A Desert in Name Only

At first glance, Scottsdale's Sonoran Desert outskirts can seem a bit barren and, well, desert-like, especially when seen from the window of an airplane or while zipping down the interstate. Dig a little deeper, though – be it on foot, horseback or inside a guided Hummer – and this sweeping expanse reveals itself as a vibrant oasis bursting at the seams with unusual wildlife and one-off vegetation. Deemed the lushest desert in the world, Scottsdale is home to America's only native venomous lizard (the lethargic Gila monster), wild herds of pig-like javelina, and some 60 mammal, 350 bird, 100 reptile and 30 native fish species.

Then there's the unmistakable beauty of the Sonoran Desert's 2,000 native plant species, many of which are on display at the serene Desert Botanical Garden (www.dbg.org). Nestled amidst the red buttes of Papago Park, this 140-acre 50,000-plant oasis hosts one of the world's finest collections of desert flora, including 169 rare and endangered species. Alongside perennial favorites such as the cacti and succulent galleries, the Garden also hosts nighttime flashlight tours and a popular Music in the Garden series.

Preservation is a Priority

Established in 1995, Scottsdale's McDowell Sonoran Preserve (www.mcdowellsonoran.org) tempts visitors and locals alike with 30,200 acres of do-it-yourself or guided outdoor adventure, including more than 100 miles of hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and horseback riding trails. Eventually this preserve, unfurling across the northern and eastern edges of Scottsdale, will encompass more than 34,000 acres of permanently protected desert, ensuring a full one-third of this rapidly growing city remains pristine, public open space.

The McDowell Sonoran Preserve Gateway Trailhead features shade ramadas, a dog comfort station, water fountains and an equestrian staging area with horse-trailer parking, water troughs and hitching rails. And in keeping with the City of Scottsdale's progressive green building codes, Gateway's design minimizes the impact on the fragile desert environment by incorporating elements such as solar power generation and water heating, rainwater harvesting and rammed earth walls constructed of native soil from on-site excavating. Down the trail, Gateway will be joined by the Desert Discovery Center, an interactive learning hub featuring state-of-the-art exhibits that educate visitors on the Sonoran Desert's unique attributes.

Explore the Preserve with Arizona Outback Adventures (www.aoa-adventures.com) to learn about the desert and its unique inhabitants from local experts. From guided hikes to mountain biking, or even a combination of both, these enthusiastic guides share their passion for the Sonoran Desert and help visitors experience the diverse terrain in a whole new way. Or check out one of the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy's (www.mcdowellsonoran.org) desert programs, which feature guided hikes that incorporate geology lessons, tai chi and wildlife experiences that will broaden your knowledge of this scenic land and its history.

Trailblazing

With approximately 180 miles of hiking, biking and horseback-riding trails crisscrossing Scottsdale (www.scottsdaleaz.gov/trails), you could spend a lifetime exploring the great outdoors. Of course, if your itinerary is a little more constrained, here are a few highlights conveniently located just outside your guestroom.

A masterpiece of sandstone and granite millions of years in the making, Camelback Mountain's central location and sweeping 360-degree city vistas make it the most popular hiking destination in the Valley of the Sun. Perched on the mountain's north face, the experts at The Phoenician (www.thephoenician.com), Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain (www.sanctuaryaz.com) and Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia (www.omnihotels.com/montelucia) take guests on guided hikes to the top of this 2,700-foot landmark. Not staying at one of the aforementioned resorts but still want to reach Camelback's summit? Visitors can also easily access the mountain from its two trailheads, Echo and Cholla.

Across town, the Boulders Resort & Spa (www.theboulders.com) encourages visitors to revel in its foothill setting and namesake 12-million-year-old boulder formations with expert-led walks, hikes, mountain biking, and nighttime bike rides during which guests explore the desert's nocturnal side while navigating the resort's rollercoaster-like cart paths. Recently, the resort elevated its offerings, pushing adrenaline junkies to test their limits with a bevy of activities that scream extreme adventure. Visitors can try their hand at fly fishing in the lakes throughout the golf course; fly high over the desert terrain in a hot air balloon that takes off and lands right on the resort's property or during a daytime helicopter ride to Sedona or Grand Canyon from the resort's private helipad; and traverse the desert's dramatic terrain during a jeep ride led by a Boulders' guide.

