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50 Things to Do
Outdoor adventure, shopping, a great place to eat? Find all of these things and more as you begin to explore Gila County!
50 Things to Do in Gila County Arizona
5. Visit The Mogollon Rim
Stretching 200 miles find breathtaking views overlooking an expansive forest of pine trees. The Rim is a true geological wonder where adventures of all kinds can be found!
6. Head to A Casino
When the gaming bug bites, but Vegas isn’t in your plans, Gila County in Arizona offers plenty of options. Our list of 3 casinos gives you several choices for your gaming fun.
7. Go Shopping!
If antiquing is one of your favorite hobbies, Gila County is your gold mine for rustic treasures. Come shop our antique, boutique, and unique stores.
8. Visit Roosevelt Lake
This is the largest lake in Arizona at 15,560 surface acres. It is a favorite of avid anglers, boaters, hikers, sightseers, and anyone who loves the great outdoors!
9. Tonto Natural Bridge
The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is home to the largest travertine bridge in the world. Discover this mystical place, said to have healing powers.
10. Go Boating
Gila County has lakes, streams, creeks, and rivers offer ideal locations for swimming, water skiing, jet skiing, paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing!
11. Catch A Fish
Cast your line, sit back, relax. and reel 'em in! Choose from dozens of great fishing locations throughout the entire county. Nothing can be more relaxing!
12. Visit A Winery
Gila County has a number of wineries throughout with some of the best wine in the state. The experience isn't just about the wine when you taste it in Gila County!
13. Hike the Pinal's
Located in Southern Gila County, The Pinal Mountains are the perfect escape for the adventurous soul. Amazing outdoor recreation awaits!
14. Stargaze
The area surrounding the Mogollon Rim occupies one of only three pure air ozone belts in the world. What that means is some major stargazing!
15. Go Hunting
There are 9 big game animal species that reside in Gila County, all of them accessible through public land pursuit. Be sure to get the proper permits first!
16. Head to the Rodeo
Payson, AZ is known to have the World's Oldest Continous Rodeo. Experience tradition and rodeo like never before here in Gila County.
17. Take a Ghost Tour
Take a guided ghost tour through one of Globe, Arizona's historic buildings with local paranormal investigators. The tour is kid-friendly and a great blast to the past.
18. Swimming Holes
Gila County is home to several of the State's favorite swimming holes where you work on your tan, get wet and get in an adventurous hike to-boot.
19. Water Or Jet Ski
Enjoy water or jet skiing on Gila County's two biggest bodies of water: Roosevelt Lake and San Carlos Apache Lake. This is the best activity on a hot Arizona summer day.
20. Hit The ATV Trails
Gas-up your 4x4 or OHV, check that spare tires are sturdy – bring your GPS, maps, and plenty water -- and your sense of adventure for scenic trails and breathtaking scenery!
21. Tonto National Monument
Tonto National Monument showcases two Salado-style cliff dwellings. Colorful pottery, woven cotton cloth, and other artifacts tell a story of people living in the Sonoran Desert.
22. Hike the Arizona Trail
The Arizona Trail stretches over 800 miles from the U.S. border with Mexico to Utah, connecting deserts, mountains, wilderness, history, communities and people.
23. Visit Besh-Ba-Gowah
Visitors will see the partially restored ancient ruin of the Salado people who occupied the site between A.D. 1225 and A.D. 1400. Take a blast back to the pass with a visit.
24. Go Birding
The Tonto National Forest is a mecca for bird watchers. There are hundreds of different species that call this forest home. Grab your binoculars and see how many you can find!
25. Go Kayaking
Arizona might not seem like a kayaker’s paradise, but Gila County is packed with places for outdoor adventures on the water. Explore the water yourself!
26. Go Mountain Biking
The best thing about mountain biking in Gila County, Arizona is how each trail takes your breath away — not just from all the uphill pedaling.
