Arizona State Parks Christmas Event Calendar
Arizona State Parks
The holiday season is now upon us! Visit AZStateParks.com for outdoor gift ideas for all of your friends and family. You can also purchase a Standard Annual Pass for $75, a Premium Annual Pass for $200 or gift certificates to tour the cave at Kartchner Caverns State Park. You can order an Arizona State Parks Annual Pass by mail (1300 W. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85007) or purchase one at any of the State Parks or by calling (602) 542-4174. Purchase Kartchner Caverns cave tour gift certificates by calling (520) 586-2283. We wish you happy holidays with your families and friends and we hope you will continue to explore your State Parks in 2014!
Visit with Arizona State Parks Director Bryan Martyn at one of your Arizona State Parks during the Director Campout Series. December is the last opportunity to engage with Director Martyn personally on this Campout Series. There will be various activities and visitors are welcome to join him. The activities may include: Meet and Greet session, Campfire Chat, fishing, hiking, bird watching and exploring. Learn more about the Campout Series and where the Director will be.
November 30 & Dec. 1: Fall Foliage Finale Festival at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
10am–3pm. Plan a visit Thanksgiving weekend at Boyce Thompson Arboretum SP. The annual Fall Foliage Finale Festival includes live music by Scott Schaefer (flute, didgeridoo, guzheng), with performances between 11am and 3pm. Carry extra cash when you walk into the gardens because we’ll have hot spiced cider and arts and crafts vendors. Professional photographers teach participants how to shoot Fall color during special workshops.
December all month: Exhibit - “Snapshots of Southern Arizona's Past Through Moments in the Present" at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park
Daily 9am-5pm. Tubac Presidio SHP will host an exhibit by award-winning photographer Patricia Descalzi. Through her artistic vision, Descalzi captures moments and traditions from Southern Arizona’s past with beautiful images of Tubac’s historical Presidio, the Mission at San Xavier del Bac, Tucson's Barrio Viejo and the wranglers of the famed White Stallion Ranch. Her photographs will be displayed in Otero Hall through January 31, 2014. The entrance fee is included with the Park admission of $5 per adult, $2 per youth (7-13) and children 6 and younger are free.
December 1: Terrible Lizards - Revolution of Dinousaurs Lecture at Red Rock State Park
2pm at Park Theatre. First Sunday Lecture Series at Red Rock SP will be presented by Ken Bork. Over the last half century our understanding of dinosaurs has undergone a revolution. From dull, cold-blooded, slow creatures to feathered and highly colored, fast, dynamic and crafty! Bork will be discussing all aspects of what dinosaurs were and what happened to them; we may even uncover where their ancestors live now! This lecture is recommended for ages 8 and up due to some graphic content. Bork is a new resident of Sedona and is an enthusiast of the rich natural history and cultural options of this area. He has long been fascinated with dinosaurs and has Ph.D. in geology and paleontology.
Space is limited, so call ahead to reserve your spot. A special event fee of $5 per adult is required in addition to Day Use Entrance fees of $5 per adult (14 and up), $3 per youth (7-13), and free for children (0-6). For additional information and reservations, please call (928) 282-6907.
December 5-8: Vintage Trailer Gathering at Buckskin Mountain State Park
Arizona Roundup's annual vintage trailer gathering will be at Buckskin Mountain SP from December 5-8. Stop by to see some amazing vintage vehicles (including teardrops, fiberglass travel trailers and Airstreams) on display. Park Day Use Entrance Fee applies. Reserve a campsite at Buckskin Mountain SP.
December 7: First Saturdays Concert Series at Catalina State Park
4pm - Wendy Sweet. On the First Saturday of the month at Catalina SP, enjoy an evening concert at the Trailhead with standard park admission. Bring a chair and your own food and water to enjoy these concerts! Concerts will be canceled during severe weather. Sponsored by the Friends of Catalina SP. Reserve a campsite at Catalina SP.
December 7: Holiday Party and Crafts at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park
9 - 11am. The community is invited to attend Riordan Mansion SHP's annual Christmas Party which will be held in the Visitor Center. Santa will be on hand to give out candy and Mrs. Claus will read Christmas stories to the children. In addition, there will be crafts for the children to make and take home, as well as Christmas music and general good cheer. To help fend off the cold, hot cider and cake will be served.
December 7: Victorian Ornament Making Workshop & Candlelight Tours at Fort Verde State Historic Park
10am - 2pm. Come and make your own Victorian ornaments. Bring the kids and join in the fun. Then from 5-8:30pm, Fort Verde SHP and Hold the Fort (the Park's Friends group) will continue the celebration by hosting the traditional Candlelight tours. Re-enactors dressed in period clothing will provide guided tours along Officer's Row with hot chocolate and light refreshments to follow. There will also be events throughout the Town of Camp Verde. From 11am - 8pm, check out the Bazaar at the Community Center and the Light Parade on Main Street at 6pm.
December 9: Brown Bag Lecture at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park
12:15pm. Join us for the Whiskey River presentation by Richard Quartaroli, Special Collections Librarian Emeritus, NAU at Riordan Mansion SHP. Fall and Winter are appropriate times to share a warming beverage around the fire and some stories related to the history of the Green and Colorado rivers, Grand Canyon and Arizona.
