Beautiful place. More of a wild botanical garden. Dogs are welcome. It’s not paved so I would suggest tennis shoes, lots of dirt. We stayed about 1.5 hours but didn’t even see everything! Take water, it’s hot, big and no water or food to buy. They do have a little gift shop. And tons of plants for sale. $15 per adult.

Absolutely love this place. The staff is extremely kind and helpful and work hard to keep all of the beautiful nature on display for the public. There's so many great sights to see between the trails leading into the more rocky/mountainous area, the lake, and the numerous gardens. There's some interesting history in this place to go along with the huge variety of plants and trees displayed. Definitely go early in the morning around summer time to avoid the heat and a water bottle is a must. If you haven't been here before and enjoy the Arizona wilderness make sure to take a day to enjoy all that the Boyce Thompson Arboretum has to offer.

Such a great time!!!! A little chilly if you go early, however the morning lighting is so beautiful. Pack a lunch and stay the day. With all that Arizona has to offer, this is one of the places that should be on the top of your list. When your day is done, it’s a short drive up to Superior where surprisingly there are several restraints that are amazing! Easy Dray trip from Anywhere in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

We visited Boyce Thompson Arboretum on an October, Wednesday afternoon. There were only a few people there. It was an incredibly beautiful day and rather cool by AZ standards in the high 70’s. The vegetation was amazing, exotic, and carefully maintained. My husband and I loved our walk through the Arboretum. I strongly suggest wearing a sun hat and taking water to drink along the way. The Arboretum offers an annual membership which is a good deal and I understand has a reciprocal agreement with other arboretums around the country. It’s about an hour out from Phoenix, nevertheless, I consider it a must see if you visit AZ. ❤️

Much larger and more interesting than I really thought it would be and we ended up spending a couple of hours here and we really enjoyed our visit. I think it's worth the admission price which is a bit spendy but there's lots to see. There are some places where you would not be able to go in a wheelchair or with a baby stroller so keep that in mind and wear good hiking or walking shoes and plenty of water.

Beautiful place to walk and see so many different species of plants. Also dog friendly and has lots of benches to rest along the way. Definitely will be back to explore different times of year and see the plants blooming. Lots of birds and they have yoga classes. Beautiful place to bring visitors

I haven't visited in over 25 years, but I finally got the family loaded up for an afternoon visit. 25 years was far too long! The kids from age 10 down to 4 absolutely loved the visit. The arboretum is even more beautiful than I remember as a kid. We happily purchased a membership for the family and plan to visit and support often. This is an excellent activity for locals and visitors to Arizona alike. It truly makes you appreciate the incredible diversity of color and texture you can find in the desert.

A nice place to spend peaceful time. Very Family friendly trails. Couple of good view points are there. Lots of shades while hiking. Friendly staff. Used public library passes for free entry. (otherwise ~$25)

Great spot for some light hiking. The grounds are beautiful and well maintained. Each area is marked well and easy to explore. It is worth stopping at if passing by or to make a day trip out of. We purchased the annual pass and have gone a few times and have taken visitors. I would go more often if it was closer.

We had a wonderful time at the arboretum today. All the blooms are beautiful and the hikes are fun. The trails are nicely kept with signs to let you know the names of the plants. Staff are always friendly and helpful. Try the prickly pear taffy, so yummy! The gift shop has lots of fun things to buy including cactus plants. Might have to get a yearly membership here!

Definitely a must do if you're into botanical gardens. There is even a kid's area with a little maze, a ranger who had the kids doing crafts, a suspension bridge that was fun to run across, an old barn with windmill and truck, and a little old rock house with some historical information. Beautiful photo opportunities!

