ARIZONA Resorts & Retreats

Here are a few Arizona resorts that help you expand your stay. (Note: Some programs are complimentary, while others require a fee. Check ahead for details and schedules.)

Adero, Scottsdale

Evenings are when ADERO Scottsdale really shows off—and not just because of the resort's plush beds. Located at the edge of the McDowell Mountains, ADERO sits within an IDA International Dark Sky Community: places where the stars are easier to see due to minimal evening lighting in the region. While you can take in the stars from any of the balconies in ADERO's nearly 200 rooms, The Fountain Hills Dark Sky Association offers educational events to teach guests about the starry wonders. Or, download the StarWalk 2 mobile app—complimentary for guests of the resort—for a self-guided exploration.

Boulders Resort and Spa, Carefree

The Boulders Resort and Spa is tucked among a dramatic series of granite outcroppings, its architecture blending into its desert environs just north of Phoenix and Scottsdale. To truly soak up the setting, you can try your hand at rock climbing, rappelling over the resort's waterfall, or joining a guided desert hike or mountain biking excursion to nearby preserves and national forest. Exercise the brain with desert photography classes, a moonlight bicycling excursion that spotlights night-blooming cactus and nocturnal animals like coyotes and javelina, or astronomer-led stargazing sessions.

Castle Hot Springs, Morristown

For decades, the glitterati trekked—sometimes nearly five hours by stagecoach—to the mystical Castle Hot Springs, where natural hot springs made the resort a hot spot for wellness. While you can certainly fill a stay here with hours-long soaks, Castle Hot Springs offers so much more.

Traverse the Via Ferrata course, which uses ladders, rungs and steel cables for an adventure that's more difficult than hiking but less physical than rock climbing. Or hike through the Sonoran Desert to a 200-foot aerial walkway 150 feet above a canyon. Maybe you'd prefer to discover farm-to-table flavors with an on-site farm tour? Take a mixology class that uses herbs grown at the resort or enjoy a world-class wine program led by an all-female sommelier team. Need more? Explore the wilderness around the resort on an e-bike, UTV or horseback.