Arizona’s Amusement Adventures

Barefoot Trail | Flagstaff

Offering a unique spin on the traditional theme park, Barefoot Trail invites visitors of all ages to walk sans shoes on a specially manicured one-mile trail. Guests meander through the Ponderosas on a path of dirt, mud, water, sand, stone and rocks, feeling the diverse sensations of each material as they connect with the great outdoors. Along the trail, “adventure stations” allow guests to challenge body and mind by balancing on a rope, for example, or navigating a series of stepping stones.

Great Wolf Lodge | Scottsdale

Great Wolf Lodge welcomes guests to its 80,000-square-foot indoor water park of themed pools, waterslides, splash pads, lazy rivers and more. The water is kept at a comfortable 84 degrees, making this an ideal year-round option for family fun. Guests can take a break from water play at the lodge’s other attractions: a ropes course, bowling alley, mirror maze, climbing wall and miniature golf.

Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course | Flagstaff

At this outdoor adventure park in the pines, guests test their mettle on a variety of tree-to-tree obstacle courses. Choose from several options, such as adventure circuits for adults, a kid-friendly circuit and courses exclusively featuring ziplines (32 in all!). Courses include 10-17 “obstacles:” scrambling walls, swinging bridges, hanging nets, suspended challenges and more. Safety is a priority — guests are always fastened in for each obstacle — and there is no time limit on how long it takes to complete any course.

Old Tucson | Tucson

This famous theme park and movie studio — still an active film site today — was built in 1939 for the movie “Arizona.” Since then, it’s been the backdrop for dozens of movies and television shows, including “Three Amigos!”, “Tombstone” and “Little House on the Prairie. In 1960, Old Tucson opened to the public for tours, Western-themed live entertainment and attractions.

Golfland Sunsplash | Mesa

Golfland Sunsplash has been delighting the young and the young-at-heart for years. The park does double duty has a water park and an amusement park, offering more than 30 attractions. Golfland Family Fun Center caters to land-lovers with bumper cars, miniature golf, laser tag and kart racing while Sunsplash pleases water fans with waterslides and high-adrenaline water coasters, a wave pool and a lazy river.

Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster | Greer

Sunrise Ski Resort plays host to this alpine coaster, a year-round thrill ride on 3,287 feet of track through the mountains. Riders helm their own individual carts, using the handbrake to slow down or releasing it to go faster, zipping along at speeds that top out at 25mph.