What a beautiful and amazing day to share with my friend Kathleen. There was so much to see, to learn, and experience the spectacular landscapes of Gods creation in nature. It’s hard to imagine the diversity of the landscapes and climate of Arizona. Next year they will be celebrating their bicentennial. They have a white gum tree known as a eucalyptus there, it was planted in 1925. It could be the biggest eucalyptus tree in North America, and even the biggest eucalyptus tree in the world. It was a gentle giant, a must see. I WOULD RECOMMEND

This was our third visit to the arboretum. I've enjoyed bringing our friends and their kids to explore. While we've never fully finished the grounds, we were able to appreciate the east side of the area most shaded. The girls loved seeing the cardinal, butterflies and lizards, in addition to all the cool plants. It's a great place to stroll and many people had brought their friendly dogs. I noticed that the children's garden was being renovated this time and many of the features were removed (stories along the path, sundial, wicker maze). Looking forward to what they may do in this area. This is a great place to pack a nice lunch as they have plenty of picnic tables. I also saw several water bottle refill stations and bowls with water for the dogs. I'm anxiously waiting for the cooler weather in hopes we can make it back to see the leaves change. We decided to sign up for an annual membership this time since our cost today was applied. Such amazing views here! There is always something new to see. Don't forget your sunglasses, hat and sunscreen. Maybe take home one of the local arts pieces or plants for sale onsite!

Beautiful grounds, lots of trails, small fee to get in. Hiked there 11/17/23, rained on us, but was so beautiful and not too cold . once the rain passed, the plants and desert came alive. Had a great time!! Nice day trip.

Absolutely wonderful place, its a bit pricy to get in but absolutely worth it. It's over a mile on the main trail but can be much longer with the side trails. In the spring and fall It's awesome with all the flowers and the temperature is great. The staff is super friendly and helpful and the history of the place is really cool. There's also a nice picnic area near the entrance and a play ground. They are also super dog friendly as long as you cleanup and your dog is trained. For any plant lovers out there, this is a must see.

Beautiful and worth the drive. I bought a membership after my first visit. Every season has something new too see. This isn't a State Park so $19 entrance fee is worth the price if you only come once. There's over 4 miles of nice trials to walk and hike. Lots of places to sit down and enjoy a packed lunch.

We got lucky: they offer free admission on the first Tuesday of each month from October to May! It was a spur of the moment trip but I am glad we did. The upkeep of the garden is well done. They have easy trails for both adults and children, a little maze for the young, and beautiful scenery.

We love visiting the Boyce Thompson Aboretum! It's a great place to bring family who are not hikers. Very easy walking paths, beautiful scenery, and friendly staff. It's a great place to enjoy the scenery and lots of great shaded areas for a picnic. Buy the year pass if you go it's paid for after two visits.

It was awesome ?

This was such a nice day trip from Phoenix. Lots of interesting plants. Not a place to go in the summer!!

I love going to Boyce Thompson Arboretum!! It is definitely worth getting a family pass to!!!

Great place to come and see some beautiful scenery. Very helpful and bring your own food/snacks it's a bit of a drive but very much worth it.

Pleasant place, partially in the shade

Very good place! Good for children even small ones. Nice views and plants.

We were pleased to find more flowers than expected for late in May. The restroom situation is a bit dicey right now with only a single person at a time one available inside. There's also a Portapottie in the parking lot.

Great day out, unmatched collection of native and Australian plant life. Also, the main trail takes you through Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Australian focused gardens as well as beautiful rose and butterfly gardens. You can also find great native plants in the garden shop.

I went back on Memorial Weekend. It is a beautiful place to visit. There is a canyon running through it with a stream. The path I took was well defined and easy to walk through. There is one part that is downhill and you have to be careful where you step. Highly recommend this place.

Beautiful unpretentious Arizona botanical park. Wear good walking shoes! It's big ?

Penelope and I really enjoyed this place. $15 is the entrance fee and very dog friendly. The hiking trails aren't too bad, 90% are flat. We went a little later than we should of but rested at all the stops and took our time.

Great tourist activity for the whole family including your dog. They even have water bowls set out for your dog. Labels setup for what plants and trees are, nice wide paths. Watch out for spiders and snakes. Sitting areas in shady places. Bring lots of sunscreen, water bottles and sun blocking hats. They have bathrooms, gift shop and Plants for sale.

In less than two hours from Phoenix, you can witness the magnificent oasis. Surprised my girl with a day trip but ended up only having a few hours to explore the grounds. Would add this to the itinerary for out-of-town guests to explore other parts of Arizona outside of the Valley. Membership included access to special events within the arboretum. There was also a gift shop and cafe, as well as picnic tables on site.

