Published January 13, 2021

Wondering What To Visit in Arizona? Check Out These

Written by Shanna Day Team

Wondering What To Visit in Arizona? Check Out These header image.

Desert, lakes, mountains, canyons, buttes, waterfalls, cliff dwellings, former mining towns, ghost towns, vacation destinations, national monuments, historic landmarks and more- you certainly won't run out of interesting sites and attractions to visit in Arizona but why not start off with these 17 awesome places in the Copper State!

1. Grand Canyon
One of the biggest attractions not only in the state but also of the country, this natural wonder carved out by the Colorado River offers an inspiring and incredible landscape of endless ridges, colorful canyon walls and deep ravines ready to be explored on foot or by air.

2. Sedona
Stunning red rock mountains and buttes, ancient Native American dwellings, great hiking and mountain biking trails as well as Jeep tours, Sedona's landscape and surrounding area is filled with opportunities to discover and appreciate. The red sandstone formations are also a backdrop for spiritual pursuits along with the numerous sites around town hosting energy vortexes and downtown attractions like New Age shops, UFO tours, psychics and crystal sellers downtown. Don't forget to visit its main street (89A) too which is full of interesting tourist shops, art galleries and restaurants.

3. Monument Valley
Located on the Arizona–Utah border near the Four Corners area, this region hosts the cluster of vast sandstone buttes that has become one of the Southwest's most iconic images. Aside from exploring the jagged rock formations, stone spires and buttes and sand dunes, find time to visit the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park too which has its own impressive visitor center and a 17-mile self-drive route along a one-way gravel road.

4. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
This stunning region of blue water, desert landscape, and dramatic stone walls also features Lake Powell, one of the largest manmade lakes in the country. Aside from water-based recreational activities, enjoy exploring the Glen Canyon National Recreation area and surrounding region and attractions like Antelope Canyon starting from the town of Page, just 7 miles south of Wahweap Marina, Lake Powell's largest Marina.

5. Phoenix
With its natural beauty and climate allowing it to offer a myriad of outdoor attractions and recreational activities, Phoenix is a good place to start off on your exploration of what the state has to offer. Think golf with its over over 200 courses, desert parks for walking, hiking and biking, annual events as well as great shopping and dining choices. Popular sites include the Japanese Friendship Garden, Historic Heritage Square, Phoenix Mountains Park, Pueblo Grande Museum, Tovrea Castle, Camelback Mountain, Hole in the Rock, Mystery Castle, St. Mary's Basilica, Taliesin West and the Wrigley Mansion.

6. Hoover Dam

One of the world's great engineering marvels, this massive structure crosses the Colorado River, links Arizona and Nevada and holds back Lake Mead, the largest artificial lake in the country. Aside from walking or driving across the dam, you can also take a tour of Hoover Dam or the Powerplant.

7. Jerome
From what was once an old mining town turned into a ghost town and now a tourist attraction, Jerome offers a unique mix of sites and ruins like the Sliding Jail and the Bartlett Hotel. Located along a mountainside high above the desert floor, Jerome is a popular day trip from Sedona, Prescott, Phoenix or Flagstaff. Aside from interesting stores and restaurants, be sure to check out the Jerome Grand Hotel with its breathtaking views and revisit the town's history at the Gold King Mine Museum and the Jerome State Historic Park.

8. Havasu Falls
This 100-foot waterfall located near Supai on the Havasupai Indian Reservation features pools of water with bluish green tint at its base. With heavy riverflow, the fall forks into two. Permits and reservations are required for interested visitors since day hiking is not allowed.

9. Canyon De Chelly National Monument
One of the most visited national monuments in the United States, Canyon De Chelly is home to spectacular Native American cliff dwellings set along steep-sided canyons, with walls up to 1,000 feet high. Notable attractions include the Spider Rock, Antelope House, Mummy Cave and the White House Ruins which hosts more than one hundred cliff dwellings. With the exception of the White House Ruin Trail, access to the canyon floor is restricted with visitors only allowed to travel in the canyons when accompanied by a park ranger or an authorized Navajo guide.

10. Bisbee
Possibly one of Arizona's best kept secrets, this unique little community set high in the mountains has proven to be a popular day trip from Tucson and surrounding areas. Owing to a history that saw it transformed from a mining town into a ghost town and then a haven for artists and hippies, Bisbee is now home to an eclectic mix of residents with a number of unique and interesting shops and restaurants. Activities and attractions include like hiking trails and former miners' cabins as well as views looking out over mountains all the way to Mexico right off the upper streets and hillside homes.

11. Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Spanning 1.5 million acres which stretches into southern Nevada, this area features two major lakes such as the eponymous Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, reservoirs on the Colorado river created by Hoover Dam and Davis Dam, respectively. Along with nine wilderness areas, the area offers hiking, boating and water sports, camping facilities and some of the country’s best sport fishing.

12. Tombstone
Best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, this historic city draws from its glory days to attract tourists with staged gunfights in the streets and characters walking through town in period costumes. Don't miss its several properties which have been included in the National Register of Historic Places like the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, City Hall, Schiefflin's Mine, Longhorn Restaurant, Silver Nugget Bed and Breakfast, Bird Cage Theatre and Crystal Palace.

13. Petrified Forest National Park
Open every day except Christmas (December 25), the 230-square mile park in the Painted Desert is named for its large deposits of petrified wood and fossilized plants, fish, and reptiles. Sightseeing is available by private car, motorcycle, commercial tour, bicycle and hiking while off-road vehicle travel, including mountain biking, is not allowed. The park maintains seven hiking trails and hikers and backpackers may also visit the park's wilderness areas. The Painted Desert Visitor Center along with eight other sites within the park are also on the National Register of Historic Places.

14. Saguaro National Park
Consisting of the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD), located on the east and west sides of Tucson respectively, the 92,000-acre national park offers visitors opportunities to see the Sonoran Desert landscapes, fauna, and flora, including the giant saguaro cactus, with paved roads and 165 miles of hiking trails. Select roads on both districts also allow bicycling and horseback riding. Overnight camping are allowed in the RMD with a permit.

15. Antelope Canyon at Page
Sculpted, rising and twisting sandstone walls with shafts of light from narrow openings above- you've probably seen countless photographs of this slot canyon located on Navajo land east of Page. The canyon includes two separate, scenic slot canyon sections knwon as Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons. Several licensed tour operators offer guided tours so be sure to book ahead as they do sell out.

16. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Growing up to 23 feet high and blooming from May to July, organ pipe cactus opens up its flowers only after sunset. And in this National Monument and UNESCO biosphere reserve located in southwester Arizona along the borders of the Mexican state of Sonora, it is the only place in the United States where it grows wild. The area is also home to many other types of cacti and other desert flora native to the Yuma Desert section of the Sonoran Desert region. Various roads and hiking trails, with the Ajo Mountain Drive and Puerto Blanco Drive notably the most scenic, allow hikers, birders and desert lovers to explore the area.

17. Tumacacori National Historical Park
Located in the upper Santa Cruz River Valley in Santa Cruz County,, the 360-acre park protects the ruins of three early Spanish colonial missions: San José de Tumacácori, Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi and San Cayetano de Calabazas. The first two were established in 1691 and are the two oldest missions in Arizona while the third mission was established in 1756. Two of the missions complex are National Historic Landmark sites. The park also hosts a third National Historic Landmark: the Tumacácori Museum building which was built in 1937 and contains interpretative displays relating to the three aforementioned historic missions.

Source:
planetware.com