A celebration of the adaptability and variety of plant life, this much-loved arboretum contains thousands of arid-country trees and plants from around the world. Nearly 400 acres big, with a 1.5-mile trail, it's centered on Queen Creek, and attracts migratory birds, plus more permanent populations of mammals and reptiles. The park was founded in 1924.
Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
Southern Arizona
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
29.37 MILES
Built around AD 1350, Casa Grande (Big House) is the country's largest existing Hohokam structure, with 11 rooms across four floors and mud walls several…
22.14 MILES
Located 40 miles east of Phoenix, leading into the snaggle-toothed Superstition Mountains, this 320-acre state park is popular with day-trippers and…
22.96 MILES
Exhibits at this worthwhile local museum examine the geology and native cultures of the Superstition Mountain area, plus the legend of the Lost Dutchman's…
22.84 MILES
The 1890s heyday of this former mining town, once a rival to Mesa for size and vitality, died with the exhaustion of the accessible ore. Today it's an…
Nearby Southern Arizona attractions
22.14 MILES
Located 40 miles east of Phoenix, leading into the snaggle-toothed Superstition Mountains, this 320-acre state park is popular with day-trippers and…
22.84 MILES
The 1890s heyday of this former mining town, once a rival to Mesa for size and vitality, died with the exhaustion of the accessible ore. Today it's an…
3. Superstition Mountain Museum
22.96 MILES
Exhibits at this worthwhile local museum examine the geology and native cultures of the Superstition Mountain area, plus the legend of the Lost Dutchman's…
4. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
29.37 MILES
Built around AD 1350, Casa Grande (Big House) is the country's largest existing Hohokam structure, with 11 rooms across four floors and mud walls several…