December 13: Lighting of the Luminaries at Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
Join us at Tombstone Courthouse SHP for refreshments and a performance by the Tombstone High School Choir. "Las Posadas," which means lodging or inn, uses luminarias or farolitos, depending on your tradition, as a way of symbolically lighting the path for Mary and Joseph on their procession to find shelter. The Mexican tradition evolved from 16th century Spanish missionaries. They lit bonfires along the roads and churchyards to guide people to Midnight Mass on the final night of the celebration of "Las Posadas." To honor this tradition, and ring in the festive holiday season, about 225 small brown paper sacks filled with sand and a candle are set out and lit on the Courthouse portico and front and side walls.
December 14: Holiday Wreath-Making Workshop at Oracle State Park
1-4pm. Make your own holiday wreath from plant material gathered at the Oracle SP. Hone your botanical knowledge using decorations of juniper, manzanita, soapberry, desert mistletoe and more! Space is limited and reservation is required by calling (520) 896-2425. The cost of the workshop is $10 including the park entrance fee.
December 14: Monthly Hike at Kartchner Caverns State Park
3pm. Meet at the Discovery Center at Kartchner Caverns SP. Join us for a monthly ranger-led hike on the Foothills Loop trail. Visitors should bring their own water, hat and sun protection. Trail is 2.5 miles long and moderately difficult. Dogs are welcome on a 6-foot or shorter leash. Call (520) 586-2283 for more info. RSVP to reservations(at)azstateparks.gov. Reserve a campsite at Kartchner Caverns SP. Reserve a cave tour.
December 14: Dankworth Pond Grand Re-Opening at Roper Lake State Park
Join us from 11:30am-2pm at Roper Lake SP to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of Dankworth Pond (near Roper Lake SP). Dankworth Pond (3 miles south of the Park) has undergone a major renovation! Click here for a full event schedule! Reserve a campsite at Roper Lake SP.
December 15: Moonlight Hike at Lost Dutchman State Park
7-9pm. Join us for a guided 2.5 mile hike on Jacob's Crosscut Trail at the base of the mysterious Superstition Mountains at Lost Dutchman SP. There is a limit of 100 hikers, so please call in advance to reserve your space at (480) 982-4485. Hikers should dress appropriately and wear trail shoes or boots. Please bring a flashlight in case of cloudy conditions (no headlamps, please). Some parts of the trail are rocky and uneven with occasional steep grades (elevation gain - 120 feet.) Participants should be in good health with no walking or night vision difficulties. Trail is NOT suitable for strollers or walkers. After the hike gather round the campfire for a marshmallow roast (marshmallows and sticks provided.) All ages welcome. No pets, please. Please arrive early for parking in Cholla Day Use Area. Reserve a campsite at Lost Dutchman SP.
December 15: Bighorn Basics at Oracle State Park
1pm. Join Arizona State Parks volunteer Richard Boyer as he presents “Bighorn Basics” at the Kannally Ranch House at Oracle SP for a 35-minute talk to learn more about bighorn sheep. This will include reintroduction efforts and updates on a proposed wildlife corridor to cross Highway 77 near Catalina. What are they? Where have they been? Where are they now? Many of the tools we use can be compared to the tools the Bighorn Sheep use to survive in mountainous areas of Arizona. For several years, Boyer has presented this Bighorn Basics program at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado where he recently retired as a seasonal National Park Service Park Ranger. Free with park admission. Reservation required.
December 22: Trees-of-the-Arboretum at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
1:30pm. Certified Arborist Jeff Payne answers the question “just what is an Arboretum” at Boyce Thompson Arboretum SP. Payne leads a once-a-month relaxed and leisurely walking tour through the Arboretum’s forested areas to see BTA’s collection of oak and olive trees, native hackberry, mesquite and many more.
Through December 29: Journey Stories Exhibit at McFarland State Historic Park
Monday – Saturday, 9am-5pm. The exhibition at McFarland SHP focuses on immigration, migration, innovation and freedom. It relates the accounts of immigrants coming in search of promise in a new country; stories of individuals and families relocating in search of fortune, their own homestead or employment; the harrowing journeys of Africans and Native Americans forced to move; and, of course, fun and frolic on the open road. The local companion exhibit, “Wagon Trains to Highways and Beyond: Florence Journey Stories,” features stories from local residents and how they or their families came to Florence, what inspired them to stay, and how they travelled for fun or necessity throughout their lives. The exhibit and all events are free and open to the public.
Dec. 7 through Jan. 5: Victorian Holidays at Fort Verde State Historic Park
Come and see the homes decorated in a Victorian Christmas fashion at Fort Verde SHP and join in the festivities. Visitors can glance into the past and see how those who once resided at Fort Verde celebrated Christmas on the Frontier. Christmas trees and fireplace mantels will be adorned with unique Victorian decorations, while wreaths and garlands help spread the holiday cheer.
Month of December: Holiday Tours at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park
Riordan Mansion SHP is festively decorated in turn-of-the-century style with wreaths, garlands, greenery and a towering fir tree trimmed with old-fashioned ornaments. Guided tours include glimpses of folklore and traditions of Christmas, both past and present. The Park is open Thursday through Monday 10:30am to 5pm. The park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Tours start at the top of the hour at 11am, Noon, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. Reservations are recommended, call (928) 779-4395. Adults $10 (14 years and up); youth $5 (7-13 years); 6 and younger are free. Closed Christmas Day.
Mark Your Calendars - Coming in January
January 1 - First Day Hikes at Various State Parks. Keep checking the website for updates on which parks will be offering hikes on New Year's Day.