This Playful Phoenix Suburb Pairs Cactus-Framed Arizona Trails With Vibrant Arts And A Mountain Park

On the map of Arizona, you'll find several places with quirky names, including towns named Love and Nothing. But one playful Phoenix suburb never fails to make passers-by chuckle: Surprise. Once a one square mile patch of land, it was named Surprise in 1938 when town founder, Flora Mae Statler, supposedly remarked at how surprised she would be if anything ever came of the town. With around 160,000 residents today and city status, she would surely fall out of her chair knowing Surprise is now the eighth biggest city in Greater Phoenix.

Surprise sits 22 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix, and around an hour's drive from Sky Harbor International Airport, depending on traffic. Visitors to Phoenix often choose to stay in one of the more popular tourist suburbs like busy Scottsdale or the artsy city of Glendale, but hotels in Surprise are relatively affordable. Big chains like Best Western, Comfort Inn & Suites, and Hilton all offer a variety of prices throughout the city, many of them near Surprise Stadium. Do keep in mind that the stadium is the spring training ground for the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, so you might want to look elsewhere when games are on.

With over 35 cactus-covered trails for hiking, a 1,300-seat theater, and a neighboring 30,000-acre mountain park, Surprise is a creative, nature-loving Arizona city that sneaks up on you (pardon the pun) with its vibrant streets and unrestricted desert access.

Arizona has some stunning mountain parks featuring miles of hiking trails, and Surprise is your gateway to one of the best: White Tank Mountain Regional Park. The park is open from May 1 until October 31 (5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily), but from November 1 until April 30, it opens an hour later and closes an hour earlier. If you're staying in Surprise, you could be taking on the dusty trails in just 20 minutes.

Although outdoor enthusiasts can challenge themselves to 4,000 feet of elevation, novice hikers say they appreciate the beginner-friendly trail options, plentiful restrooms, and paved paths that make this mountain park accessible to most. Parking is $7, but you certainly get your money's worth when events are on, such as their waterfall hikes, scorpion safaris, and fitness-focused meetups. One Tripadvisor reviewer said, "This is a great outdoor adventure for all ages!"

AllTrails users love the White Tank Waterfall Trail most, giving the easy 1.9-mile hike 4.6 stars. For something more challenging, the Mesquite Canyon, Ford Canyon, and Willow Canyon Loop is 8.3 miles, and rated 4.7 stars. It could take 4 hours to complete, depending on pace, but remember temperatures regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Phoenix in summer. If you want to explore this vast mountain park, do so sensibly and avoid becoming one of over 200 hikers rescued each year from the Phoenix desert. Go when the weather is manageable, take a buddy, bring as much water as you can, wear sunscreen, and turn back if you start to feel ill. There are plenty of ways to enjoy Surprise without getting heatstroke.

If you prefer indoor activities with AC, the Vista Center for the Arts is a lively theater that welcomes all sorts of musical acts to its stage throughout the year, from orchestras to rock bands and everything in between. For art lovers, West Valley Arts HQ is a 2,500 square foot gallery space offering performances, festivals, and up to eight art exhibitions each year. The gallery celebrates the many talents of Surprise, as does the WHAM Community Art Center. One Tripadvisor reviewer said, "They're much more than art classes and studios; there's lots of community outreach ... They have more than 300 members whose work lines the halls."

Phoenix has a number of arty neighborhoods (like the vibrant art scene in Chandler), but Surprise's Art in Public Places initiative gives the city a really unique and creative backdrop. Just wandering the streets will bring you to some meaningful and striking artworks, from colorful building facades to fascinating sculptures, each designed to foster a sense of belonging. You might come across the underwater murals on the Surprise Aquatic Center (created by artist Jeremie "Bacpac" Franko) titled "Swimming with Porpoises" and "Splash". Or perhaps you'll catch a glimpse of the "Reflections of Surprise" mural outside the public library (created by artist Niki Glen), which depicts members of the community and gives a nod to the city's agricultural history. There are shaded leaf benches, a brightly colored basketball court, and a 20-foot-tall mirrored saguaro, to name just a few other installations you might see that make Surprise one of Phoenix's most artsy areas, and a place that one resident described as, "a blend of suburban living with a touch of desert charm."