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Arizona adventure offers an adrenaline rush for every appetite
Wide range of exhilarating activities are guaranteed to thrill
PHOENIX, Ariz. (Jan. 15, 2013) -- Looking for a big adventure? Thrill-seekers and adrenaline
junkies rejoice! Arizona has exactly what you need to get your juices flowing, whether it’s
skydiving, whitewater rafting, adventure tours, and beyond. With year-round opportunities for
visitors to push the envelope, there’s an exciting journey in store for even the most reserved
adventurer.
From outfitters that will arrange your entire trip to web resources to help you do it yourself,
visitors to the state will need to return again and again to mark all the adventures in Arizona off
their long bucket list – especially since some of these thrills may be addictive. Visit
www.arizonaguide.com to get your trip started.
Those wanting to soar to new heights will be interested in the buzz of fighter combat or
aerobatic flights. Each flight offered by Aviation Performance Solutions is customized to
individual specifications where the thrill-seeker has the chance to be their own pilot and take
control. Visitors have the chance to fly multiple real air combat engagements against adversaries
or experience inverted flight, tail slides and torque rolls in half-day experiences to five-day
missions. Ready for combat? Visit http://www.fightercombat.com to learn more.
Want to feel the wind on your face? A number of companies offering skydiving, gliding and
ultralite plane rides. With its wide-open desert, Arizona is the perfect place to experiment with
the laws of gravity. Thrill-seekers have their choice of locations throughout the state to take in
the sights with companies offering rides for beginners all the way up to fully experienced. For
those who prefer to stay in a more contained area for their aerial adventure, Skyventure Arizona
(http://www.skyventureaz.com) offers an indoor skydiving wind tunnel that simulates a
skydiving experience without ever having to jump out of an airplane or use a parachute. Every
www.arizonaguide.com 1110 W. Washington, Suite 155 Phoenix, AZ 85007 [P] 602.364.3700 [F] 602.364.3701 Janice K. Brewer, Governor ♦ Sherry Henry, Director minute in the tunnel is equal to one free-fall skydive, so visitors can master various flying and
aerobatic skills.
For a slower ride in the sky while enjoying the open air, hot-air balloon rides offer the
opportunity to scan the city skylines and float serenely over Arizona’s desert mountains. Arizona
has several private hot-air ballooning operators that can take you on an unforgettable flight.
If you crave a rush closer to the ground, the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance
Driving in Chandler offers the ideal learning experience for daredevil drivers or aspiring racers.
The Driving and Racing School features a 60-acre purpose-built racing facility that teaches
racers to drive like professionals. Racing courses range from four hours to four days and are
designed for beginners through experienced and professional racers. The Bondurant Tracks
consist of four race tracks at the school, plus access to three of Firebird Raceway’s tracks.
Bondurant also has a SuperKart School that offers individual karting courses for beginner
through advanced karters. The school uses top of the line racing karts, including the CRG shifter
karts that can reach a speed of 100 mph in as little as six seconds. Additional information on
packages and pricing is available at http://www.bondurant.com.
To experience desert terrain the way many of Arizona’ wildlife does, a variety of desert tour
companies provide Sonoran Desert tours in heavy-duty four-wheel vehicles equipped to handle
the rugged land. These tours offer a glimpse into the culture, history, animal and plant life that
inhabit the desert. Tours range from two hours to a full day and some companies even offer
evening tours to observe the night dwellers and enjoy some stellar desert stargazing. Desert Wolf
Tours offers a "firearms experience," with an off-road tour and shooting trip. The package
includes training by NRA-certified rifle and pistol instructors, and is for both novices and
seasoned shooters. Additional information can be found at http://www.desertwolftours.com.
For those who aren’t afraid to get wet while taking a thrill ride, whitewater rafting is the perfect
adventurous experience. There are a variety of rafting tour companies based throughout the
entire state offering tours for rafters of all experience levels down the Salt River Canyon in
Central Arizona, Verde River in Camp Verde and the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.
Two-day, three-day and five-day trips create adventures with opportunities to break on the sandy
beaches and catch a glimpse of wildlife like javelinas, black bears, golden eagles, otter and
varied bird life.
Arizona’s vast rugged landscape provides the perfect terrain for exhilarating mountain biking,
and the vast number of trails, guides and mountain bike enthusiasts can attest to it. South
Mountain Park in Phoenix is the largest municipal park in the world, boasting more than 60,000
acres and 51 miles of trails for mountain bikers of all abilities. Popular trails in this park are
Holbert, Corona Loma, Telegraph Pass, Mormon/National and Alta Trails for expert bikers;
while Desert Classic, Ranger and Bajada Trails for beginner to intermediate riders.
Sunrise Park Resort in the heart of Arizona’s White Mountains is a great place to find downhill
paths for intermediate skill levels. Mountain bikers can use the ski lift with special carriers
www.arizonaguide.com 1110 W. Washington, Suite 155 Phoenix, AZ 85007 [P] 602.364.3700 [F] 602.364.3701 Janice K. Brewer, Governor ♦ Sherry Henry, Director mounted on the chairs to carry bikes to the top of Sunrise Mountain. The resort offers bike
rentals and all-day lift tickets for mountain bikes during the summer.
