I am taking my family to Arizona in a few days, and thought it would be a fun, and possibly a hobby starting trip if I could take them to dig artifacts, or gems -- either would do at this point. Can anyone recommend places to go?? Any pay-to-dig places would be fine, or parks that allow you to hike and dig -- I have been reading warnings about watching for aggressive wildlife and such and am taking that to heart.

Thank you for any advice you can give!

Tanya, The bad news is that if you want to dig you might as well just drive through Arizona. Digging for artifacts is a no no here. You can surface hunt and a little research will give you a good start on where to take your morning walks. You will be surprised at what is laying around just waiting for you.
There are some great places in Nevada to dig for gems for a fee. If you Google pay digs they should pop right up.
You might look around Kingman Arizona, there were some places there that let you dig for Turquoise. If you are into gold then you are in luck. There are many places here in Arizona where you can dig for gold and do alright. Google Placer mining Arizona and there will be lots to chose from. Anything that is B.L.M and is not under claim is open for you to dig.Hope you have better luck than I have finding a place to dig artifacts in Arizona. I drive from Arizona to Texas once a month, just to be able to dig.
Happy Hunting. AL.C