Fun things to do in Phoenix on vacation???

[2Saving4Life]

My wife and I will be traveling to Phoenix in March for vacation and visiting family. What are some fun things to do in or around Phoenix? We will be going on a few hikes, do you recommend a specific trail? What are some good mountain biking trails?  Best place to rent bikes?  Any recommendations would be helpful.  Thanks

[Cookie78]

South Mountain has some good trails for hiking or biking. I never biked there, but I saw lots of people doing it and they looked like they were having a blast. I enjoyed Superstition mountains too, but they are a bit of a drive and I didn't do any serious trails there, just a couple quick ones (2-3 hours). No idea on where to rent bikes.

Mill AV in Tempe is fun too if you like people watching, and Tempe town lake.

[WYOGO]

Camelback Mountain hike. Amazing!

[sf56]

I've wanted to go here for a while now but haven't had an excuse to visit Phoenix in more than a decade.

http://mim.org

[forummm]

I lived in Phoenix for awhile, but I'm struggling to come up with ideas. Camelback is a good hike. Squaw Peak (I think renamed as Piestawa Peak now) is nice too. The town isn't really known for anything other than being hot. I left and don't plan to go back. If you like golf there are a lot of courses. The desert is pretty in it's own way. Just drink a lot of water and use sunscreen--even in March it can still be needed.

[desertCyclist]

Hikes within 1 hour from PHX:
-South Mountain: Mormon/National/Hidden Valley Loop - easy 7ish mile hike with views of PHX
-Camelback Mountain: Strenuous short hike with awesome 360 degree views of PHX. There are lots of great restaurants in the Scottsdale area near the mountain, so a great place to hike and grab brunch afterwards
-Superstitions: GO HERE!   I highly recommend Peralta Trail or Flat Iron (lost dutchman trail) - lots of wild flowers in March
-Tom's Thumb, McDowells: This is also in Scottsdale. The McDowells are beautiful and there are lots of wild flowers in March      

Mountain biking near PHX:
-South Mountain: Desert Classic
-McDowells: So many to choose from! check out MTB Project or another site for more info about trails and difficulty level
-Papago Park: short, beginner friendly trails near Tempe. You could get an hour of mountain biking in hear and hit up Four Peaks Brewery afterwards and/or walk around Mill Ave and check out the Botanical Gardens

Anytime someone comes to PHX I recommend doing a Sedona, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon Loop. Drive from PHX to Sedona (~2 hours). Hike West Fork (a must in the Fall!) or Bear Mountain (less tree cover and more strenuous). From Sedona, drive to Flagstaff (~40 min). Eat at a brewery or awesome restaurant and grab a cup of coffee at Macy's Coffee house for your drive to the Grand Canyon. You might not have time at this point to get camping reservations at the GC - camp in Flagstaff if you don't and make sure you get an early start for GC. Hike at least to the Indian Gardens in the GC the following day and then head back to PHX (possibly stopping in Flagstaff on your way back for more awesome food).

Bike rentals: globalbikes.net

There are lots of other adventures I can recommend. Just let me know if you need more advice! It is pretty hot here right now, so get early starts for hiking near PHX or go up north to Flagstaff/Payson/Prescott for full day adventures.

toddshikingguide.com is a great resource for hikes in AZ and UT. Not all hikes are accessible by sedan, so do your reseach before you go and DO NOT skimp on the water!