Visit the Fountain Hills Botanical Garden to see a labyrinth of intriguing and exotic plants that thrive in arid conditions. Scenic and tranquil nature trails wrap around the botanical specimens, while rugged mountains frame the backdrop. Learn about Arizona’s native plants and animals through the informative signs beside the plants, trees and flowers.
Explore the park’s 8 acres (3 hectares) of scenic undulating gardens, hiking up and down its mounds of vegetation. The main trail is 0.5 mile (1 kilometer) long and packed with instructive plaques describing the trees, bushes and flowers.
Pick out your favorites from the 29 identifiable plants of the Sonoran Desert and snap photos of the dry bushes and tall, slim cacti, with rugged mountains in the background. Learn about such gems as the velvet mesquite tree, the creosote bush and the pincushion cactus. Spot birds that have carved out tiny homes inside holes in the cacti.
Listen to the calls of the birds and forget the sounds of city life as you leave the highway and immerse yourself in the calm of this nature trail. As you make your way around this dry desert area, try to find the abandoned P-Bar Ranch campsite and look for the dam dating back to 1941.
Note that the park was inaugurated by Jane Haynes in 1975 and set up as a wildlife preserve and botanical garden. It opens daily from sunrise to sunset.
The Fountain Hills Botanical Garden is in a rural area, just east of Scottsdale, Arizona. It stands between McDowell Mountain Regional Park and Usery Mountain Regional Park. Drive east from the heart of Phoenix for 30 miles (50 kilometers) to reach the garden in about 45 minutes. Leave your car in the parking lot near the entrance to the park. On the way, stop at the OdySea Aquarium, the Casino Arizona and the SunRidge Canyon Golf Club.
