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HIDDEN GEMS IN HIDDEN VALLEY AND THUNDERBIRD FARMS
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SUNNY SIDE UP Southwest corner of State Route 238 and North Ralston Road
BY BRIAN PETERSHEIM JR.
As much as locals try to escape the heat during the dog days of summer, thousands of sunflowers relish in the sweltering desert sun just outside town. When June rolls around, people reliably flock to a farming field on Ralston Road just south of Highway 238. After their season, the field loses its golden color for most of the year — so, like the notoriously fickle banana ripening on your windowsill, you’d better time your visit with that fleeting moment of peak-yellow glow. Remember to respect the property owner’s rights by not entering the field, picking or cutting the flowers. Instead, park your car on the roadside, enjoy the scenery from a safe distance and capture those unforgettable photographs.
A t first glance, unincorporated Maricopa seems to be nothing more than dirt, mountains and tumbleweeds. But as you explore the sprawling, rural desert communities called Hidden Valley and Thunderbird Farms — areas that still claim a Maricopa address — you might just find a few hidden gems. Here are some interesting things to do and see in unincorporated Maricopa, rich in history, entertainment value and whimsy.
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FREE FALLIN’ 56580 W. Dasher Drive
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PYRAMID SCHEME 2457 S. Warren Road
Ever wanted an aerial view of Maricopa? In the western reaches of Hidden Valley, the sky’s the limit. Skydive Phoenix gives both newcomers and experienced jumpers a place to experience the thrill of skydiving. Newcomers can also take classes to get certified in solo jumping. Anywhere from 10 to 100 people sign up for tandem jumps daily. The facility is open every day weather allows.
No, this eccentric Hidden Valley home doesn’t contain a deceased pharaoh. Step into this pyramid-shaped property and watch the ground-level foyer quickly give way to a subterranean spruce-wood interior resembling the upstate chalets of Flagstaff. Almost all its 20 windows are cut or stained glass. The home’s original owners started building the pyramid in 1989 and became residents in 1992. Once listed at $1.1 million, it was relisted in 2012 for $295,000. After more than a year on the market, it was sold at that price on New Year’s Eve in 2013.
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A TASTE OF INDIA 51293 W. Teel Road
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ROCK ART Northwest corner of West Fulcar Road and North Hidden Valley Road
Did you know there is an ornate Hindu temple with a Maricopa address? The Maha Ganapati Temple of Arizona has been a functioning place of worship in the Thunderbird Farms area since its groundbreaking in 2007. In 2002, the temple was first established in a double-wide trailer inside modern Maricopa city limits. The palatial structure in the desert just outside town took seven years to complete. The temple's exterior showcases four 26-foot-tall towers, or vimanas, decorated with deities. The interior features plenty of traditional Indian artwork on all the shrines, like a 1,400-pound granite statue of the supreme Hindu god Ganesha.
Did you know Maricopa is home to 1,000-year-old petroglyphs? About 200 Hohokam petroglyphs are etched into a pile of boulders at the base of a mountain range on a stretch of road just outside city limits. If you decide to visit the site, be respectful of the petroglyphs and the millennium-old stories they tell. “People would take their kids to the site because the petroglyphs do tell a story,” says Elaine Peters, director of the Ak-Chin Him-Dak EcoMuseum. “Whether it is hunting, spirituality or what have you, they do tell a story.”
16 New Resident & Visitor Guide 2025 • InMaricopa.com/NewResidentGuide
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InMaricopa.com/NewResidentGuide • New Resident & Visitor Guide 2025
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