,384 yards amid a welcoming residential area. Though relatively short in overall length, the Gary Panks design brims with obstacles capable of ensnaring wayward balls, including greenside bunkers, water on 10 holes, and mischievous palm trees that drop coconuts to confuse searching golfers. Before a round, players can test green speed on practice putting greens next to the 1st and 10th tee boxes and warm up with shorter strokes on a slightly truncated driving range.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-66 course
• Total length of 4,384 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 62 from the back tees
• Course slope of 102 from the back tees
• Three sets of tees per hole
• Scorecard