Standing in the shadows of Scottsdale's iconic Pinnacle Peak, Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North (www.fourseasons.com/scottsdale) offers complimentary hiking excursions up this singular summit. Unwind afterwards with a Healing Hiker's Massage or one-on-one Yoga for Hikers session at the on-site spa and fitness facility.

If you prefer to take in outdoor action from the back seat of a four-wheel drive vehicle or atop a rumbling ATV, there are a number of motorized tours from which to choose. Jump aboard one of Stellar Adventures' (www.stellaradventures.com) specially modified Hummers for an axle-grinding tour up 60-degree grades and across a raging river. Tell everyone to eat your dust as you pilot one of Desert Dog Hummer Adventures' (www.azadventures.com) dune buggy-like, U-Drive Desert Cars custom-designed for powering over desert terrain.

Get behind the wheel of a Tomcar, originally developed for use by the Israeli Defense Forces special operations unit, with Desert Wolf Tours (www.desertwolftours.com) or Green Zebra Adventures (www.gogreenzebra.com) during an adventurous Sonoran Desert expedition.

Get Carried Away

In a landscape as outsized and panoramic as the Sonoran Desert, there's no better (or more leisurely) way to soak it all in than aboard a hot air balloon with Hot Air Expeditions (www.hotairexpeditions.com) or Rainbow Ryders (www.rainbowryders.com). Every flight begins with a briefing and safety demonstration, and then it's up, up and away as propane-burning motors slowly inflate the 100-foot-tall balloon. Ensconced inside a sturdy, spacious basket, riders gently drift with the breeze as the pilot floats the balloon several hundred feet into the air or swoops in low to point out wildlife and native vegetation. Post flight, guests partake in gourmet noshes and quaff fine champagne – a tradition dating back to early French balloonists.

Set your sights on a chartered airborne adventure with Westwind Air Service (www.westwindairservice.com). In a single afternoon you can soak in a lifetime of soaring topography, including Sedona's red rocks, the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks and shimmering Colorado River.

Aerial tours from Maverick Helicopters (www.maverickhelicopter.com) and Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters (www.papillon.com) are another great way to see Arizona's Grand Canyon and nearby Sedona.

Crags, Cliffs and Chasms, Oh My!

Featuring a rocky terrain punctuated by soaring peaks and hidden arroyos, it's no wonder Scottsdale has become a mecca for climbers and canyoneer enthusiasts alike. Experienced rock-jocks can head directly to the craggy northern slopes of Scottsdale's McDowell Mountains, scale nearby Pinnacle Peak Park's 200-foot granite face or day-trip to Prescott's Granite Mountain for some of the state's best climbs. Then again, why not let the pros at 360 Adventures (www.360-adventures.com) plan a guided half-, full- or multi-day adventure featuring all the rock-climbing and canyon conquering you can handle?

Head to Boulders Resort & Spa, which offers private and group rock-climbing lessons on its namesake formations. Led by professional instructors, the resort's massive granite rocks provide sturdy, sure footing to ensure a safe-yet-challenging climb. Après-ascent, kick back with a muscle-noodling treatment at the Spa at the Boulders.

Just Add Water

First-time visitors are inevitably surprised by the number of wet 'n wild adventures available in and around Scottsdale, and we're not just talking about that sparkling hotel pool. The wettest of America's four deserts, water has always been a cherished commodity in the Sonoran Desert starting with the area's original inhabitants, the Hohokam Indians, whose 500 miles of irrigation canals were expanded upon to create our modern water-delivery system of dams, reservoirs and canals. Scottsdale's desert outskirts are chockablock with lakes, watering holes and rivers, thanks to icy snowmelt from Arizona's mountainous north.