27. Strawberry Schoolhouse
The Oldest Standing Schoolhouse in Arizona. The year was 1884. The families living in the area petitioned the County School Superintendent to establish a school.
28. Visit A Native Ruin
Many Native American Ruins are scattered throughout Gila County. Experience the past of the people who originated from this beautiful area decades ago.
29. Hike The Stairizona Trail
The Stairizona Trail in Globe, AZ, offers a scenic urban hike featuring vibrant murals, historic staircases, and stunning mountain views. Perfect for the whole family.
30. Visit the Granite Dells
The Dells themselves are part of a high ridge directly west of the pocket. They are worth the short drive to the area. Take a peek at some of the biggest boulders around!
31. San Carlos Apache Center
A true resource of information and wealth of knowledge awaits you as you visit the San Carlos Apache Center. Don't forget to stop at the gift shop!
32. Visit Zane Grey Cabin
Zane Grey loved to experience the real west – in 1907 he headed for Northern Arizona to join an expedition with Charles Jesse. You can find more of his story there!
33. Visit Bullion Plaza
The Bullion Plaza Cultural Center & Museum is housed in the Bullion Plaza School in Miami, AZ. Originally a grammar school has shifted to a great museum of the area.
34. Explore Hells Gate
Lying at the base of the Mogollon Rim, upper Tonto Creek has incised a 1,000-foot-deep canyon that runs entirely through the center of this Wilderness.
35. Go To AZ Poppy Fest
The Arizona Poppy fest is a event held each spring in Globe, Arizona where visitors can see the thousands of Mexican Poppies covering the hillsides.
36. Pleasant Valley Museum
The main feature of the Museum is the Pleasant Valley War exhibit between the Tewksbury's and Grahams which is still filled with controversy to this day.
37. Visit the Rim Lakes
Located along the Mogollon Rim lies the beautiful Woods Canyon and Willow Springs lakes. They are known for their great kayak and paddleboarding areas.
38. Go To Peridot Mesa
February through early April you will find expansive blankets of Mexican gold poppies dotted by the lupin, desert-chicory, and blue dick across rolling hillsides.
39. Hashknife Pony Express
Each February a group of riders takes handwritten mail from Holbrook to Scottsdale stopping in Payson along the way. This is truly a kid's favorite event!
40. Visit A Park
Enjoy picnics, places to throw a ball around, discover the largest travertine bridge or a self-guided park that teaches you about the history of mining.
41. Go Sight-Seeing
Adventure is around every corner and some of the states most valuable scenic treasures are in some cases only 45 minutes to 90 minutes away from Phoenix.
42. Go Rock Climbing
Gila County, Arizona is said to have some of the best exposed rock in the State of Arizona. The good news is that tons of it is great for pulling on!
43. Visit Stewart Pocket
Located in the Granite Dells of Payson, AZ, the Stewart Pocket area may very well rival Sedona for it scenic beauty. Take the family out for an afternoon hike.
44. Go RV Camping
Gila County has several RV camping spots located near some of the most spectacular areas in the United States. Find your stay here!
45. Visit Homestead Rock
The Homestead features limestone sport climbing in a remote, serene, desert setting. There are presently over 250 single pitch routes ranging in difficulty from 5.7 to 5.13b.
46. Pine-Strawberry Museum
The museum was opened in 1979 for the purpose of displaying artifacts related to the prehistory and history of Pine and its twin among the pines, Strawberry.
50. Discover The Apache Trail
The legendary Apache Trail, where stunning desert views meet rich Arizona history. From ancient Native paths to old stagecoach routes, every turn tells a story.
51. Visit the Tonot Fish Hatchery
Many people enjoy visiting the Tonto Fish Hatchery to see fish up close and learn how Rim Country trout are raised. It’s a fun and educational stop for all ages!
52. Gila County History Museum
Step into the Gila County Historical Museum and explore the rich pioneer, mining, and ranching history that shaped and buil the region.
