Located near a desert lake and beneath sheer mountain cliffs, the Arboretum is home to more than 6000 plant species from deserts on every continent, a hidden canyon and specialty gardens. The Arboretum was founded in the 1920s by mining magnate Col. William Boyce Thompson, who wanted to “instill in people an appreciation of plants through the fostering of education, recreational, research and conservation opportunities associated with arid-land plants.”

The Arboretum also is home to 150 kinds of birds and dozens of wildlife species.