An Arizona city will be a top fall destination this year. It's not the one you think

Carefree, Arizona, has golf courses, Sonoran Desert scenery, a giant sundial and one of metro Phoenix's two public botanical gardens.

A sign for the highway leading to the community northeast of Phoenix inspired "Carefree Highway," a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, who died last May.

Yet, Carefree seems a surprising choice for a trending fall destination in Arizona, particularly when other cities like Flagstaff, Sedona and Page command more appeal at that time of year.

But Tripadvisor — which lauded Sedona and Page as must-visit spots earlier this year — has just announced Carefree as one of the top 10 trending domestic travel destinations seeing year-over-year tourism interest for fall 2023.

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What are Tripadvisor's top trending destinations for fall 2023?

Tripadvisor ranked Carefree No. 5 on the trending list. It's the only Arizona destination on the list and the highest ranked of four Western U.S. cities:

1. Little Torch Key, Florida.

2. Indian Rocks Beach, Florida.

3. Miami Springs, Florida.

4. Hawley, Pennsylvania.

5. Carefree, Arizona.

6. Reno, Nevada.

7. Cape Canaveral, Florida.

8. Holmes Beach, Florida.

9. Rutherford, California.

10. Indio, California.

What is Carefree, AZ, known for?

Travelers seeking smaller Sun Belt cities for their fall getaways are attracted to Carefree, according to Tripadvisor.

The top-rated destination in the city is Carefree Desert Gardens, a 4-acre, city-owned garden that is free to visit. Tripadvisor users appreciated the variety of cactus and desert plants in the garden, its proximity to one of the nation's largest working sundials and a farmers market at the garden on Friday mornings.

Adjacent to Carefree in Scottsdale is a renowned golfing hotspot, The Boulders Resort. It has two 18-hole courses designed by the late golf course architect Jay Morrish that integrate with the Sonoran Desert landscape. Golf Digest and Golfweek named it one of the best golf resorts in the U.S.

Carefree is home to the Civana Wellness Resort & Spa, popular with travelers seeking relaxing getaways. It has 22 treatment rooms, plant-rich seasonal dining and an abundance of activities and fitness classes, including yoga and hiking.

U.S. News & World Report included Civana on its 2023 Gold List, and it was one of four Arizona hotels that Conde Nast Traveler ranked among the nation's best spa resorts for 2022.

Other popular activities in Carefree include hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.

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Reach the reporter at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @salerno_phx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tripadvisor's top fall destinations include this surprising city