Arizona outdoor adventures are a magnet for adventurers, hunters and sun-seekers, most following the pull of a few well-known places and exciting pursuits. Among the canyons and cactus there are plenty of options for exploration. There are few more iconic sights than a forest of saguaro cactus.
Let’s plan an epic outdoor adventure in Arizona of your own!
Arizona Outdoor Adventures
Arizona’s stunning range of landscapes offers some of the world’s finest canyoneering, rock climbing, backpacking and mountain biking.
Antelope Canyon is a gorgeous slot canyon that will leave you breathless with it’s combination of extreme beauty, rock color, and bouncing ambient light that cauterizes into picture-perfect snaps.
If you’re looking for a bit of adventure, you’ll want to check out Arizona. Sunny skies, year-round perfect weather, and stellar sunsets complemented by rugged backcountry terrain make Arizona an adventurer’s dreamland.
- Summit Weavers Needle
- Raft the Grand Canyon
- Backpack to Havasu Falls
- Backpack the Grand Canyon
- Hike to Humphrey’s Peak Summit
- Hike the West Fork Trail in Sedona
- Hike Camelback Mountain
- Hike the Superstition Ridgline
- Hike to Horseshoe Bend
- Photograph Antelope Canyon
Need help getting started? We have you covered.
Fishing in Arizona
Arizona has plenty of year-round fishing opportunities.
Arizona can rival any place for quality bass fishing and is home to some serious lunkers.
Generally, higher elevation areas have good fishing for trout, walleye, and pike. In the lower elevation lakes you can find some of the best bass fishing in Arizona, if not the country!
Top 10 Best Places to go Fishing in Arizona:
- Roosevelt Lake
- Lake Havasu State Park
- Patagonia Lake State Park
- Lees Ferry
- Lake Pleasant
- Lake Mead
- Big Lake
- Dogtown Lake
- Lake Powell
- Riggs Flat Lake
Bird Hunting in Arizona
Quail hunting is what Arizona has become famous for in the upland hunting world.
Many venture to this quail hunting mecca to target primarily scaled, Gambel’s, and Mearns’ quail.
Arizona is an upland bird hunting mecca to target primarily scaled, Gambel’s, and Mearns’ quail. Of the four, Gambel’s quail is perhaps the most abundant and can be found statewide. Scaled quail (sometimes referred to as blue quail), can be found in eastern parts of the state. The Mearns’ quail has been known to make its habitat in lower parts of southern Arizona.
Why we think you should consider Arizona bird hunting:
- Arizona quail hunting is spectacular, and there are four species available for hunting in the state: Gambel’s, scaled, Mearns’, and California quail (valley quail).
- Arizona is proud of its dove hunting season and has pushed a lot to the community aspect that dove hunting can create. They also offer opportunities at the band-tailed pigeon for a limited window in October.
- Blue grouse are a good option for someone looking to add some difficulty to their bird hunting in Arizona.
- Chukar hunting in Arizona is not as common as other states such as Nevada, yet you can find populations between elevations of 5,000 and 9,000 feet.
- Pheasants can be hunted in the state, but only in the Yuma Valley region.
- One can also pursue the overlooked common snipe (Wilson’s snipe) with generous bird hunting seasons running October through January.
- Check out our bird hunts in Arizona.
Big Game Hunting in Arizona
Arizona has excellent big-game hunting.
This amazing state has ten huntable species, including pronghorn antelope, black bears, bison, desert bighorn sheep, elk, javelina, Merriam turkeys, Gould’s turkeys, mountain lions, mule deer, and Coues white-tailed deer. The world-record typical elk, which scored 442 5/8 B&C points, came from Arizona.
What you’ll need for hunting in Arizona
- A hunting/fishing license can be purchased online at www.azgfd.com.
- If you are hunting, you will need a tag. Most tags in Arizona are by draw.
- Hunter Education is not required for anyone 14 years of age or older in order to hunt in Arizona. However, hunters who take the Hunters Education Course in Arizona get a bonus point for life.
- It is unlawful to trespass on properly posted private property in Arizona, even to access public or State Trust lands.
Elk Hunting
In our opinion, Arizona has some of the best elk hunting in the world.
Unit 10 produces GIANT bulls every year. Especially on good moisture years.
Every elk hunter worth his salt dreams of drawing an elk tag in Arizona. Nowhere in the United States can you harvest free ranging elk matching the caliber of Arizona bulls. The hardest part of Arizona elk hunting is beating the draw system and finding areas that consistently produce trophy bulls.
Why you should consider elk hunting in Arizona:
- Great genetics.
- Draw only, and managed for trophy elk.
- Boone and Crockett bulls are taken yearly.
- If you draw, outfitted hunts are surprisingly affordable in Arizona when compared to other places that have guaranteed tags.
- Most units are fairly easy to hunt physically, especially when compared to some of the northwestern states.
- Did we mention big bulls?
- Learn more about our elk hunts in Arizona.
Mule Deer Hunting
Arizona is a draw state for the best rifle trophy mule deer hunts, but it is worth playing the odds!
We have access to GUARANTEED TAGS Arizona mule deer tags on private land!
Arizona mule deer hunts are high on the list for most hunters. Whoppers are taken yearly, and some consider the Arizona Strip and Kaibab Plateau to be the best place in the world to hunt mule deer. That’s up for debate, but you can’t argue that Arizona probably ranks in the top five places to take a big buck.
Why you should consider mule deer hunting in Arizona:
- Arizona has great genetics. Boone and Crockett bucks are taken yearly.
- Most units are fairly easy to hunt physically, especially when compared to some of the northwestern states.
- Most units are draw only, and managed for trophy deer. If you draw a tag in one of the premier units such as the Arizona Strip or the Kaibab, outfitted hunts are surprisingly affordable in Arizona when compared to other places that have guaranteed tags.
- Arizona has some great OTC archery mule deer hunts.
- Learn more about our mule deer hunts in Arizona.
Coues Deer Hunting
If a guy wants to come on a fun hunt and see a lot of deer, you can’t beat a Coues deer hunt.
Trophy Arizona Coues deer hunting with a nearly 100% success rate!
Hunting season for coues deer in Arizona is August through the end of the year depending on the tag you draw and/or weapon you use. Success is usually high no matter which weapon or season you choose.
Why you should consider Coues deer hunting in Arizona:
- You’ll see plenty of deer, and the trophy quality is great. An 80 -90 inch buck is a very real possibility, and coues deer above 100 inches are taken every year.
- The hunting season is August through the end of the year depending on the tag you draw and/or weapon you use.
- Success on the early hunts is nearly 100%.
- Most bucks taken with rifle score 95 inches or better.
- Most archery bucks qualify for Pope and Young.
- You don’t need to go to Mexico for a big Coues deer.
- Learn more about our Coues deer hunts in Arizona.
Black Bear Hunting
Few hunters realize that Arizona black bear hunting is VERY good., with a great population of record book size black bears.
Most bear hunters ignore Arizona, leaving A LOT of record book bear hunting opportunities underutilized.
Most hunters know all about the great deer and elk hunting found in Arizona but very few hunters realize that black bear hunting is VERY good as well. With a great population of record book size black bears, it is a good place to hunt.
When black bear hunting Arizona, keep in mind that the bears tend to run slightly smaller in body size than their northern counterparts but what they may lack in body they make up for with skull size.
Why you should consider bear hunting in Arizona:
- World class black bear hunting with extremely high percentage of color phase bears.
- Guaranteed tags.
- Two bears per hunter in some areas.
- Spring and Fall Hunts.
- Learn more about our black bear hunts in Arizona.
