1 Hour Helicopter Rides

Fed by high-altitude springs and streams 100 miles to the northeast. The Salt River flows down from the mountains and through Phoenix before it joins the Gila River. Along the way, sightings of hidden coves, desert mountains, bald eagles and wild horses abound. There are as many as 500 of these magnificent animals roaming the water’s edge on the lower Salt River and the shoreline around Saguaro Lake. The horses emerge from the surrounding desert forest to cool off in the water and graze on the underwater foliage.

Not just any desert forest, this one explodes with biodiversity. A lush canopy of deciduous cottonwoods and willows soar above a mix of cacti, desert grass and hardy mesquites. Return to home base via the Verde River Valley, where you’ll never cease to be amazed at discovering this surprisingly lush riparian area in the desert.