How to Visit Peoria, Arizona

Four families from Peoria, Illinois were among the first to settle in the area that ultimately took their name. It was back in the 1880s, shortly after the Arizona Canal was finished and people were attracted to the fertile farm land. Here’s how to visit Peoria, Arizona for its rich cultural history, outdoor activities, and exciting sports and educational attractions.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Boat, water ski, hike, camp and watch local wildlife at Lake Pleasant Regional Park. This 10,000-square-mile park is home to one of the most important reservoirs in the state, created by Waddell Dam in 1928.

2. Take the Arizona Duck Tour on Lake Pleasant. No, it’s not a tour of a real duck habitat, but a tour on a DUKW (pronounced “duck”). It's an amphibious vehicle used in World War II that runs on both land and water.

3. Simulate a real space flight mission at the Challenger Space Center of Arizona when you visit Peoria, Arizona. This world-class space science education complex has been inspiring children and adults of all ages through simulated space flights since 1996.

4. Take yourself out to the ballgame at Peoria Sports Complex. It’s the spring training home of both the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners.

5. Go to Tour Soaring School, where a professional pilot takes you up in a powered towplane. Your pilot will not only demonstrate basic flying techniques for you, but also point out things of interest from the air.

6. Hike along Waterfall Trail in the White Tank Mountains when you visit Peoria, Arizona. At about the halfway point of this two-mile round-trip hike, you’ll discover petroglyph rock art left by the Hohokams hundreds of years ago.