Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!
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Grand Canyon, Ariz.* – Floyd E. Roberts III of Treasure Island, FL, remains missing in a remote area of western Grand Canyon. Responding rescue teams and resources to date include ground teams from Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Mohave County, Coconino County Search and Rescue, and aerial support from Mesa Verde Helitack Crew and aircraft. The search area covers over 10 square miles and is in an extremely remote, rugged area of the canyon. Transportation t... Full story
Tip Of The Week At Lake Havasu, a.k.a. Arizona's West Coast, anglers can have banner days on the bedding smallmouth bass. Crappie and largemouth bass will follow with their egg protecting endeavors. (Did I say, "crappie"? Yep, and it looks like Alamo Lake is ripe to be targeted for this great-tasting fish. Just get some good advice from an area tackle shop – if you need it -- and mean business.) The Reel Deal Most bass are in pre-spawn mode in most of the desert lakes. Before recent storms, some... Full story
For more than 20 years, the Heritage Fund has made a difference not just to wildlife conservation efforts, but also to the state's economy, public access, environmental education and outdoor recreation. Passed by voters as a ballot initiative in 1990 by a 2-1 ratio, the fund provides up to $10 million each year from Arizona lottery proceeds to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for the conservation and protection of the state's wildlife and natural areas. Protect, Provide, Educate The... Full story
Tonto National Forest joins other federal agencies in offering fee-free days on public lands in 2016, beginning January 18 in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The remaining 2016 fee-free days honored by national forests are - • Feb. 15 President's Day • June 11 National Get Outdoors Day • Sept. 24 National Public Lands Day • Nov. 11 Veterans Day Traditionally, fees are not charged on 98 percent of national forests and grasslands, and approximately two-thirds of develop... Full story
Whether you already live in Arizona or are planning to visit our beautiful desert from another state or even out of the country, you shouldn't miss our great marinas. jim@azbw.comClick here to email Jim and find out how to enhance your listing. Antelope Point Marina Apache Lake Resort & Marina Bartlett Lake Marina & Boat Club Bartlett Lake Marina: Click Here"borde Bartlett Lake is located in the northeast valley only 48 miles from downtown Phoenix and 17 miles northeast of Carefree and is within... Full story
The plant's scientific name is your first clue that it is something that you do not want. Botanists know it as Salvinia molesta. It's commonly known as giant salvinia. Native to South America, the floating fern made its way to the United States via the ornamental plant industry. It's pretty, but the beauty belies serious economic and ecological harm that usually follow when it is accidentally or purposely released into the wild. John Naugle would know. He's a fisheries biological technician at... Full story
The State Parks in Arizona are offering guided hikes for New Years Day as part of a program called 1st Day Hikes. Guided hikes are great, even if you are an experienced hiker, because the guides will have lots of information about the area that you might not have known. The State Parks are great places to visit at any time, and the opportunity for a free guided hike is a bonus. Generally, the weather is cool on New Years Day, but at higher altitudes, you should add layers. Also, bring your own w... Full story
Seasonal reductions in services at some developed recreation sites on the Mesa Ranger District are now in effect through April 14, 2016. The reduction in services includes no vehicle access, trash pick-up, no available toilets, and no drinking water where water was previously provided. “The reduction in services will allow the recreation staff to consolidate use and more efficiently manage recreation on the district as visitation drops in the fall and winter,” stated Gary Hanna, Mesa Dis... Full story
The Mesquite and Horseshoe campgrounds and Fisherman's Point (also known as Catfish Point) re-opened for the winter early last month. These three areas are near Horseshoe Lake and are popular camping spots for fisherman. These sites accept the Tonto Pass, or annual pass. There are no trash collection services at these sites. If you pack it in, you need to pack it out. Stay limit is 14 days. Horseshoe Lake is a reservoir that was formed by the Horseshoe Dam on the Verde River. This lake is locate... Full story
Often hailed as Arizona's capital of autumn, Flagstaff is a leaf peeper's paradise. To experience the season at its most exhilarating visitors flock to the trails around 8,000 feet elevation; where large stands of aspen trees steal the show with their quaking leaves glowing like liquid sunshine. Fall In Flagstaff As the fall months begin to emerge, the warming autumn colors will descend from the San Francisco Peaks to the streets of Flagstaff. Considering the vague perception of when the... Full story
Beginning October 1, Maricopa County's Parks and Recreation Department will bring back the Buy One, Get One campaign! The campaign allows park visitors who pay the camping fee for one night, or more, at a desert mountain county park to receive one night of equal or lesser value for free at any of the County's desert parks during that same stay. "This is the seventh year the department has offered the Buy One, Get One promotion," said Chairman Steve Chucri, Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, D... Full story
The State Parks in Arizona provide many opportunities for campers. Sue Black, executive director, said, "Come out and visit your State Parks ..., whether it's for a day trip or a weekend adventure." Although there are many things you can experience at a State Park, here is a list of some fun things to do with your family: • Waterskiing at Lyman Lake State Park (St. Johns) • Camping under the Stars at Alamo Lake State Park (Wenden) • Swimming at Slide Rock State Park (Sedona) • Cave Tours a... Full story
