Best easy day trips from Phoenix this summer: 10 cool places within a 2-hour drive

In the desert, summer is a marathon. It is a long, exhausting season of endurance. To survive with your sanity intact even as the flaming ball of sun threatens to boil your brains, you have to get out of town upon occasion.

Canoes, kayaks and more can be rented at the store at Woods Canyon Lake, east of Payson on the Mogollon Rim.

Lots of summer living is packed into blessed vacations, holidays and weekends. But when time is limited, that’s when having a few easy day trips in your back pocket comes in handy.  

Drive for just a couple of hours and you can still change your climate or circumstances for the better. And have some fun while you’re doing it.

Here are the best Arizona day trips from Phoenix to take this summer.  

Bull Pen swimming hole

Hard to imagine a better swimming hole than Bull Pen, a deep pool along West Clear Creek in Camp Verde.

Water temperature is warmer than many other spots, a shallow beach is good for kids and a rock formation offers varying heights for cliff jumpers. The trail cuts across the old Bull Pen Ranch for just under a mile before reaching the water. The trail continues to follow the creek, leading to some smaller pools if Bull Pen is already packed with people. 

From Camp Verde, drive east on State Route 260 for 6 miles to Forest Road 618. Turn left onto FR 618 and drive 2.2 miles to FR 215. Turn right and continue about 3 miles to the Bull Pen Ranch Trailhead. FR 215 can be rough going and is best managed in a high-clearance vehicle.

Wine and dine at Maynard James Keenan's Merkin Winery

Treat yourself to a meal with a view at Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria. Perched on a knob of a hill above Old Town Cottonwood, Merkin bears the detail-oriented stamp of Maynard James Keenan.

While Keenan is famous as frontman for the rock bands Tool, Puscifer and A Perfect Circle, in the Verde Valley he’s respected as a winemaker and restaurateur.

Open and airy, Merkin serves pizzas, pastas and complex little lasagna cupcakes from a big open kitchen. Much of the produce is grown in a greenhouse on site and slopes are covered in vines. The patio commands expansive views of a big slice of the Verde Valley, making this a distinctive destination eatery.

Kayak at Woods Canyon Lake

Although small in size — only 55 acres — Woods Canyon makes a popular getaway perched atop the Mogollon Rim east of Payson. The twisted little lake is swaddled in pine trees with an easy hiking trail circling the water.

Boats with gas motors are prohibited, which preserves the tranquility of the forest. Bring your own boat or rent one from the store. They offer kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and electric trolling motorboats by the hour. The store also sells groceries, ice, fishing tackle and fishing licenses.

From Payson, drive east on State Route 260. Turn left past mile marker 282 onto Forest Road 300. Travel west for 4 miles on FR 300 to the signed turnoff (FR 105) to Woods Canyon Lake.

Visit the Dwarf Car Museum in Maricopa

At the Dwarf Car Museum in Maricopa, Ernie Adams creates one-of-a-kind masterpieces, tiny duplicates of classic automobiles. They are built to 11/16th scale and except for the engine and transmission every part of the car is handcrafted, including frame, body, suspension, bumpers, grille, instruments and trim.

The museum looks like a typical garage. The only difference is that the dozen or so classic cars are distinctly undersized, standing about 46 inches tall.

Despite their Baby Yoda adorableness, these are fully functioning street legal automobiles. There’s a ’39 Chevy Sedan, a ’42 Ford Deluxe convertible, ’49 Mercury and several others. Adams invests about 3,000 hours of labor in building each dwarf car.

Hike the Granite Dells in Prescott, then get a burger

Start on Granite Gardens Trail, a rumpled series of loops amid the Granite Dells, exposed bedrock gnawed by erosion. It’s a great kid-friendly hike but why should they have all the fun?

At only 1.1 miles total, this hike can be managed on a summer morning yet still provides a workout with scrambling over boulders, climbing a middle-of-nowhere staircase and squeezing through a narrow grotto. Views are splendid.

From Prescott, drive north on State Route 89. Trailhead is on Granite Gardens Drive, a dirt road off SR 89 between mileposts 317 and 318 (across from Granite Gate Senior Living Community).

After your hike, swing by Sammies Burger Joint, an old-school walk-up located right across the roundabout from Watson Lake Park. Order at the window. They’ve got a few mismatched tables inside, or have a picnic in the park.

Roar with the lions at Out of Africa Wildlife Park

Nestled in the high desert of Camp Verde, Out of Africa Wildlife Park provides a comfortable sanctuary for 400 exotic animals and features dozens of large predators.

The preserve is spread across 104 acres of rolling terrain. The sprawling natural habitats help eliminate the stress-induced behavior noticeable in animals held in captivity.

Tiger Splash is the signature show of Out of Africa. There is no training and no tricks. The daily program is spontaneous, just animals frolicking with their caretakers. Visitors can also take a narrated African bush safari.

Glide with the eagles on the Predator Zip Line

Adjacent to Out of Africa, Predator Zip Line offers a two-plus-hour zip line tour. The course soars from tower to tower, featuring five lines and a skyline rope bridge, all set high above the animals of the park. It’s like having a bird’s-eye view of the jungle. Tours are $119.95 and are available for ages 8 and above. Book online and save $10.

Explore Jerome State Historic Park

Nestled at the base of Sunshine Hill, Jerome State Historic Park preserves a rambling 8,700-square-foot mansion built in 1916. Once the opulent home of mine owner Jimmy “Rawhide” Douglas, it now serves as one of the most intriguing museums in Arizona. Rooms are filled with historic photographs, artifacts, mining, equipment, minerals and 3-D models of the 88 miles of shafts and tunnels dug through the mountain.

After the park, grab a bite at the Clinkscale in Jerome, a thoroughly modern American bar and grill serving an elevated menu in a beautiful historic building.

Take a walking tour of historic downtown Prescott

Prescott has one of the loveliest downtowns in Arizona and one that belies its rowdy past. From May through October, the Chamber of Commerce offers free downtown walking tours.

Led by knowledgeable and passionate guides, the tours last 90 minutes and dish up plenty of juicy historical tidbits as you circle Courthouse Plaza and nearby attractions. Topics include the Whiskey Row fire, the Victorian homes of Nob Hill, shenanigans of early politicians, brothels and speakeasies, resident ghosts and the further shenanigans of latter-day politicians.

Tours take place at 10 a.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays unless there is a special event at Courthouse Plaza.

Celebrate summer at Tonto Natural Bridge 

Shade, water and greenery make Tonto Natural Bridge State Park an enticing stop in Mogollon Rim Country. At 183 feet high and 400 feet long, this limestone formation is the world’s largest travertine arch bridge as it looms over a small creek.

Short, steep trails wind down to the water and into the massive water-gnawed tunnel. Another trail leads to an elvish waterfall cascading down a wall of ferns and flowers.

Cap off your day with a visit to PIEbar in the nearby hamlet of Strawberry. The cheery little roadside shack whips up handmade savory and sweet empanadas, doughy pillows of goodness, to be enjoyed at an outside table.

Meet Roger Naylor

Arizona Republic contributor and author Roger Naylor will give a presentation on his latest book, "Arizona National Parks and Monuments in June. The The hourlong talks is free and includes a slide show followed by a Q&A and book signing.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Best easy day trips from Phoenix this summer: 10 cool places within a 2-hour drive