Extended Weekend Getaways ‘Off the Beaten Path’ Hiking Excursions at Petrified Forest National Park
Discover secluded areas within Petrified Forest National Park with eight new Off the Beaten Path guides that direct hikers away from busier areas to explore the park’s hidden gem trails. Adventures include following old roadbeds, trekking into the wild badlands of the Painted Desert and hiking a path made by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The trails are open all year round and range from four to eight miles. The new guides are available at the park’s visitor center.
New Rockin’ River Ranch State Park to Open in Camp Verde
Be one of the first to visit and explore Rockin’ River Ranch State Park in Camp Verde. Spend the day at Arizona’s newest state park and enjoy hiking trails, kayaking or fishing while you take in remarkable views of the cottonwood tree-lined Verde River. Then, have a picnic at this day-use-only park. After visiting, take the opportunity to explore the surrounding Verde Valley for even more outdoor adventures such as visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument and touring the area wineries.
Arizona’s First Lighted Golf Course
Grass Clippings Rolling Hills in Tempe is offering golfers an exciting nightime golf experience. As one of only 20 lighted courses in the country, golfers can enjoy playing 18 holes on the executive golf course late into the night with the course open until midnight on the weekends. Whether playing during the day or at night, enjoy this pristine golf course with remarkable views of the Papago Buttes.
Arizona’s Newest National Monument A Top Travel Destination for 2024
The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon builds upon decades of effort from tribal nations, state and local officials, advocates for outdoor recreation and conservation, local business owners and members of Congress. The new national monument consists of three distinct areas to the north and south of Grand Canyon National Park, totaling approximately 917,599 acres of federal lands which will be recognized and preserved in perpetuity. The monument area is replete with evidence of thousands of years of human habitation, including dwelling sites, pottery and lithic sites containing stone tools. Indigenous peoples continue to practice their traditional lifeways within this area, including religious ceremonies and gathering and utilizing natural resources, including those unique and exclusive to this region.
Stay within a Navajo hogan at Shash Dine Eco-Retreat
Live within an earth and log hoghann (Hogan) and enjoy a traditional Navajo dinner thanks to the Navajo Experience offered by Shash Dine Eco-Retreat located near Page. During your two-night minimum stay, hear Navajo stories while eating savory lamb, bread and desserts underneath an starry sky before waking up for the morning walking tour to witness an unparalleled sunrise.
Dining
Visit Tucson’s new America’s Best Mexican Food Field Guide helps visitors discover the authentic Mexican cuisine that makes Tucson home to America’s Best Mexican Food. The guide highlights the best Mexican restaurants within this UNESCO City of Gastronomy including El Charro Café, where the chimichanga was invented, and try Tucson’s iconic Sonoran hotdog with a twist at Ruiz Hot Dogs los Chipilones, just to name a few. Tumerico, a vegetarian 
Mexican cuisine restaurant in Tucson has been named the best restaurant in the US to eat at in 2024 for redefining Mexican cuisine and vegetarian dishes by serving Latin vegetarian food. A 2024 James Beard Semifinalist, chef-owner Wendy Garcia took family recipes and transformed them into plant-based cuisine to enjoy with her famous flavorful salsa. For more information, visit https://www.visittucson.org/eat-drink/mexican-food/
