Scottsdale in Summer: How to Keep Cool

What Scottsdale in summer is actually like

Scottsdale in summer sizzles. Temperatures climb into the triple digits and stay there through the afternoon. It is a dry heat, as everyone will tell you, and the city does not slow down for it. Locals simply change the shape of the day. Scottsdale in summer means trailheads at dawn, air conditioning or water from late morning until the sun drops, and long evenings outside once the desert cools.

We run our houses through every summer, and this is the playbook we give guests. Follow the rhythm and the season is one of the most relaxed times to be here.

Sunrise hikes on Camelback Mountain

The trails on Camelback Mountain are too hot for a midday climb in summer, so go up in the first hour of light. The view from the top as the sun comes over the valley is the best in the city, and there are routes of varying difficulty for different fitness levels. Be down by mid morning. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve follows the same rule: early or evening, when the wildlife is out and the light is soft.

The Salt River and Verde River: rafting, tubing and kayaking

There is world-class whitewater in the middle of the desert. The Upper Salt River Canyon and the Salt River Wilderness carry Class III and IV rapids past small beaches and shady side canyons made for short hikes. Local outfitters shuttle you in and teach you the basics on the way, with no experience required, and some trips add an off-road ride to the launch site. Overnight trips run during the dry season. Wilderness Aware, based in Scottsdale, runs half-day, full-day and multi-day trips shaped to the group.

For something gentler, float the Salt River in a tube, which younger visitors love, or kayak the Verde River, where the water pulls life out of the Sonoran Desert on both banks. Saguaro Lake has paddleboard rentals along the shore and is in play all summer.

OdySea Aquarium and Scottsdale's other aquariums

A desert city with three aquariums is a city that understands summer. OdySea Aquarium is the largest in the Southwest, a multi-level building with around 50 exhibits, a carousel that circles the tanks, an underwater walking tour and stingrays you can touch. Butterfly Wonderland is next door with a rainforest atrium and thousands of butterflies, so the two make a full indoor day.

Sea Life Arizona has an undersea tunnel and a 161,000-gallon ocean tank full of tropical fish, rays and sharks and is pitched at kids twelve and under. Wildlife World Zoo Aquarium has more than 80 exhibits, penguins, a touch tank and a restaurant that looks straight into the shark tank.

Air-conditioned museums and shopping in Scottsdale

Scottsdale and the neighboring cities have one of the best museum runs in the country, and every one of them is cold inside. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art in Old Town rotates modern art, architecture and design across its galleries. Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West tells the story of 19 western states through art and artifacts in 43,000 square feet. The Musical Instrument Museum in North Scottsdale hands you a headset and lets you wander the world by instrument. In Phoenix, the Heard Museum covers American Indian art and culture and the Phoenix Art Museum is the largest art museum in the Southwest.

Scottsdale Fashion Square is the largest high-end shopping destination in the Southwest, with more than 240 stores and restaurants. Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Tiffany and Apple anchor it, and Nobu, Ocean 44 and Francine make it a real dinner option, not a food court.

Ice rinks, wave pools and indoor games

When the thermometer hits triple digits, do something you would never plan in the desert. The Ice Den is a full-size rink with daily public skating sessions, and AZ Ice is the other rink, with lessons, hockey and rentals for every age. The Kiwanis Wave Pool in Tempe is indoors and makes waves on demand.

Laser tag arenas with blacklight, smoke and sound systems, indoor skate parks and bowling with LED lanes are scattered across the metro area. Closer to home, the Chaparral Aquatic Center has ten lap lanes and a diving board, and the Paiute Park splash pad rescues small children on hot afternoons.

Summer nights in Scottsdale: concerts, ArtWalk and cold drinks

The city comes alive after sunset. Desert Ridge Marketplace hosts free summer concerts from local bands, and McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park runs Rock and Roll at the Railroad Park on Sunday evenings. Old Town's ArtWalk keeps the galleries open late every Thursday with refreshments and live entertainment.

For something cold, Ruze Cake House pours The Ruze, a cold-brewed tea with prickly pear and rose, and Sugar Bowl scoops the sundaes it has been scooping for generations. Old Town's patios and cocktail bars fill once the heat lifts.

The case for a private pool in summer

In summer the pool stops being an amenity and becomes the schedule. Casa Palacio has a grotto pool and a tennis court for evening games. Valley Vista Estate in Paradise Valley sleeps 30 and has the kind of outdoor space where a whole family can spend the afternoon without anyone touching a car. Every house has shaded patios, and the kitchens mean lunch does not require leaving the air conditioning.

Summer is also when the estates are easiest to book. If you can live with the heat between noon and five, you get the pool and the town largely to yourself.

Questions we get asked