In the Verde River basin area, McDowell Mountain Regional Park offers more than 50 miles of
multiuse trails and spectacular views of the mountain ranges. The McDowell Competitive Track
offers three loops totaling 15 miles – one for experts, one for intermediates and one for average
riders. Trails in Sedona offer bikers the thrills of advanced and moderate rides while surrounded
by beautiful red rock formations. Cathedral Rock Trail is quick and twisting and runs by Oak
Creek for riders who want to take a break for a dip in the water. Soldier Pass Secret Trail is an
easier trail that winds through various landmarks like Devil’s Sink.
In Southern Arizona, mountain bike trails abound within the desert and Santa Catalina
Mountains. The most popular trail is Fantasy Island which requires a state trust land permit, and
takes intermediate rides through twists, turns and even down a half-pipe while viewing beautiful
cacti and colorful wild flowers. For more information on Arizona mountain biking trails, visit
http://www.mbaa.net.
Tucson also offers an abundance of cycling paths for road cyclists, and has been noted as one of
the most bicycle-friendly cities by Bicycling Magazine. The city hosts the popular Tour de
Tucson each November, which features cycling teams and individual cyclists from all over the
country.
With its temperate weather, Arizona offers ideal conditions for motorcycle riders. For those
looking for the ride of a lifetime that covers hundreds of miles of scenic routes, guided
motorcycle tours in the Southwest offer the best way to experience the beautiful landscape and
plentiful history that can’t be found on a map. Tour companies offer dozens of guided and
customized tours all over Arizona. Lasting anywhere from three days to more than two weeks,
tours can cover hundreds of miles and travel through areas such as Jerome, Sedona, the Grand
Canyon, Monument Valley, Four Corners, Canyon de Chelly, the Petrified Forest, Route 66,
Devil’s Highway, Arizona White Mountains and more. For a full list of tour companies and for
more information, visit http://www.arizonaguide.com/.
Arizona spelunking, or caving, has established its own place in history with the discovery in the
1970s of the world-famous Kartchner Caverns in southern Arizona. Thanks to the ability of the
two spelunkers who found this Arizona treasure to keep a long-held secret, the caverns were
opened to the public after careful preservation in 1999. Spelunkers looking for similar
discoveries will find an abundance of areas throughout the state that offer the tiniest of openings
in which to squeeze your body. For the less adventurous (or more claustrophobic), there are other
cave tours that include Colossal Cave near Tucson and Grand Canyon Caverns on historic Route
66.
Arizona is a mountain climber’s paradise, with enough gorges and high peaks to physically
challenge the most experienced hiker. Phoenix’s Seven Summits Challenge showcases the best
www.arizonaguide.com 1110 W. Washington, Suite 155 Phoenix, AZ 85007 [P] 602.364.3700 [F] 602.364.3701 Janice K. Brewer, Governor ♦ Sherry Henry, Director of Arizona’s urban mountains, with hikers scaling the seven peaks of the Phoenix area – Papago
Park Buttes, Camelback Mountain, Shaw Butte, Lookout Mountain, South Mountain Preserve,
Piestewa Peak and North Mountain – all within a two-day period. In the northern part of the
state, of course, is the Grand Canyon, with die-hard hikers that have been known to go rim to rim
to rim – all in a day’s work.
Rock climbers can belay with their own partner or benefit from a professional guide, certified
by the American Mountain Guides Association (http://www.amga.com). Popular rock climbing
sites in Arizona are the McDowell Mountains south of Phoenix, the Superstitions, Mount
Lemmon and Cochise Stronghold in the southern part of the state, Queen Creek, Jack’s Canyon
and the steep and challenging Camelback Mountain, right in the heart of Phoenix.
During Arizona’s warmer months, there’s nothing like the refreshing feeling of jumping in a
large pool of water, especially after sweating bullets on your way down a steep water slide. The
Phoenix area offers water parks that entertain hundreds of thrill seekers throughout the summer
and early fall. A list of Arizona water parks is available at http://arizonaguide.com/things-todo/family-attractions/water-parks. For those seeking a more natural plunge, Havasupai Falls near
Arizona’s Grand Canyon, and Slide Rock State Park offer a cool respite in a picturesque Arizona
setting.
From serene flights over mountaintops to diving in canyon lakes, Arizona offers thrills to last a
lifetime. Visit www.arizonaguide.com for more information.
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For More Information:
For more information on this topic and others see the official Arizona travel and vacation guide
from the Arizona Office of Tourism at www.arizonaguide.com. Find in-depth AZ visitor
information and videos about visiting the state of Arizona, including comprehensive directories
of Arizona hotels, dining and shopping, as well as things to do and places to visit throughout the
Grand Canyon State.
www.arizonaguide.com 1110 W. Washington, Suite 155 Phoenix, AZ 85007 [P] 602.364.3700 [F] 602.364.3701 Janice K. Brewer, Governor ♦ Sherry Henry, Director