Originally founded in 1888 under the name of Sidney, Buckeye is the westernmost suburb in the Phoenix metropolitan area, with an old west charm.<\/p>\n
Located in Arizona\u2019s Maricopa County, it was renamed in 1910 Buckeye due to the importance of the nearby Buckeye Canal.<\/p>\n
With a population of almost 60,000 people, Buckeye is considered one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States.<\/p>\n
A heaven for wildlife and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, Buckeye offers hikers, mountain bikers, equestrians and campers the chance of exploring dozen of miles of trails around the city.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s explore the best things to do in Buckeye<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Constructed over the Gila River in 1927 and restored in 2012, the Gillespie Dam Bridge is a unique reminder of Arizona\u2019s rich past and America\u2019s transportation history.<\/p>\n This 1,662 foot long bridge was one of the longest bridges and the largest steel structure in Arizona.<\/p>\n While the bridge no longer serves as a segment of the Old U.S. 80 highway, it is continually used by locals and tourists.<\/p>\n By driving just a quarter of a mile west of the bridge, on the west side of the river, an impressive display of petroglyphs can be found at the base of the cliffs.<\/p>\n With more than 16 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding, Skyline Regional Park is a very popular park among the people of Buckeye.<\/p>\n Located in the southern White Tank Mountains, Skyline Regional Park is 8,700 acres and features 5 ramadas and 7 camping sites, offering amazing views of the surrounding mountains.<\/p>\n Opened in January, 2016, this brand new park is dog friendly and offers fresh and new amenities.<\/p>\n Each campsite includes a parking stall, two graded tent pads, a picnic table, cooking grill and a fire ring.<\/p>\n Due to minimal light pollution it is also an excellent spot for stargazing.<\/p>\n Established in 1939, the Desert Botanical Garden has more than 50,000 plants, with one third of them native to the area.<\/p>\n Located 40 miles away from Buckeye, the garden can be found in Papago Park.<\/p>\n As volunteers were essential in the creation and development of the Garden, they are still considered an important asset.<\/p>\n Working closely with the staff, they share their time, talents and professional expertise in the working and care of the garden and with guests.<\/p>\n Located in west-central Maricopa County, Arizona, the White Tank Mountain Regional Park is a mix of desert and mountain landscapes.<\/p>\n With nearly 26 miles of hiking trails and an extension of 29,271 acres, this is the largest regional park in the county.<\/p>\n The majority of the park is undeveloped and prohibited to motorised vehicles but in the developed portion of the park picnic areas and campground can be found.<\/p>\n Perfect for stargazing due to regular clear weather and dark skies, the park hosts various stargazing events through the year.<\/p>\n Designed by the Ryder Cup Captain, Tom Lehman, the Verrado Golf Club lies 36 holes of championship golf in two different layouts.<\/p>\n Located in the shadows of the White Tank Mountains, golfers can delight in its amazing views and wildlife while playing an enjoyable round.<\/p>\n Following golf, players can enjoy an unforgettable meal at the Verrado Grille Restaurant, which combines impeccable service, a lively atmosphere, and incredible views.<\/p>\n Weddings and other events can be celebrated in this high-quality golf club.<\/p>\n From the top of Robbins Butte hill, located south of the Gila River, visitors can get a broad overview of the river corridor.<\/p>\n Featuring diverse habitats that draw large populations of resident and migratory wildlife, Robins Butte is a popular area to watch the mule deer, bighorn sheep and many other small animals like cottontails.<\/p>\n Although overnight camping is prohibited, the area is also popular for hiking, hunting and birdwatching.<\/p>\n Caution is advised while hiking as several species of rattlesnakes can be found in the area.<\/p>\n Celebrated annually at the Buckeye\u2019s Municipal Airport, Buckeye\u2019s Air Fair features aviation exhibits, aircraft displays and air demonstrations.<\/p>\n Part of the Arizona SciTech Festival where children of all ages can learn about the science of aviation, the Buckeye\u2019s Air Fair is a day of fun for the whole family.<\/p>\n From the latest in space exploration to remote control demonstrations, Top Gun lovers can even book a ride on an authentic World War II aircraft at one of Buckeye\u2019s largest and most exciting events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[17,18],"tags":[24,34,42],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/blog-photo-6-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6748"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/santacruzdelmar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\t1. Historic Gillespie Dam Bridge\n\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t2. Skyline Regional Park\n\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t3. Desert Botanical Garden\n\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t4. White Tank Mountain Regional Park\n\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t5. Verrado Golf Club\n\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t6. Robbins Butte Wildlife Area\n\t<\/h2>\n\t
\n\t7. Buckeye\u2019s Air Fair\n\t<\/h2>\n\t