HomeTravel CommunityWhat to do in Arizona: Sporting Events, Outdoor Sports & More

What to do in Arizona: Sporting Events, Outdoor Sports & More

The state of Arizona is the perfect vacation destination for travellers of all sorts, whether you’re a sports fan, a nature lover and/or an outdoor activity enthusiast. So figuring out what to do in Arizona shouldn’t be too difficult.

Arizona is one of the country’s most popular states for tourists to visit for a variety of reasons. There is so much to do year-round in a state with beautiful warm weather that includes well-maintained golf courses as well as pristine hiking and mountain biking trails.

If you’re planning a trip to Arizona in 2023, you may want to schedule it for the first or second week of February. That’s because State Farm Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, will host Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.

Coming off their first playoff season in six years, the Arizona Cardinals will aim to become the third straight team to play in a Super Bowl game inside their own stadium. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Super Bowl 55) and Los Angeles Rams (Super Bowl 56) accomplished the feat and won the big game.

READ MORE: Observatory fans, here are the 9 best in the US

What to do in Arizona state farm stadium
Why not visit the State Farm stadium when figuring out what to do in Arizona? Image courtesy of the Stadium

The NFL and the Super Bowl are among the main things that you can bet on in Arizona sports betting, which launched in September of last year. New customers can take advantage of many special promo code offers in Arizona sports betting, including risk-free bets of up to $1,000 from both FanDuel and BetMGM.

State Farm Stadium also hosted Super Bowl 42 in 2008 and Super Bowl 49 seven years later. This will be the fourth Super Bowl to take place in the state of Arizona; Tempe hosted Super Bowl 30 in 1996. The Cardinals are +4000 to win Super Bowl 57 at DraftKings, and +300 at FanDuel. 

If you’re planning a visit to Arizona over the final quarter of 2022, you’ll have the opportunity to see the Cardinals, NHL Coyotes and Pheonix Suns in action. 

The Cardinals open their season at home against Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs on Sept. 11 (4:25 p.m. EST), Both the Coyotes and Suns begin their 2022-23 seasons in October, with their home openers taking place on Oct. 28 (against the Winnipeg Jets) and Dallas Mavericks (Oct. 19), respectively.

The MLB’s Diamondbacks conclude their season on Oct. 5 in Milwaukee. Their regular season will traditionally begin in late March or early April, so visitors have about half the year to enjoy a Diamondbacks game experience.

What to do in Arizona: Outdoor sports

What to do in Arizona mountain biking
Mountain biking is a great choice when choosing what to do in Arizona

If you love spending hours at a time out in the sun for outdoor recreation, you won’t be short of options in The Copper State.

The Bright Angel Trail in the Grand Canyon is a year-round breathtaking trail that’s roughly eight miles in length. There are several popular mountain bike trails nearby in the Grand Canyon, including Yaki Point and the Tusayan Connector.

Those who like challenging and demanding hikes may want to check out Camelback Mountain and/or the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail — both in Phoenix.  The Hangover Trail in Sedona and the Honeybee Canyon Loop in Catalina are among the other most popular biking trails in Arizona.

If you want the happy balance of intense exercise without being too hot in the Arizona sun, you can enjoy the adventure-filled rafting experiences.

READ MORE: Here’s our selection of the 10 best places to kayak in the US

The Grand Canyon Whitewater offers a one-day self-drive rafting tour. Tourists can also enjoy rafting experiences at other beautiful locations such as the Verde River and Salt River. Simply put, there are can’t-miss rafting experiences all over the state.

What to do in Arizona: Golfing 

What to do in Arizona golfing
Golf is a fun way to pass the time when deciding what to do in Arizona

Arizona is one of the world’s premier places for world-class golf experiences.  The state’s hot climate offers avid golfers the opportunity to play a top-tier course at any point throughout the year. 

Every year, the PGA holds the Phoenix Open tournament at the premier TPC Scottsdale golf course which is also open to the public. 

The We-Ko-Pa Golf Club in Fort McDowell, designed by Scott Miller, is surrounded by beautiful mountains. You can also visit and/or stay over at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort to further enjoy your Arizona golfing experience.

Scottsdale’s Quintero Golf Club is also a must-see place if you’re into premium courses. There are many homes available for rent in this area, and the golf club conveniently offers club rentals, which is ideal if you’re travelling with limited room and baggage.

Terng
Terng
Terng loves to travel and counts Southeast Asia as his home. From weekend getaways to business trips, he is a frequent traveller and loves it. A place he longs to visit but hasn’t been to yet is Mexico, where he plans to eat tacos 24/7.

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