Such a wonderful and natural experience. If you want to explore every trail and avenue then you could spend a whole day in here. If you just stick to the main trail then it will still be a free hours. Plenty of seating to take breaks. Very dog friendly as well. Start as early as possible and bring plenty of water in the warm seasons. The main trail is about 50% exposed and 50% shaded. Had very clean restrooms and a nice gift shop with stickers, little housewarming items and art. There's also small snacks at the gift shop. They also sell plants here for a reasonable price.

June 11, 2023 I really would like to see more sanctuary water ponds and some rock waterfalls all around with something like this added it would make the place extraordinary (Pictures of waterfall and fountain is my idea of what they should add) And since the actual river is dry they should add some fake canoes and wooden colored statues to the whole place The Bridge is a nice detail makes it feel like your on a safari . The hiking and the trail is nice it has allot of covered places you can stop and have something to drink( or even better bring your own snacks and sandwich) The plants all have names and that was very nice. Spotted a rabbit a chipmunk, 2 cute squirrels having lunch with cute eyes. and a red cardinal and lots of hummingbirds. A few butterfly. For people who hate to hike this place is definetly a place you would enjoy

So we went here 2 times one time just to explore and walk with our dog and it was very enjoyable total loved it. It was very pretty and the trails were super well taken care of. There was a lot of trails for people who like hard trails or not that hard so many trails for different people but then still with good plants to see. Then our dog go to become a dog member which was really cute she got a bandana and then got to be a member. Then we came here another time for the plant sale which was fun to look at the plants and then meet people who knew a lot about the plants and find new plants for your yard. The price were really affordable and there were plenty of plants to choose from like cactuses and then flower plants.

Beautiful park, well maintained. There's a little shop to purchase gifts and plants. Many different parts of the park to see and some smaller hiking trails. The staff are very knowledgeable as well and very friendly! Definitely recommend arriving early and bringing lots of water.

Loved the natural feeling of the park. It was easy to push our stroller around & we even took the high trail with our kids. We did the entire loop around & enjoyed the suspension bridge. Beautiful mountain views from the path. They sell desert plants as well!

We attended our friend's wedding here. It was a nice place for an outdoor wedding. The weather was perfect in late October. Didn't take many pictures. We enjoyed the ceremony. And the outdoors.

A wonderful relaxing place. Love the lay out and trails. Enjoy the walks and talks available. Very reasonable to become members.

Great hiking

BEAUTIFUL, SERENE AND CLEAN. Pristine park with many variety of trails and BEAUTIFUL scenery. Interesting history and a variety of desert plants. Hidden gem worth checking out!

Beautiful, tranquil desert oasis...

Fabulous place to Visit!

Love the desert flora, the majestic mountains and their plant sale!!!

Wonderful!! Recommended!! Thanks for being open!!

Just beautiful! There are trails for hikers of all levels. Most trials are even accessible. There is a good restroom facility and shaded picnic area. The children's trail is adorable! We came mid-July and it was HOT so make sure to bring extra water for the Summer months.

Great place fo a nice walk with your puppy ?

Beautiful, and peaceful. I love to go here just to enjoy the sound of the birds in the trees.

We had a blast there today. Thank you to Boyce Arboretum. This place is a must on your AZ adventures. Bring your water bottle and a walking stick. We were there about 3-4 hours and still didn’t see everything but what we did see proved to be quite the show. Nature at its best and we couldn’t get enough of the plants, trees and views. It was well worth the cost and even Mother Nature cooperated with highs of 64* Perfect day for a hike! This place is well maintained and the staff were all friendly. Next time through AZ, we will be back. ❤️?❤️

Great experience for the price. Some optional hiking areas and nice shady resting places. Beautiful butterflies and other animals.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum is awesome! You can take a short walk or hike for hours. We went today with our dog and enjoyed a peaceful walk while Bella sniffed every plant:).

Amazingly peaceful place. You can spend an entire day here and not be bored. They have a great selection of plants for purchase. The selection of plants along the trail is much more impressive than the desert botanical garden in Phoenix. The selection was larger and the area to explore much larger. Definitely a spot worth driving to.

