West Valley Spring Training Weekend Guide: How to Plan 3 Days in the Cactus League

The West Valley hosts four of the Cactus League's most accessible spring-training venues — Camelback Ranch (Glendale), Peoria Sports Complex, Surprise Stadium, and Goodyear Ballpark — all within a 35-minute drive of each other. That concentration is what makes the West Valley the best base for a serious Cactus League trip. Here is a three-day framework you can adapt to your schedule, the teams you care about, and how much baseball you actually want in a single trip.

Before you go: logistics and timing

Spring training runs from roughly mid-February through late March, with pitchers and catchers reporting first and position players arriving shortly after. The first full-squad workouts and exhibition games typically begin in the final week of February. March is when the full schedule runs at its busiest, with the final week of March being the last before the regular season opens. For the best combination of warm weather, full rosters, and active schedules, aim for mid-to-late March. For lighter crowds and lower hotel rates, aim for the first two weeks of March or the final days of February.

Fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX). A rental car is the practical move — the West Valley stadiums are spread across a 20-mile arc and rideshare costs add up quickly if you are hitting multiple venues in a day. Hotel pricing in the West Valley is lower than Scottsdale and Old Town-adjacent Phoenix during spring training, and proximity to Peoria or Glendale puts you within easy range of all four venues.

Day 1: Glendale and a morning practice

Start at Camelback Ranch. Arrive by 9 a.m. to watch Dodgers and White Sox morning practice on the back fields. This is the move that separates spring training from anything else in baseball: walking the practice complex while players go through drills at field level, with no fence between you and the action. Bring a hat and sunscreen. Practices usually wind down by noon.

If there is a game at Camelback Ranch that afternoon, stay for it. If not, drive north to Westgate Entertainment District for lunch, then head to Peoria Sports Complex for an afternoon or evening game. Peoria is 25 minutes from Camelback Ranch. The berm at Peoria is one of the best in the league — grab lawn tickets and bring a blanket.

Day 2: Surprise and Goodyear

Surprise Stadium and Goodyear Ballpark are the quieter end of the West Valley circuit, and they are both worth a full day. Check the schedule for morning games — Surprise sometimes runs 10 a.m. starts that allow you to catch a full game and still have an afternoon.

Surprise Stadium is 20 minutes north of Peoria. If the Rangers or Royals have a morning game, start there, then drive 40 minutes south to Goodyear Ballpark for an afternoon game. Guardians and Reds games at Goodyear are among the easiest Cactus League tickets to get, and the atmosphere is relaxed and genuinely fan-friendly. It is the kind of park where you can walk up on game day without much planning and have a good seat.

Dinner in Goodyear or back through Glendale on the way back. The post-game crowd disperses quickly, and restaurants in the area rarely have long waits after a Goodyear game.

Day 3: the East Valley option or a flex day

By Day 3, most people want either a recovery day or a change of pace. Two options:

• Extend into the East Valley. Scottsdale Stadium, Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, and the Mesa complexes are 30 to 45 minutes east of Glendale. Scottsdale in particular has the most developed pre- and post-game scene in the league, and Old Town is worth an afternoon even if you skip the game.
• Stay West Valley and go hiking. White Tank Mountain Regional Park is 15 minutes from most West Valley hotels and has excellent morning hiking in the desert. White Tank combined with an afternoon West Valley game is one of the better days the Phoenix area offers in late February or March.

Where to stay

The Peoria-Glendale corridor puts you in range of all four West Valley stadiums without long drives. Hotels near the 101/Peoria Ave interchange are well-positioned. For something quieter, the Surprise and Surprise Farms area puts you close to the northern end of the circuit with lower rates. Avoid booking in Scottsdale or Tempe unless you specifically want the East Valley scene — the drives across the metro during game days are longer than they look on a map.

The bottom line

Three days in the West Valley during Cactus League is enough to see all four home stadiums, catch at least four games, hit a morning practice session, and eat and drink well without feeling rushed. The proximity of the venues is genuinely unique — you are not driving an hour between stadiums, and the whole circuit feels walkable by car in a way that the East Valley does not. It is the most efficient and fan-friendly spring-training experience in baseball.

Browse the Arizona events calendar for what else is running during your dates, and use the West Valley guide as a starting point for restaurants, bars, and things to do beyond the ballpark.