The Valley of the Sun

The Valley of the Sun covers the Phoenix metro area and the surrounding Sonoran Desert basin in central Arizona. The valley sits at about 1,100 feet, ringed by mountain ranges — the Estrellas to the south, South Mountain in the middle, the McDowells to the northeast, and the Superstitions framing the eastern edge. The Salt and Gila rivers cross the valley floor. Maricopa County holds Phoenix and most of the metro: Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe, Peoria, and Surprise. Pinal County stretches southeast toward Tucson, with Florence, Casa Grande, and Apache Junction. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument sits in Pinal; Boyce Thompson Arboretum, Lost Dutchman State Park, and Picacho Peak State Park cover the desert public lands. Apache, Saguaro, Canyon, and Roosevelt lakes string east along the Salt River chain. Most visits split between the urban core — Scottsdale’s resort and arts district, the Heard Museum, the Desert Botanical Garden, Cactus League Spring Training — and the surrounding desert: Camelback Mountain, the Superstitions, the Salt River tubing run. Winter is peak season; summer days routinely top 110.