Arizona is home to the world-famous Grand Canyon, and sometimes that defines people’s image of the state.
There’s a lot more natural beauty in Arizona, though, so while you definitely should see the Grand Canyon, you should consider visiting one or more of the following places when you go.
Antelope Canyon
Image Credit: Andrea Izzotti/Shutterstock.
You’ve probably seen pictures of this place even if you didn’t know it– likely a single ray of sunlight shining down into a wildly sculpted sandstone chamber. This is Antelope Canyon, one of the world’s most beautiful slot canyons. It’s on Navajo lands near Page, and you’ll need to go on a guided tour, so make sure to look into the logistics before you go.
Monument Valley
Image Credit: lkunl/Shutterstock.
Monument Valley runs into Utah in the Four Corners Region, and it’s an area of spectacular sandstone peaks, buttes, and spires. The most famous formations are found in the Navajo-maintained park on the Utah side, but you can still see impressive formations from the U.S. highway for free.
Marble Canyon
Image Credit: Harry Beugelink/Shutterstock.
Marble Canyon, near Page, is the start of the Grand Canyon, but most of it lies outside the national park. If you want a taste of the Grand Canyon without the traffic and crowds, you might like Marble Canyon, which is spectacular in its own right but gets vastly overshadowed by what lies downstream.
Havasu Canyon
Image Credit: iacomino FRiMAGES/Shutterstock.
A tributary of the Grand Canyon feeding into it from the south, Havasu Canyon is on the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It’s famous for its three waterfalls that spill into travertine pools filled with turquoise waters. Like Antelope Canyon, Havasu Falls, the most spectacular of the three, is something you’ve probably seen pictures of even if you didn’t know its name.
Sunset Crater National Volcanic Monument
Image Credit: EWY Media/Shutterstock.
Cinder cones dominate the skyline at this volcanic landscape near Flagstaff. The ground is just as interesting, though, as you can walk on solidified lava flows and see aspen trees improbably growing from slopes of ancient volcanic ash.
Petrified Forest National Park
Image Credit: Andrea Chiozzi/Shutterstock.
An easy side trip off I-40 near Holbrook, Petrified Forest reveals an otherworldly landscape that the surrounding interstate scenery barely hints at. Of course, the highlight is all the petrified wood, ranging from shards to logs, but you can also see ancient Native American rock art in a few places.
Sedona
Image Credit: megrenjones/Shutterstock.
Sedona itself is known for its vibrant art scene and as a great weekend getaway. To lovers of the outdoors, it’s known for its “red rocks,” beautiful sandstone cliffs and monoliths largely concentrated in Oak Creek Canyon.
Saguaro National Park
Image Credit:Charles T. Peden/Shutterstock.
Saguaro cactuses are the largest and tallest cactuses in the U.S., and you can see them in a lot of places in southern Arizona, but Saguaro National Park, with its two separate units, makes it really convenient. Nature drives, interpretive trails, and longer hikes help you not only see these stately “plants” but also learn about their entire ecosystem.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Image Credit: LHBLLC/Shutterstock.
South of the border in Mexico, these very well-named large cactuses are common, but this national monument is the only place they grow naturally in the U.S. You’ll see them almost anywhere you go here, but an exception you shouldn’t miss is Quitobaquito, a spring-fed pond just yards from the border. It’s a true desert oasis and also a great place to observe wildlife early and late in the day.
Mount Lemmon
Image Credit: Jenna VP/Shutterstock.
Lemmon is a high granite peak just outside Tucson, and the scenic drive up it is a journey through different climate zones. You’ll go from desert to montane and even subalpine, making this a true “island in the sky.”
Chiricahua National Monument
Image Credit: Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock.
Way out in southeastern Arizona and south of I-10 (and not exactly a quick drive from it), this mountainous area of volcanic origin isn’t known to that many people. And that’s exactly why you’ll love it if you like the scenery of national parks without their crowds.
Cave Creek
Image Credit: Dennis Swena/Shutterstock.
You can get to the Cave Creek area in different ways, but the best is to pair it with a visit to Chiricahua. From the latter, take a well-maintained dirt road, with plenty of shady places to stop, up and over the mountains and down into Cave Creek, where you’ll see spectacular limestone cliffs riddled with erosion-carved holes from tiny to small.
Leave a Reply