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Visit Yuma

Keeping Cool in Yuma, Arizona

When asked to describe summer in Yuma, Arizona, Misty Limmeroth doesn’t hesitate—explaining the Sonoran Desert community emphatically: “Sun, sun, sun,” says the co-owner of Naked Dates Farm and High Tanks Brewing Company in the Yuma area.

Limmeroth has good reason for citing the sun as the overarching feature of a summertime getaway to Yuma. Temperatures routinely top 105ºF on July and August afternoons—and fall to just 80ºF at night. Guinness World Records even declared Yuma the sunniest city in the world in 1967.

But if you don’t mind waking up a little earlier than usual, you’ll find plenty to love about a sun-kissed trip to the city of 100,000 in southwestern Arizona. Morning outings make good use of the rivers and lakes around Yuma, a thriving downtown offers savory adventures, and a fun nightlife scene helps you unwind after an action-packed day. Here’s how to shake off the moss after a rainy winter and plan a late-spring or early-summer getaway to Yuma, Arizona. Just be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen.

Start Your Day With an Outdoor Adventure

Set your alarm and rise with the sun to enjoy cool temperatures, more solitude and skies of soft pinks and electric purples just after dawn, the perfect time for outdoor adventures around Yuma.

Start the day with a short hike through one of three national wildlife refuges within a two-hour drive of town—when early-morning temperatures mean a better chance of spying desert horned lizards, bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and other species of wildlife. In Imperial National Wildlife Refuge, the 1.3-mile Painted Desert Trail affords sweeping views of the Colorado River and colorful rock formations created by volcanic activity that dates back 30,000 years. And a handful of short, mostly flat trails head through forests of cottonwood and mesquite trees at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. Wherever you go, keep an eye out for western diamondback rattlesnakes that inhabit the region—and bring plenty of water.

As the day progresses, it’s a good idea to find some water if you’re looking to stay outdoors. “Once you get past noon, it's time to find either a swimming pool, a river, or an air-conditioned indoor space,” says Kase Limmeroth, co-owner of Naked Dates Farm and High Tanks Brewing Company.

He cites a float on the Colorado River as one of his favorite summertime activities. The lazy river straddles the California-Arizona border at the northern edge of Yuma, and its semi-forested banks turn into a slow-moving party all summer long—one that heads under the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge and past Yuma’s Old West-inspired downtown. Book a float trip through the family-owned-and-operated Yuma River Tubing, which offers one-hour and three-hour trips—complete with transportation to a designated drop-off point.

Peruse Yuma’s Old-School Downtown Core

Buildings across downtown Yuma date back more than a century, and many keep their thick adobe walls intact—which helps keep the modern-day businesses cool each summer.

Hungry? Bring your appetite to Holy Smokes—a barbecue restaurant specializing in house-smoked meats and creative sides (including the roasted roadside corn, where each corn cob is rolled in cotija cheese and topped with Mexican spices).

One block north, Cafecito brings the funk with reclaimed furniture on a sun-kissed patio, vintage decor inside the airy eatery, and a rotating menu of well-balanced coffee drinks.

If you're looking to explore the local craft beer scene, Prison Hill Brewing Company—Yuma's only craft brewery—pours a variety of classic styles alongside a fun pub-fare menu chockablock with Mexican influences.

Keep the Fun Going After Sundown

Looking to kick back after a busy day? High Tanks Brewing Taproom & Pizzeria sits roughly 30 minutes east of downtown Yuma in nearby Wellton. Just a few months after its grand opening in January 2025, the pizzeria has already become a local hotspot that dishes a mix of hearty pies and upscale takes on classic pub fare.

The Limmeroths, who own Naked Dates Farm and High Tanks Brewing Company, find a variety of creative ways to bring the disparate worlds together. The pizzeria’s food menu features bacon-wrapped dates made with farm-grown fruit, as well as a pizza topped with dates, prosciutto, arugula, garlic oil and a house-made cheese blend.

That affection for dates extends to the tap list, where Kase Limmeroth routinely brews craft beers infused with the delicacy. He says the brewery’s flagship Daphne’s Date Ale is a slightly sweeter take on the classic amber ale, and the Double Date beer—a darker offering that’s similar to Scottish-style ales—puts the organic date’s caramel-like flavor front and center.

When you're ready to call it a night, book your stay at the manicured La Fuente Inn & Suites; hacienda-style architecture, an on-site pool, and spacious suites are all hallmarks of the resort-inspired hotel. Closer to downtown, Home2 Suites by Hilton Yuma Pivot Point offers spacious suites, modern rooms and an outdoor pool near Pivot Point Plaza.

For more fun ideas in all four seasons, get inspired with Visit Yuma,  visityuma.com.

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