Valley based rafting guides, Arizona Outback Adventures and AAM's Mild to Wild Rafting (www.mild2wildrafting.com), ply their trade on two such rivers, the Salt and Verde. While paddling through these lush Cottonwood-Willow riparian areas, rafters might spy predatory birds such as hawks and nesting bald eagles, as well as coyotes, javelina and wild mustangs. Just Roughin' It Adventure Company (www.justroughinit.com) promises kayakers unforgettable vistas of cacti, red rocks and coves in nearby Canyon Lake.

Take a backseat to the action during a Desert Belle (www.desertbelle.com) cruise on Saguaro Lake. This 143-passenger, two-level boat allows visitors to get a closer look at the native flora and fauna while navigating one of the Valley's pristine Sonoran Desert canyons.

Horseplay

Want to get in touch with your inner cowboy with a hard-charging horseback ride across the same hard-scrabble terrain that played host to Wyatt Earp and renowned Apache warrior, Geronimo? Arizona Cowboy College (www.cowboycollege.com) has you covered, partner. At this working cattle ranch made famous for its starring role in CMT's “Cowboy U” TV program, greenhorns are taught the “three Rs” – ropin', ridin' and roughin' it – during a two-day course at a local equestrian center before hitting the trail for a three-day cattle drive. If you're not looking to do a full five-day course, but still want to dip your toe into the watering hole, Arizona Cowboy College has several shorter courses, including the “Cowboy for a Day” package offered in collaboration with Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. Kick off the experience with a boot and hat fitting before learning the ropes of horse-handling, round-up, doctoring and more. Afterward, rest and relaxation await at the Four Seasons during a campfire dinner catered by the resort.

Located on the 25,000-acre Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation northeast of Scottsdale, Fort McDowell Adventures (www.fortmcdowelladventures.com) offers a plethora of Western- and Native American-themed activities, including guided two-hour cattle drives and more casual trail rides. Riders of all ages and skill levels giddy up at MacDonald's Ranch (www.macdonaldsranch.com) with guided horseback, hay and stagecoach rides.

Go Green

Although the rough and tumble Sonoran Desert seems immutable to change, it's actually a delicately balanced ecosystem featuring thousands of specially adapted plants and animals able to survive both searing summertime temperatures and rare rainfall. Beyond its unique flora and fauna, the desert is a treasure trove of human history, including prehistoric ruins, Native American monuments, abandoned mining encampments and even a Civil War battlefield or two.

Learn about the desert's edible plants with Windwalker Expeditions (www.windwalkerexpeditions.com), which offers a variety of Sonoran Desert survival courses, starting with a basic two-hour hike to learn water indicator signs and shelter building tips, and advancing all the way to an expert-only three-day challenge alongside Windwalker's survival expert. Hunt and trap food and scrounge for water in some of North America's harshest terrain.

Pink Adventure Tours (www.pinkadventuretoursscottsdale.com) is known for their scenic four-wheel drive tours in Sedona, but few know they also conduct Scottsdale excursions. Embark on a tour that starts at Brown's Ranch Trailhead in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, where tour guides take groups on a short loop trail that offers bountiful examples of the formidable flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert, before jetting off to Saguaro Lake for a cruise with Desert Belle. Or, learn about American Indian culture while traversing the pristine landscapes of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

Another great way to experience Scottsdale's 'green' side is to take a stroll along the city's grass-lined Indian Bend Wash, an interconnected string of four urban parks also known as the Greenbelt. Featuring lighted walking and recreation paths, fishing ponds, athletic fields, tennis courts, a skate park, and a see-and-be-seen dog park, this popular 7.5-mile urban playground doubles as a flood-control system that helps keep city streets high and dry during Scottsdale's thunderous summer monsoon rainstorms.

DESERT ADVENTURE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Green Zebra at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch (www.scottsdale.hyatt.com) is the one-stop-shop for planning all of your Scottsdale adventure activities – from right inside the resort lobby. Staff can help you determine which outdoor excursions are best suited to your level of activity and personal interest. Choose from myriad activities including self-driven Tomcar adventures in the desert and hot air balloon rides to scenic tours of Sedona or the Grand Canyon.

To plan your Sonoran Desert outing, visit www.AdventureInScottsdale.com or request a downloadable Sonoran Desert Discovery Guide.

###