Arizona
Nature|Parks & Gardens

With A Playground And A Dog Park, This Family-Friendly Park In Arizona Is The Best Summer Day Trip

Published Aug 7, 2024

Written by 

Melissa Mahoney

Arizona summers can be quite hot, especially where I live in the Phoenix Metro area. What I love to do is make an escape up north to either Payson, Sedona, or Flagstaff. In less than two hours, I can take my kids somewhere slightly cooler where we can spend more time outdoors. One summer day trip you can take is to Bushmaster Park, a family-friendly park in Arizona that happens to be in Flagstaff.

Bushmaster Park is one of those parks where you could easily spend the entire day. There are so many ways to keep the family enjoying the great outdoors here.

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Mykael Johnson/Google Reviews

This family-friendly Arizona park is located at 3150 N Alta Vista Dr. in Flagstaff and offers quite a bit of fun for all ages.

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Alan Luse/Google Reviews

Located within Bushmaster Park are several playgrounds along with four basketball and tennis courts, a volleyball court, and pickleball courts.

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Paul Garnevich/Google Reviews

Additionally, there are horseshoe pits, a roller skating arena, and an outdoor fitness area as well. See, there's something here for everyone!

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Tabitha H/Google Reviews

If you have a skateboarder in your family, make sure they take their skateboard with them. They're going to love the skate park!

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Christopher Fox Graham/Google Reviews

Do you have a dog? Bring your pup with you as well! Bushmaster Park has its very own bark park where your four-legged best friend can run and play and socialize with other dogs while getting out lots of energy.

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Meaghan Daniels/Google Reviews

If you plan on spending the day here at Bushmaster Park, make sure to also bring a picnic with you. You'll find picnic ramadas or you can bring a blanket and set up on the grass. This is a truly delightful park for the whole family to spend a day.

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Gina/Google Reviews

Has your family spent time at Bushmaster Park in Flagstaff? Do you have another favorite family-friendly park in Arizona? Tell us about it in the comments! For more information on Bushmaster Park, visit the Discover Flagstaff website.

Need an idea for a fun activity in Flagstaff? Book the Flagstaff Route 66 Electric Bike Guided Tour 2 HR on Viator!

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Nature|Parks & Gardens

Canyon Coaster Adventure Park Has Arizona’s Very First Mountain Coaster

Canyon Coaster Adventure Park in Williams, Arizona, offers the state's first mountain coaster and year-round family fun.

Updated Jul 31, 2024

Written by 

Katie Lawrence

Here in Arizona, you can take a chairlift 10,000 feet above the ground, but up until last fall, you couldn't ride a bona fide mountain coaster in our state. Canyon Coaster Adventure Park changed that in 2021, bringing the state's very first mountain coaster to Williams, and it's a place the whole family can enjoy. With thrilling twists and turns and lots of high-flying fun, there's nothing like this canyon coaster in Arizona!

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Known as the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon," Williams is a historic small town nestled along the Arizona stretch of Route 66.

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Siqui Sanchez / Moment Open Collection / Getty Images

The town is home to a number of tourist attractions, and one more is about to join the list. Canyon Coaster Adventure Park, set to open this fall, will be the proud home of Canyon Coaster, a thrilling mountain coaster, among other attractions.

Arizona's first and only mountain coaster, Canyon Coaster features a mile-long track complete with steep descents, dips, twists, hairpin turns, and 360-degree corkscrews.

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Canyon Coaster Adventure Park

You'll enjoy breathtaking scenery on the way up, then control the speed of your descent. Either keep it slow and steady for the kiddos or race down the mountain at lightning speed on a solo ride. Either way, the attraction is fit for the whole family.

Boasting year-round fun, the park will also have a giant snow tubing hill in the fall and winter months.

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Canyon Coaster Adventure Park

The tubes are provided, so just bring yourself and a healthy sense of adventure.

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Instead of trekking up the hill yourself, a conveyer belt does the work for you.

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Canyon Coaster Adventure Park

You'll probably want to slide down the hill more than once, so the help is much appreciated.

Since the park makes its own snow, there's no need to wait until the first flakes of the year have fallen, either.

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Canyon Coaster Adventure Park

These high-powered snow guns create slopes up to 20 feet deep!

For the snow hill, children must ride in the same inner tube as a paying adult 18 years of age or older. Admission rates vary by age and can be found on the website, linked below.

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Canyon Coaster Adventure Park

This epic alpine slide in Arizona is located in the charming town of Williams, about 30 miles west of Flagstaff.

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Google Maps

Have you been to this canyon coaster in Arizona? Did you know about this epic alpine slide in Arizona? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below, then check out our previous article for another high-flying adventure in Wiliams, Arizona:

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/arizona/route-66-zipline-az/

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Nature|Parks & Gardens

The Secret Garden In Arizona You’re Guaranteed To Love

Discover the hidden gem of The Rose Garden at Mesa Community College, a free public garden perfect for horticulture enthusiasts and art lovers.

Updated Jul 18, 2024

Written by 

Monica Spencer

Looking for an excuse to stop and smell the roses? How about a visit to a secret garden in Arizona? If you're like me and enjoy hidden gems, public gardens, and free attractions, then you're going to love the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College in Arizona. It's a hidden gem most people don't know about. Take a look:

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If you've ever driven down Southern Avenue in Mesa, chances are you've seen this very sight. Hiding behind a fancy bus stop is...

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Mesa Community College/Facebook

The Rose Garden at Mesa Community College!

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Mesa Community College/Facebook

Located at the north entrance of the Mesa Community College campus is this secret garden in Arizona, which is home to more than 9,000 rose bushes in about 350 varieties. That makes it the largest rose garden in our neck of the woods!

The garden's origins began in 1997 as a partnership with the college and the Mesa-East Valley Rose Society to help beautify the area. Since then, it's become the only rose garden testing site in the southwest, a location for small events, and a prime destination for people who love finding hidden gems. And of course, it's one of the very best gardens in Arizona.

Fun fact: When I attended MCC many years ago, the garden was in its early phase. Since then, it has blossomed into a true beauty!

The garden is a great spot for a nice stroll through a quiet area.

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Trip Advisor/Management

Most visitors tend to explore the garden on their own but you'll occasionally find guided tours throughout the year.

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You can learn about horticulture and even volunteer to help out at one of the prettiest gardens to visit in Arizona.

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Lutfi H/Trip Advisor
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Mesa Community College/Facebook

Since it's a national testing site to learn about how roses can best survive in the desert, you'll get to figure out how to replicate such gorgeous results in your own backyard.

One of the best gardens in Arizona is also perfect for art, like plein air painting or photography!

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Mesa Community College/Facebook

You'll also find several memorials located here as well, such as this Blue Star Memorial, part of the Veterans Rose Garden.

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Mesa Community College/Facebook

The best part of all this? Visiting is free and open to the public daily!

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Mesa Community College/Facebook
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Mesa Community College/Facebook

The best time to visit the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College is in the spring (late March through June) and fall (November and December).

One of the best gardens in Arizona, you'll find this on the north side of campus, along Southern Avenue. Head to the website for Mesa Community College to learn more.

Have you ever been to the Rose Garden at Mesa Community College in Arizona? What do you think are the prettiest gardens to visit in Arizona? Tell us in the comments!

Explore Arizona outdoors even further. Check out what AllTrails has for hiking!

Want to see more gardens around the state? Check out these nine beautiful gardens in Arizona.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/arizona/az-beautiful-gardens/

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