Preparing a summer vacation should be as easy and relaxing as the heavenly skies and vast wilderness of Sedona, Ariz. The city, surrounded by 1.8 million acres of national forest land and buttressed by four wilderness areas and two state parks, is a landscape built for adventure and offers numerous options for summer explorations. Angular formations, high mesas and rocky cliffs define the multi-terraced skyline. Forests are carved by a network of trails and surrounded by feisty streams, all... Full story
PHOENIX -- The Arizona Game and Fish Department is implanting radio tags into a small percentage of hatchery-raised Apache trout that will be stocked into the East Fork of the Black and the Little Colorado River in the White Mountains to examine stocked trout movement and fate. The stockings begin in May and will coincide with the summer trout stocking schedule. If you catch a trout with external tags (as pictured) you may keep OR release the fish. These fish are safe for human consumption. If... Full story
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Arizona in mid-January to announce grants to the Arizona Game and Fish Department and four other groups to restore more than 15,000 acres of grassland habitat in Arizona and to improve water conservation in the Verde River Valley. The projects receiving grants are part of the new USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Three Focus Areas The RCPP projects in Arizona announced by Secretary Vilsack will help restore habitat for fish... Full story
Salt River Project has advised it will begin releasing water from Horseshoe Lake on Tuesday, March 3. Water flow in the Verde River between Horseshoe and Bartlett may reach 3,000 cubic feet per second, and water levels in Bartlett Lake will rise quickly. Campers are advised to camp at least 20-30 feet above the shoreline.... Full story
Tonto National Forest joins other federal agencies in offering fee-free days on public lands in 2015, beginning Jan. 19 in conjunction with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The 2015 fee-free days honored by national forests are the following: • Jan. 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr Day • Feb. 16 - President's Day • June 13 - National Get Outdoors Day • Sept. 26 - National Public Lands Day • Nov. 8-11- In honor of Veterans Day Encouraging use of public lands supports the goals of America's Great Outdoors,... Full story
Each year as part of its nationally-recognized and highly successful program to manage and conserve bald eagles in the state, the Arizona Game and Fish Department asks outdoor recreationists and aircraft pilots to help protect important eagle breeding areas by honoring the closure of 23 areas across the state. Various land and wildlife management agencies close the breeding areas for part of the year to protect the state's 55 breeding pairs of bald eagles. Some of the closure areas are located n... Full story
Tip Of The Week For rainbow trout in the high country, PowerBait and worms are still the best baits, but trout are also more willing to chase down a lure in these cooler water temperatures than they would during the warm summer months. You can cover a lot of ground by casting a Panther Martin spinner or Kastmaster. Some anglers choose to fish bait on one rod while casting a lure with a second rod to find what the fish are hitting. The new license structure allows the use of two rods with any... Full story
Beginning Oct. 1, Maricopa County's Parks and Recreation Department will bring back the Buy One, Get One campaign. The campaign allows park visitors who pay the camping fee for one night, or more, at a desert mountain county park to receive one night of equal or lesser value for free at any of the county's desert parks during that same stay. "This is the sixth year the department has offered the Buy One, Get One promotion, and it is by far, one of the Parks Department's most popular campaigns.... Full story
PAYSON, Ariz. -- Call them robot fish, mechanical fish, even Frankenfish. In the tiny Payson community of Beaver Valley, hatchery-raised rainbow trout hover in pools of the East Verde River, or perhaps enjoy the shade of a shoreline undercut. Then there's a different sort of rainbow trout in these waters – ones that mill around with a pair of protruding, lightweight tags. These fish have undergone surgery. Since April, Arizona Game and Fish Department biologists at the Tonto Creek Hatchery h... Full story
Tip Of The Week Try Apache Lake for something different. Here, crappie and walleye are other tasty options. Fish some of Apache's heavy breaks where shallow water quickly becomes deep. It has really become a tremendous largemouth bass fishery. There are also plentiful yellow bass, which are a lot of fun to catch on light tackle. Apache Lake also has a healthy herd of bighorns. So be sure to take a camera - this is one of our most photogenic lakes. The Reel Deal Summer is hot and sticky and... Full story
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, bedroom and the living room and head for your favorite family retreat, the State Parks! Rural State Parks in Northern Arizona can be five to 20 degrees cooler than Phoenix or Tucson. Adventures include camping, fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, wildlife watching and learning about Arizona's history. The number to call for all this is (602) 542-4174. "Vacation & Camping Central" is located at the State Parks headquarters at 1300 W.... Full story
Are catfish limits too liberal at Arizona Lakes? Would you like to see more opportunity to catch Arizona’s native trout species? In order to best manage fish populations, simplify and streamline regulations, and incorporate public request, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is evaluating these fishing regulation changes. The department is conducting a series of public meetings during July to provide information on the proposed fishing regulation changes and solicit comment. The meeting s... Full story
Lynx Lake One of our favorite little hikes in the pines is the easy trail #311 that circles Lynx Lake. Most of this trail is shaded by trees, and the lake and the forest around it are gorgeous. We often see a huge variety of birds and small mammals, even in the summer. The paved part of the trail on the west side of the lake is wheelchair and stroller accessible, but once you reach the far end of the laken the trail turns to dirt. 'Bee' Prepared At this far end of the lake opposite the parking l... Full story