Hey there! The first question people always ask me when booking an engagement session is “Where should we take our engagement photos?”. If you’re shooting in Arizona, there are so many beautiful landscapes, but many people are looking for a great desert spot that showcases Arizona’s unique cacti and mountains. Check out my favorite spots below that are very close to the Phoenix area so you do not have to drive far!

1. Lost Dutchman State Park

Lost Dutchman State Park is a beautiful spot for photos in Apache Junction! There is a really unique mountainscape there with plenty of gorgeous cacti all around. The sun rises behind the mountain, so you can get really beautiful lighting in the morning, or some harsh, more dramatic photos in the evening. They do charge for parking per car, and you have to get a photo permit to shoot there. You can get the permit in the office right before your shoot and pay there as well.

2. Usery Park

Located in East Mesa, Usery park is FULL of saguaro cacti. There is an entrance off Ellsworth that is closer to the mountains over there that boast a beautiful light brown stripe across the mountain, and is very thick with cacti at the wind caves trail. Parking there is $7/car. There’s another entrance on Crismon that is only $2/car – cash only and also has really pretty desert landscape.

3. Papago Mountain

Many people think of Papago park as the lake next to the zoo. While they do have a small lake that is great for photos with water, across the street there are two red mountains that are awesome to shoot at for a desert look. Turn onto Galvin Parkway and then turn West at the light for Papago Park (opposite direction of the zoo). There is a parking lot right there and from there you can take the trail straight to the mountains, it’s maybe a 10 minute walk. The sun sets behind these two mountains so you can get some really pretty sunset photos here.

4. Tempe Buttes

A very underrated mountain, but a really sweet spot! You will have to walk up a hill here so bring comfortable shoes! Pull up directions to get to Marriott Buttes Resort and you will see a parking lot halfway up the hill. Park there and walk up to get some gorgeous desert shots- sunrise or sunset is lovely here!

5. The turn off at Phon D Sutton

“The turn off? What does that mean?” is the question I always get asked when I suggest this spot. Easy! If you’re looking up directions to Phon D Sutton Recreation Area, drive there, and once you turn onto the road there is a dirt parking lot there you can park at instead of driving down to the lake. Hop out of your car and snap some desert photos right there! Almost no walking involved. And if you want a water feature in your photos, you can drive down and get a few at the water too! This spot tends to get crowded, so it’s best to try on a weekday if possible! Beautiful at sunset. Also freeee!

6. Desert Botanical Garden

‘The Botanical Gardens, Phoenix’s hidden gem. Don’t eat any berries you don’t recognize.’ Really though, the botanical garden is lovely! You don’t have to worry about shoes getting ruined because there are trails everywhere, and lots of unique cacti. You do not have to have a photo permit to take pictures here, which is super nice! The second Tuesday of each month is free/donation based, so if you don’t want to pay the entrance fees, you can go on this day although it tends to be busier and you may have to work around crowds to get photos. Plan to make a date night out of it too! They have a great restaurant and offer drinks around the area, so after your session you can hang out and enjoy the night!

7. Riparian Preserve

Another great free option! Riparian preserve is pretty, and very very lush with plants. It also tends to be pretty busy since it is virtually in the middle of a suburb, on Greenfield and Guadalupe. Parking can be difficult to find on crowded days, and there are many people walking around here, but it’s a great spot if you live in Mesa and are looking for a place nice and close! They also have a little lake and some trees for variety!

8. Phoenix Mountain Preserve

Great walking paths, free parking, and tons of light. There are some mountains here, they are on the North side of this location so sunrise/sunset are both great times to shoot here and you will get those gorgeous Saguaros at every turn. They do require a photo permit ahead of time, so be sure to plan for that. Last time I checked it was $100.

I hope this helped you think of spots to take your photos! Keep in mind, there are so many gorgeous spots all around Arizona! These are my favorite local areas that are within 1 hour of the Phoenix area that have a desert look.

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