Be a Part of the Action
Arizona is a hub of activity, from die-hard fans to hobbyists and competitive athletes, it’s all here.
Greater Phoenix: by the Numbers
400+
Hiking Trails
#6
Professional Sports Teams
#4
Upcoming National Sporting Events
300+
Golf Courses
Hiking Trails & National Parks
With constant sunshine and mild weather throughout most of the year, Greater Phoenix is a perfect location for those who love an outdoor lifestyle! 414 trails make up 1,502 miles of hiking, not including the vast number of trails and attractions a few short hours away in Northern Arizona. The nation’s largest municipal park covering more than 30,500 acres sits right here in Greater Phoenix, and the beauty of Arizona National Parks draw over 15 million travelers each year.
Popular Urban Hikes
- Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale
- Piestewa Peak Summit Trail, Phoenix
- Superstition Ridgeline, Apache Junction
- South Mountain Park, Guadalupe
- San Tan Mountains Loop, Queen Creek
- Phoenix Sonoran Desert Preserve, Cave Creek
- Goldmine Mountain Peak, Queen Creek
- Hieroglyphs, Apache Junction
- Tom’s Thumb, Scottsdale
- Apache Wash Trail Loop, Phoenix
Top National Attractions
- The Grand Canyon
- Lake Mead
- The Petrified Forest
- Saguaro National Park
- Montezuma Castle
Check the Stats
414
Hiking trails
The Hiking Project
1502
Miles of trail
The Hiking Project
15M
National park visitors each year
Arizona Office of Tourism, 2018
30500
acres in McDowell Sonoran Preserve (largest municipal park in the nation)
The Trust for Public Land, 2019.
Biking, Camping, Waterways, Quads & More
Outdoor activities are endless in Arizona. You don’t have to be a competitive athlete to enjoy the beauty, you simply need to embrace adventure to discover something new.
Escape the City
Within two hours you can go from the valley to the mountains and see the red rocks of Sedona, or camp under the stars on the Mogollon Rim.
Image: @jreedute15
Scenic Waterways
- Salt River
- Verde River
- Saguaro Lake
- Bartlett Lake
- Lake Pleasant
- Canyon Lake
- Apache Lake
- Roosevelt Lake
Image: @atlas_loved
Find Your Runner’s High
From competitive national qualifiers to bucket-list races and fun-runs, athletes live and gather in Greater Phoenix.
For the Casual Runner
Papago Park, Arizona Grand Canal Trail, Murphy Bridle Path, Tempe Town Lake and Indian Wash Greenbelt offer scenic views around Greater Phoenix for casual runners.
Bucket-List Trails
The Grand Canyon offers rim-to-rim access for an adventure of a runner’s lifetime.
Pat’s Run
Pat’s Run is held each year honor of Pat Tillman, former Arizona State University and Arizona Cardinal football player who left the NFL to join the Army and was killed on April 22, 2004. This is the largest run in the nation to honor a fallen soldier, the second-largest military race and 18th-largest race in the country.
The 16th annual run in 2020, virtual for the first time, had more than 31,000 participants across 26 states and three countries. The 2019 run in Tempe, Ariz., had just under 30,000 racers.
Image via ASU
10Ks & Marathons
- Iron Man Arizona
- Triathletes from around the world travel to compete in this iconic IRONMAN, which delivers an unforgettable racing experience in the urban charm and scenic desert vistas of Tempe, AZ.
- Rock ’n’ Roll Arizona
- Held annually the Sunday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon takes runners from downtown Phoenix to downtown Scottsdale and then into Tempe.
- Mesa Marathon
- One of the most scenic marathon routes in Arizona, the Mesa Marathon had 7,421 finishers in 2020. Runners begin in the Usery Mountain Regional Park and run the marathon into Mesa. In 2018, just under 20% of participants qualified for the Boston Marathon, the 10th-highest percentage in the country.
- Sedona Marathon
- The Sedona Marathon, about two hours north of Phoenix, takes place in the Coconino National Forest District under the beautiful red mountains of the city.
- YMCA Marathon
- Known as the Whiskey Row Marathon, 2021 will mark the 43rd year of this event, which offers marathon, half marathon and 10K tracks in the beautiful mountain town of Prescott, AZ.
- 3TV Phoenix 10K and Half Marathon
- The Phoenix 10k, when not virtual, is held right in the heart of Phoenix.
- El Tour de Tucson
- El Tour de Tucson, which hosted about 6,000 participants in 2019, is held in the Sonoran Desert with mountain views each November, when the average daily high temperature is in the 70s.
Super League Triathlon
For the first time in history, the Super League Triathlon’s third qualifier event of 2022 will take place in the USA, held in Tempe, AZ. The other four qualifier locations are in Bali, Indonesia; Salinas, Ecuador; Poznan, Poland; and Ottawa, Canada.
Marathons & Triathlons
1st
The first Super League Triathlon qualifier to take place in the USA will happen in Tempe, AZ in 2022.
#1
Pat's Run is the largest run in the nation honoring a fallen soldier, and the 18th largest race in the country.
20%
of Mesa Marathon runners qualified for the Boston Marathon - the 10th highest percent in the country.
Professional Teams
Greater Phoenix is home to six professional sports teams, including representatives from three of the big four sports leagues.
The Cardinals play in Glendale, the Diamondbacks, Suns, Mercury and Rattlers in Phoenix, and Phoenix Rising FC in Chandler.
Collegiate sports
Arizona State University (Tempe), University of Arizona (Tucson), Grand Canyon University (Phoenix) and Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff) all have Div. I sports teams.
Enjoy year-round golfing at over 300 courses across the region.
Keystone Annual Sporting Events
Each year, Greater Phoenix hosts the Cactus League as part of MLB Spring Training, the PGA Tour Waste Management Phoenix Open and the NCAA Fiesta Bowl.
Upcoming National Sporting Events Planned in Greater Phoenix
Phoenix is consistently competing for high-profile national sporting events. The region has already been approved to host Super Bowl LVII, the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four, 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four and NASCAR Championship Weekend.
