Snugly nestled in a narrow canyon at the base of 4,400-foot Picketpost Mountain, it is proof that one can still find a bit of Eden upon this planet. Begun by mining magnate William Boyce Thompson in 1923, it was created as a museum of living plants. Today, it is managed cooperatively by Arizona State Parks, the University of Arizona and a private nonprofit corporation that owns the facility. Covering 323 acres, it is Arizona's oldest and largest botanical garden, displaying more than 3,200 desert plants. About 100 acres are open to the public.
Trails range from steeper switchback canyon paths to shady, level walkways.
Many of those trails are wheelchair accessible. Also, pets on leashes are welcome. One recent morning, Don and Mary Joan Muir, who were visiting from Alberta, Canada, stood by the lake, awed by the profusion of desert plants. August is our only really good flowering month. To native Arizonans, the arboretum can seem like a desert in some distant plant-friendly galaxy.