I love this place. I went here with my girlfriend for our first date and we just returned here on valentines day. It's a great place to have a little picnic. The plants and scenery are very relaxing and they have a cool little gift shop to grab something to remember your visit. Now it's going to cost you $15 a head for adults to get in, but for $60 you get access all year for two people. I'm sure we will be visiting again soon.

Most definitely worth a trip! I have lived in the valley for 30 years and somehow didn't know about this gem. Similar concept to desert botanical gardens but a little more rustic, in a really good way and more tree canopy coverage with lots of great spots and benches for a picnic. Love how all of the plants are labeled but you are still offered so much natural desert feeling. As you can tell I was so pleasantly surprised and can't wait to take other friends and family!! Oh and its affordable compared to other things like it :)

It's a beautiful place with desert plants, birds, butterflies, big trees and a lot of benches on the trails. The round fountain provides water for bees, hummingbirds, birds it's very relaxing. The best time to go is spring, autumn and winter.

Great place to hike and see desert plants, scenery, and animals. The trails range from a leisurely walk to a level 1-2 hike. This is the best place around to take visitors to Arizona to show them all the desert plants and animals in one place. You can hike on your own, or take a scheduled guided tour, which is a great ways to learn about desert plants and animals. The trails are well marked, and the plants along the trails are usually labeled for easy identification. I would definitely recommend the BTA to a native of AZ or a visitor to the desert!

Even though it is hot , it was still so amazing.. I can't wait to go back in the better weather.

Kids loved the place!

Very pretty I was a little hard to get around because they had the main trail blocked off because of a branch falling, buy otherwise very nice!I want to go back and do the whole thing!

A beautiful experience. Loved every minute.

Beautiful place - a lot of surprises to see. Great selection of plants to purchase to help support the arboretum.

A must see!

Spectacular Oasis in the desert. Wonderful trails amazing varieties of cactus from around the world!

They have authentic trees none of that plastic stuff

Fantastic place to take a date, or to teach your children, take a hike, have a picnic, learn some history. There is a small lake, nurseries, birds, fish....and lots of shade to get breaks from the sun. They're closed on Tuesdays, however.

One of the most beautiful places in Arizona. Definitely worth the hour and a half drive to and from. Spectacular. Early spring was still pretty nice and warm being in the mid 70s, you work up quite a sweat. Bring extra water or sports drink, and freeze the night before so it stays cold. The gift shop has drinks at two bucks a pop, but the trail takes a good 2 hours and you'll want ice: just a heads up! And enjoy. I took close to 600 shots between the DSLR and my cell phone.

This was worth the drive and admission. They have a variety of gardens to walk through and view - from Sonoran Desert to Mediterranean to Australian and more. The gardens are designed to fit into the natural landscape. It is full sun in the desert gardens, but there is plenty of large shade trees in other areas. There are many shaded sitting areas to view the abundance of birds.

Always a great visit to the arboretum. Love taking a morning walk through the trails. Anytime we have guests from out of state they always comment on how much they enjoy the their visit as well.

So quiet and calm here, love all the wildlife !

Fun journey through the desert with having to wander. Plants you may never discover on your own!

This place was breathtaking. I went for a visit with my dad and sister and we loved it! There were so many butterflies and the trails were clean and we'll kept. You can also tell that the plants are truly cared for here and I ended up buying two of the plants they sell on site as a souvenir to have at home. I'll be coming back when it cools down for sure!

This place is a hidden gem. I have lived in Mesa for many years and always heard about this place and even passed it going down the highway. I can definitely say that this place is a must. Make sure you walk to the very back down to where the creek is at so you can see the real Beauty!

It's always a pleasure to go here. Beautiful and peaceful.

I love Boyce-Thompson. Buy a member pass and go three times throughout the year, it's worth it. The Arboretum has many different kinds of trees and foliage from around the world that bloom at different times of the year. Special guided tours are sometimes available to explore exciting current events in the arboretum. If you're into bird watching, there are plenty of exciting and rare to see birds hanging out in this oasis. My last trip here I saw bright red Cardinals!