Arizona's 'Western Gateway To The Valley Of The Sun' Is A Mix Of UTV Parks, Desert Hikes, And Golf Clubs

Thickets of towering saguaro cacti. Rocky, otherworldly landscapes cooking under the noonday sun. Cowboys fording rivers on horseback and dreamy road trips set to the soundtrack of classic rock n' roll. These are the hallmarks of Buckeye, Arizona, the state's "Western Gateway to the Valley of the Sun," where the natural landscapes and sheer desert wonder belie the city's location, just 35 miles west of sprawling Phoenix.

Buckeye is much more than a rural suburb, though. In the early 20th century it became a prominent stop on the East Arizona Railroad and soon grew into a town of commerce and prosperity. The latter was exemplified by the town's wonderfully named signature festival, Helzapoppin Days, which was attended by popular musicians of the age and continues under the name Buckeye Days. There are more than 100,000 residents here today (it's one of the fastest-growing cities in the country), but Buckeye is best known for its outdoor adventures and active communities across all demographics.

Buckeye caters to all kinds of adventure travelers, whether you want to skid along windy dirt tracks on a UTV, paddle across the surface of Hidden Lake, skydive over Arizona's wild landscapes, or explore one of the town's wildlife areas or regional parks. You'll also find golf courses with dramatic mountain scenery like those at Verrado and Copper Canyon, and miles of hiking and biking trails webbing the desert. There are lots of unforgettable road trips in Arizona you can undertake — it is, after all, home to the Grand Canyon and mesmerizing natural wonders like Horseshoe Bend — and Buckeye would make a great addition to any of them.

The Arizona Cycle Park is a popular spot for the town's thrill-seekers. But don't be fooled by the name; it's a dirt rack designed for motocross, or "MX," racing on off-road bikes. At 2 miles long and 28 feet wide, the main track is challenging and undulating, with sharp bends and jumps, meaning it's designed for relatively experienced riders. There's a slightly more approachable "Vet-X MX Track," as well as tracks designed for vintage bikes, bikes with lower-cc engines, and kids who are learning to ride. For cross-country off-road tracks, there's an easy 19-mile route called Margie's Cove just south of town and the moderately challenging Robin's Butte-Poison Well Extended Drive, which is around 35 miles in total.

Arizona's vastness also lends itself to hikers who seek the road less-traveled — solitude is even possible on the Grand Canyon's backcountry routes — and there are plenty of roads less traveled in and around Buckeye. At White Tank Mountain Regional Park, where 1,500-year-old archaeological sites once belonging to the Hohokam Indians have been discovered, the trails bring hikers into contact with some of America's ancient human inhabitants. Much older than the Hohokam sites are the petroglyphs, or rock carvings made using a chisel or other sharp instrument, hewn into the face of the White Tank Mountains. The park's Black Rock Trail passes through an old Hohokam village, while the Waterfall Canyon Trail brings hikers to Petroglyph Plaza, where some of the carvings are believed to be around 10,000 years old. Another great option is Skyline Regional Park, a nearly 9,000-acre park showcasing the gorgeous Sonoran Desert, with 20 miles of hiking and biking trails, all of which are free to enter and absolutely spectacular around sunrise and sunset.

Keen golfers will know that Arizona is absolutely a golf country. Golf.com even ranked it second after Florida out of all 50 states, according to their level of "golfiness." For their methodology, they considered the avidity of local golfers, the quality and quantity of courses, the state's golfing legacy, and the writer's (admittedly subjective) ratings from having played golf all across America. The epic settings of Arizona's golf courses and the year-round golfing weather in many parts of the state earned it high marks, as did the conveyor belt of talent produced by local colleges, including legends of the sport like Phil Mickelson and Annika Sörenstam. Special mention also went to the Waste Management Phoenix Open, the best attended (and most riotous) event on the PGA Tour calendar.

The golf courses around Buckeye are a great example of why Arizona is considered so highly in the golfing world. At Verrado Golf Club, stunningly set against the backdrop of the White Tank Mountains, the two courses — Victory and The Founders — were both designed by PGA Tour veteran Tom Lehman. Copper Canyon Golf Club, known for its large and undulating greens, has 27 holes, including the nine-hole Lake, Vista, and Mountain courses, any two of which can be combined to make a par 72. Novice golfers may prefer a round at Sundance Golf Club, which caters to golfers of all abilities and where public green fees range from $29 to $60 for 18 holes, depending on the season and tee time. Scenic tee shots, beautifully maintained fairways, and hazards offered by the desert's natural topography are — excuse the pun — par for the course at Buckeye's golf clubs.