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Desert Botanical Garden vs South Mountain Park
Both are highly recommended by professional travelers. On balance, Desert Botanical Garden ranks significantly higher than South Mountain Park. Desert Botanical Garden has a TripExpert Score of 91 with accolades from 8 publications like Afar Magazine, Concierge and Lonely Planet.
Desert Botanical Garden
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
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1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008
From $0 /night
Fodor's
"Opened in 1939 to conserve and showcase the ecology of the desert, these 150 acres contain more than 4,000 different species of cacti, succulents, trees, and flowers."
Full review
Concierge
"This is one of the best gardens you will ever see, possibly because it's so full of local plants."
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"This inspirational garden is a refreshing place to reconnect with nature and it offers a great introduction to desert plant life."
Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Any delusions that the Sonoran Desert is a lifeless dustbowl will be swept away by this 50,000-plus collection of colorful plants, from hundreds of cacti, including the iconic saguaro."
Full review
Michelin Guide
0 Stars
"With more than 20,000 desert plants, this unique garden has won awards for environmental education."
Full review
South Mountain Park
Fodor's
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
Afar Magazine
10919 S Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85042
From $0 /night
Fodor's
"This desert wonderland, the world's largest city park (almost 17,000 acres), offers a wilderness of mountain-desert trails for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders."
Full review
Travel + Leisure
"This 16,000-acre expanse may be the largest municipal park in the country, but you won’t find any softball fields or grassy concert venues here."
Full review
Michelin Guide
1 Star
"Once a Hohokam hunting ground, later a mining camp and a Depression-era work camp, this municipal park offers impressive city views from Dobbins Lookout and 58 trails for hiking, biking and riding across its 25sq mi."
Full review
Afar Magazine
"South Mountain is one of those natural phenomena... not to be missed in the cooler times of year."
Full review
