Wickenburg Ranch, a picturesque desert oasis, is not only located just minutes from Phoenix, Arizona and some of the country’s best restaurants, shopping, and recreation. It also differs in several positive ways from Phoenix in elevation and temperature. This means the summers are still very warm here, but it’s a cooler and wetter climate than you’d expect for the desert southwest.
But beyond these physical characteristics, the differences between the most popular active lifestyle communities are all about just that: the lifestyle. Translation? Everything else being equal, it’s all about the amenities.
The question is, which amenities are most valued when people are choosing a community to spend the best years of their lives? Here are the leading options in no particular order:
Recreational Facilities
They don’t call them active adult communities for nothing. Recreational facilities are a must for an entire generation of people who want to enjoy life to its fullest. For most, that means easy access to a variety of activities and fitness options—and the state-of-the-art venues to keep them moving and healthy.
Sounds a lot like Wickenburg Ranch. For example, residents here are greeted each day by a couple of golf courses that provide far more than memorable views. Big Wick, our championship, par-71 course that Golf Advisor named “Number 1 in the Top 25 U.S. Courses Rated by Conditions,” offers something for everyone on fairways that span the neighborhoods and traverse the area’s scenic canyons and arroyos. Looking for a little less formal golf outing? Li’l Wick might be just the thing, featuring music streamed across the entire 9-hole course and a delightfully relaxed dress code.
And the recreational opportunities keep going strong at Wickenburg’s Courts & Sports Complex, providing more opportunities to exercise your competitive side on four tennis courts, six pickleball courts, and three bocce ball courts. Continue the workout at Afterburn, the community’s fully outfitted gym, then unwind after it all at the Alvea Spa.
Community Centers
Since the heart of most active adult communities involves social interaction, a vibrant, accommodating, well-thought-out community center is an essential component for most. It’s a place to gather, meet new friends, learn new skills, and generally fill your days with good conversation and endless enjoyment.
At Wickenburg, this takes the form of an expansive, 42,000-square-foot Golf and Social Club. It’s where residents meet friends for drinks and conversation at Wick’s Hideaway or a full meal and glass of wine at Jake’s Spoon, the community’s signature eatery. And for those who are really ready to relax, nothing beats a sitting out by the Resort Pool or swimming a few laps.
Looking for a little friendly competition beyond golf or pickleball? The Golf and Social Club accommodates with Rocker Box & Henry’s Room, a social gaming space for a wide range of card games, activities, and gatherings for tournaments and community clubs.
The facility is also home to Sophie’s Culinary Parlor, a master chef kitchen where locals gather to cook with friends or attend culinary demonstrations. The Art Barn is the ideal spot for residents to explore their artistic side in classes or club gatherings.
Walkable Neighborhoods
The opportunity to get where you’re going without having to jump in a car is a big plus for a majority of people these days. It fits well with the quintessential active lifestyle most are searching for and speaks to the overall convenience of a neighborhood’s amenities and features.
In this case, Wickenburg Ranch would be the last place to disappoint. The community’s golf courses, parks, recreational facilities, and more were carefully designed to be within walking distance of your front door.
Looking for a more invigorating outing on foot or by bike? The entire community is connected by more than roads. Wickenburg’s interconnected, 20-mile network of exclusive hiking and biking paths takes residents and their guests through neighborhoods and scenic desert hillsides and back again.
Quality Homes
Although not commonly thought of as an amenity per se, lifestyle has as much to do with how you live as where. Specifically, the quality, design and features of a development’s homes hits high on the list when searching for an active adult community.
This is one area among so many where Wickenburg Ranch truly shines. Three builders—Shea Homes, Dorn Homes, and CE Edmonds Homes—offer residents almost countless options with classic and modern architectural styles that appeal to every taste and requirement.
From models you can semi-customize by selecting your ideal floor plan and design options to those built to perfection and available today, there’s never been a better way to find your ideal home in an entire community that already feels that way.
A Sense of Community
You can buy a house almost anywhere. But when you’re searching for a place where you truly belong, nothing beats an active adult community, particularly one that offers ample opportunities to connect with others who share your interests and hobbies.
Welcome to Wickenburg Ranch and an entire community of member clubs and special interest groups. We’re talking everything from golf, tennis, and pickleball clubs to groups who regularly gather to cycle, ride, play cards or cribbage, perfect their art or photography skills, knit, share a love for reading, and the list goes on and on. Chances are, if you’re interested in it, you’ll find a group at Wickenburg that shares—or even exceeds—your passion.
Choose an Amenity, Any Amenity
Bottom line: If you’re looking to select an active adult community by the perks it offers, Wickenburg Ranch will come out on top of almost anyone’s list. But don’t take our word for it. Feel free to stop by the Ranch House for a visit. You’ll get the first-hand stories from our resident volunteers in a way this blog post could never do justice.