Arizona doesn’t really do winter. It does “a really nice fall that lasts for several months.” But that doesn’t mean parks are quiet — Victorian holiday tours with Santa at Fort Verde, a boat parade of lights on the Colorado River at Lake Havasu, a winter solstice hike at Catalina State Park, an ornament trail at Roper Lake, and 18 First Day Hikes on January 1st — all free in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. Michelle Thompson, Deputy Assistant Director at Arizona State Parks and Trails, joins The Parks Podcast.
A note from Missy: It was hard to wrap my head around a warm holiday season, but Arizona State Parks make me want to head that way for the holidays.
Episode Guest
Michelle Thompson, Deputy Assistant Director
Arizona State Parks & Trails
Holiday Programs
- Riordan Mansion SP (Flagstaff): Victorian era decorations, ornament making workshops, Santa, Twilight Tours with Christmas lights and luminaries
- Fort Verde SHP (Camp Verde): Victorian era decorations, ornament making workshops, Santa
- Lake Havasu SP: Boat parade of lights on the Colorado River (competitive event)
- Catalina SP: Winter solstice hike — see stars, sunset, night wildlife
- Roper Lake (Safford): Ornament trail — visitors pick ornament at visitor center, write a message, ornaments decorate the trail
- First Day Hikes 2026: 18 parks offering hikes on January 1st — all free (America 250); check azstateparks.com/fdh
- Notable First Day Hike: Picacho Peak SP — cables and gloves required to summit; Patagonia Lake SP — New Year’s boat ride hike
Episode Transcript
Winter in the Parks — Arizona State Parks and Trails Is Ready for You
The Parks Podcast, Episode 51 | Michelle Thompson, Deputy Assistant Director, Arizona State Parks and Trails
Note: This is a mini episode recorded around the 2025 holiday season. Event dates and First Day Hike details referenced are specific to that time. Visit azstateparks.com for current programming.
Arizona Doesn’t Do Winter — It Just Does a Very Nice Fall
Missy Rentz: In this special Winter in the Parks episode, I am joined by Michelle Thompson, who is the Deputy Assistant Director at Arizona State Parks and Trails. Michelle, welcome to The Parks Podcast.
Michelle Thompson: Thank you so much for having me.
Missy: So many people think about winter and parks and they think cold. And maybe I’m biased because I’m in the north, but in Arizona, this is prime time to visit a park.
Michelle: This is exactly the right time to visit the Sonoran Desert and see what Arizona has to offer. Arizona doesn’t really do winter. We just do a really nice fall that lasts for several months, and it’s a really excellent time for you to come and explore the desert, get to know all the cactus that we’ve warned you against in the summer, and really just get outdoors and have a great time.
Missy: And when we talk about winter activities, you’re not packing your coats and your gloves and your mittens — and you all have a little bit of everything when it comes to winter activities down in Arizona.
Michelle: We do. And actually you can pack your coat and your gloves and your mittens, because Arizona has such a diverse climate. So you can go to some of our parks up in the north, like at Flagstaff, and you may see snow some years — we’ve gotten a lot of snow up there. Or you can go down and still enjoy getting out in your kayak and going out on the water and hiking in the desert. And you can do all of those things in one state throughout the winter months — December all the way through to March. You can have those really great experiences with such a diversity in the state.
Holiday Events Across Arizona State Parks
Missy: So what can people look forward to this holiday season in Arizona Parks and Trails?
Michelle: Aside from those general outdoor activities, we do a lot of things for the holidays that people can come out and experience. Our historic parks — several of them really get all decked out in their holiday glitter. We have Riordan Mansion State Historic Park up in Flagstaff and Fort Verde State Historic Park in Camp Verde that both do Victorian-era decorations and have ornament-making workshops. Santa will be at both of those parks for the kids to come and explore. Twilight Tours at Riordan Mansion so you can explore and enjoy the park with all the Christmas lights and luminaries outside. We have the Boat Parade of Lights at Lake Havasu State Park, which is right along the Colorado River — and this is a very competitive event. Those boats are decked out in their finest lights. It’s really quite an experience. And then we even do a solstice winter hike at Catalina State Park, which is right in the heart of the desert. It’s a really great time — you can go out and see the stars and the sunset and then enjoy some of the night wildlife that comes out in that park. We’re also doing an ornament trail at Roper Lake, which is in Safford, Arizona. You go to the visitor center, pick out an ornament, put a special message on it, and then they’ll decorate the trees and bushes along that trail so that you can see everyone’s holiday spirit as you hike.
