Website:   http://www.dbg.org

Where the Desert Comes to Life

Within sight of the red, rocky folds of Phoenix’s Papago Park lies the Desert Botanical Garden, home to the one of the world’s largest and most diverse collection of desert plants. A stroll through the Garden’s meandering trails will show how much life and beauty the desert holds.

The one-third mile Desert Discovery Trail winds past thousands of plants, including more than half the cactus, century plants, and aloe species in the world. Short trails branch off to interpret other aspects of desert life: the uses of plants by people, interactions among plants and animals, desert wildflowers, and landscaping and gardening in the desert. All the trails have interactive signs and guidebooks that identify and explain the plants and have been graded for wheelchair access. Lighting on the main trail and late closing hours allow for the unusual experience of strolling through the desert at night.

Visitors can enjoy a variety of guided trail tours, bird tours, demonstrations, and family activities. Children receive the Garden’s Desert Detective Game Sheets to use along the Garden’s trails. Desert House, the Garden’s water and energy conservation house, is frequently open on Sunday afternoons. Visitors can also participate in many of the Garden’s special events, buy plants and gifts in the Garden Shop, or enjoy a meal at the outdoor Patio Cafe.

In summer the Garden opens at 7 a.m. and offers early morning and evening activities, to “beat the heat.”