Arizonian RV Resort: Adventure and Amenities in the Sonoran Desert

Arizonian RV Resort sits in beautiful Gold Canyon between the bright lights of Phoenix and the tall peaks of the Superstition Mountains. Surrounded by Sonoran desert landscapes, the resort cultivates a friendly 55+ community with a slew of amenities and activities to keep guests busy. 

Camping Options

With more than 400 sites, Arizonian RV Resort gives visitors a wide range of camping options. Guests can stay in full-hookup sites with 30/50-amp power with ample room for slideouts. Paved patios at each site give travelers room to relax. Wi-Fi for overnight guests connects RVers to the world outside. An on-site laundry room has plenty of machines to keep your clothes clean. The park offers daily, weekly, and monthly rates, so campers can plan a vacation that fits their style. 

Arizonian park models.

Travelers can also purchase an existing park model or install a new unit. If you fall in love with the area, you can become an annual resident. This enables you to enjoy year-round seasonal activities. 

Active guests can stay busy at the park’s pool, exercise room, or putting green. Bocce ball, shuffleboard, and pickleball courts fuel competitive juices, while an art room, wood shop, and ceramic shop give guests a chance to cultivate hobbies. Choose between two clubhouses for games and social occasions. A dog run gives your canines a chance to blow off steam.

Arizonian Pool.

Staying Engaged

Guests won’t run out of ways to keep busy during their stay. Activities range from bocce ball tournaments to chair yoga to line dancing lessons. Special occasions include casino nights, craft shows, and themed dinners. Get to know your neighbors in one of the resort’s exciting social activities. 

Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction. Getty Images

Live entertainment is also a big part of the Arizonian scene, and guests are invited to join themed excursions to surrounding attractions. Put on your best Old West duds and take a trip to Goldfield Ghost Town, a reconstructed 1890s community in nearby Apache Junction. 

Hiking, Biking, and Off-roading

Visitors will find adventures for almost every type of traveler in the surrounding Sonoran desert. Hiking and horse trails are found throughout the area, and horse lovers will find equestrian stables close to the resort. 

One of the top routes for hikers is the Shaka Cave via Lost Gold Mine Trail, a 3.7-mile moderate hike that leads explorers into the Superstition Wilderness. The area was once inhabited by indigenous people, and cave relics can be found here. 

Hitting an ATV trail in Gold Canyon. Getty Images

Do you prefer tires to boots? Less than a mile away, the Desert Wells OHV Staging Area is a great starting point for offroading adventures. Closer to the Superstition Mountains, the Montana Mountain/Queen Valley OHV Trail runs for 45.6 miles, reaching an altitude of 5,000 feet with panoramic desert and mountain views. If you like pedal power, the Lost Goldmine and Cougar Loop Trail leads mountain bikers along four miles of scenic expanse. More exciting trails can be found in the Tonto National Forest.

Just a few miles northwest of the resort, the Arizona Renaissance Festival Grounds gives attendees a taste of chivalry and festivity in the desert.

Papago Park in Phoenix at sunset. Getty Images

Phoenix Fun

Arizona’s capital city is only 45 minutes west of the resort, and it delivers a unique big-city experience in the desert. Phoenix ranks as the fifth-largest city in the United States, and this town celebrates its desert environment at every turn. Quench your thirst for microbrews and browse artworks in Roosevelt Row, one of the town’s hottest spots. See where nature meets the town by walking the trails that snake through 140 acres in the Desert Botanical Garden. Architecture buffs journey to nearby Scottsdale to tour Taliesin West. This innovative desert residence of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Cactus League play in Arizona. Photo: Andy Jou

Arizona Baseball 

Baseball fans visiting the resort between February and April are in for a treat. The Cactus League pits Major League baseball teams against each other in 10 regional state-of-the-art ballparks. See heavy hitters like the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, and LA Dodgers compete on the field. Get a baseball fix in nearby Mesa (35 minutes from the resort), where Hohokam  Stadium hosts the Oakland Athletics.

Superstition Mountains

One of the area’s signature attractions is the Superstition Mountains. This dramatic range rises abruptly out of the desert landscape and reaches over 5,000 feet above sea level. The mountains are quite possibly the most photographed geographical feature of Arizona behind the Grand Canyon, and they’re visible from the resort. 

Superstition Mountains. Photo: Kevin Green

Apaches believed that the mountains offered access to the “lower world,” which strong winds blew. The best-known story behind the mountains is the tale of Jacob Waltz, a German miner who purportedly discovered large quantities of gold in the range. On his deathbed, Waltz disclosed the existence of the gold but didn’t give an exact location. To this day, explorers and treasure seekers have searched in vain for “the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.”  

Visitors can learn more about Waltz’s “mine” and more at the Superstition Mountain Museum, northeast of Apache Junction. The museum collects and displays artifacts related to the Superstition Mountain Area, Apache Junction, and Gold Canyon. The famous Elvis Chapel is on display on the museum’s grounds, an elaborate prop used in the 1969 Elvis Presley Western, “Charro!” The air-conditioned structure can be reserved for weddings and memorial services.

Boating on Canyon Lake. Getty Images

Lovely Lakes

For water recreation, head to the Apache Lake Marina and Resort in the Superstition Wilderness and Three Bar Wildlife Area. The 17-mile-long lake is an ideal site for boating, fishing, and waterskiing. Boaters can venture into secluded coves for sightings of javelina, big horn sheep, eagles, deer, and a host of desert wildlife.

Approximately 24 miles north of Arizonian, Canyon Lake is home to the Dolly Steamboat, a sternwheeler that conveys passengers past rugged desert scenery on the shores. Sign up for a Twilight Dinner Cruise to catch majestic sunsets. Likewise, skywatchers can take the Astronomy Dinner Cruise for compelling glimpses of the stars.