Missy: Oh, that’s really beautiful. So if people want to learn about what’s going on — I’ve got a list on TheParksPodcast.com, but you probably have a more comprehensive list. Where can people go to learn more?
Michelle: Go to azstateparks.com. If you want to go to the specific page, it’s azstateparks.com/holiday-events, but it’s linked right on our homepage. You can go there and check out all of the other events and activities we have that aren’t necessarily for the holidays but that we have going on throughout December and January from that homepage.
First Day Hikes — Free for America’s 250th
Missy: One big activity that is happening in Arizona and across the country is First Day Hikes — which celebrates January 1st by going to a park and going on a hike. You all have a lot of things going on for First Day Hikes. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
Michelle: Yeah, absolutely. And this is actually an extra special First Day Hikes that we’ll be having in 2026 because this is also part of America’s 250th anniversary. So to kick off the new year, we want everyone to start 2026 outdoors recreating and having an amazing time, but we also want you to celebrate this big anniversary for our country. So all of our First Day Hikes are going to be free. All you have to do is show up at the park, go to the visitor center, let them know that you’re there for the First Day Hike, and then you can go ahead and go in without a fee to take that hike. We have 18 different parks offering First Day Hikes. Take a look at our website — it’s azstateparks.com/fdh — and we have all of them listed: the times they’re starting, which trail they’ll be on, and a little bit about that trail. So you can choose if you want an easier, more leisurely post-holiday hike or if you really want to challenge yourself. We even have a hike up to the top of Picacho Peak State Park, which involves you bringing gloves and using steel cables to pull yourself up to the very peak. But it is a definite bucket list hike that a lot of people really enjoy doing. If you’re really feeling like relaxing on your First Day Hike, Patagonia Lake State Park is also offering a boat ride hike for the new year — you can tour the park, learn about some of the surrounding ecosystem, and just enjoy a little boat ride on the lake.
Missy: And you can really find activities that interest everybody and are accessible for everybody from infant to grandparents. It’s a great activity. But a lot of your parks are rural and they require a little bit of planning — you’re not going to wake up at 8:00 AM and be there by 10 for some of these parks. So for someone new to park activities, what do you recommend they do to prepare?
Michelle: For First Day Hikes, I really recommend going to our website, checking out the First Day Hikes, and picking which one you want to go to. Make sure you know how long it’s going to take you to get there. But once you’re there, let them know that you’re there for a First Day Hike. Like I said, you’ll get in for free. All you have to do is remember to bring water, wear appropriate closed-toe shoes, and then depending on where you are, you’ll probably need some sun protection — so think about a hat or sunscreen because it’s probably going to be a nice sunny day here in Arizona. We have maps to those parks linked on the same page, so you can really see how far it is from your home or from wherever you’re starting. All of our parks have really helpful rangers who are going to be there for guiding these hikes. And if you’re getting there and you’re not sure what to do, just ask at the visitor center. Everyone is really excited to have you come to the park and visit, and they really want you to be there and to have a good time. That’s one thing that’s really cool about Arizona State Parks — our rangers really want you to be there and really want to make the best out of your visit.
Missy: I love it. Michelle, I am really grateful to you for joining us today and sharing what’s going on in Arizona State Parks and Trails this winter and this holiday season. Thanks for joining us.
Michelle: Absolutely. Thanks so much for having us here, and hopefully you can enjoy a First Day Hike wherever you are.
Missy: Thank you — I definitely will. Thanks for joining us for this short episode on Winter in the Parks in Arizona. For more information, visit the Arizona State Parks and Trails website or TheParksPodcast.com. Happy holidays to you, Michelle, and happy holidays to our listeners. Until next time — we’ll see you in the parks.
Music for The Parks Podcast is performed and produced by Porter Hardy. Follow us @TheParksPodcast or visit TheParksPodcast.com.