Phoenix - Best Of - Best Fall Day Trip for the Family - Boyce Thompson Southwestern ArboretumU.S. 60, three miles west of Superior1-520-883-0320 (2000)

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Best Fall Day Trip for the Family

Boyce Thompson Southwestern Arboretum
U.S. 60, three miles west of Superior
1-520-883-0320

The 1.5-mile hike through the 323-acre Boyce Thompson Arboretum, the state's oldest and largest botanical garden, is gorgeous any time of the year. But only in fall, as you walk down through the steep-walled Queen Creek Canyon, do you pass through hundreds of different tree species from ecosystems around the world changing colors together. It's a natural palette seen in few places on Earth. Surprisingly, most visitors trek through the arboretum in spring, leaving the paths fairly quiet during this autumnal spectacular show.

One drawback for this fall, though. As it has with much of Arizona's vegetation, this year's drought has taken its toll on the plant life in the arboretum. This autumn likely will be a replay of last year, when severe heat and dry conditions played havoc with the usual spectacular colors. Think of it as a muted palette.

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