Arizona Guide
| Rating | Park | Link (site) | Notes |
| Apache Trail | American Southwest | Center by Phoenix. Scenic ride, ghost town, dam, mines, dirt road. | |
| Aztec Ruins NM | National Park Service | Northeast by Shiprock, NM. About 60 miles from Four Corners. Large restored kiva. | |
| Canyon De Chelly NM | American Southwest | Northeast by Chinle. Sheer walls rising up to 1000 feet with many scenic overlooks. Must hire guide/vehicle. | |
| National Park Service | |||
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Casa Grande Ruins NM | American Southwest | South by Coolidge. 4-story Indian ruin, protected by a huge dome built by the National Park Service. Allow 1 hour. |
| National Park Service | |||
| Copper Creek Ghost Town | American Southwest | South by Tucson. Has quite a few scattered ruined buildings and old mine structures spread out over steep, cacti-covered hills. | |
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Grand Canyon NP | American Park Network | North by Flagstaff. One of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world, the Grand Canyon is unmatched in the incomparable vistas from the rim. Visit as many lookout as you can to fully appreciate the Grand Canyon. Also, see the canyon at sunrise or sunset (ask a ranger for their favorite site). Allow 1 to 4 days. |
| American Southwest | |||
| National Park Service | |||
| Homolovi Ruins SP | State of Arizona | ||
| House Rock Wildlife Area | Public Lands | North by DeMotte. Has deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, turkey, bighorn sheep, buffalo, and mountain lion. | |
| Lake Mead NRA | American Southwest | Northwest by Las Vegas. Mainly boating, fishing, and hiking. | |
| Lees Ferry | American Southwest | North by Page. Remarkable scenery; start of Grand Canyon. | |
| Little Black Mountain Petroglyph Site | Towns USA | Northeast by St. George. Has over 500 individual rock-art designs or elements on the cliffs and boulders at the base of a 500 foot mesa. The different designs are associated with the cultures of the Great Basin, Western Anasazi and Lower Colorado River. | |
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Montezuma Castle NM | American Southwest | North by Flagstaff. 5-story structure built into a recess of a cliff. Makes a nice stop along the freeway. Allow 1-2 hours. |
| National Park Service | |||
| Navajo NM | National Park Service | Northeast by Kayenta. Contains 3 elaborate and well preserved Anasazi cliff dwellings. Need tickets; strenuous. | |
| Organ Pipe Cactus NM | American Southwest | South by Tucson. Cactus, desert. Borders Mexico. | |
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Petrified Forest NP | American Southwest | East by Holbrook. Remains of petrified trees and prehistoric rock art can be seen, as well as unique sites such as the 100 room Puerco Pueblo. It is located in the Painted Desert. Allow 6 hours to 2 days. |
| National Park Service | |||
| Pipe Spring NM | American Southwest | Northwest by Colorado City. Features American Indian, early explorer and Mormon pioneer history. Allow an hour. | |
| Raymond Ranch Wildlife Area | Public Lands | Center by Sedona. Bison herd. | |
| Red Rock SP | State of Arizona | Center by Sedona. Oak Creek meanders through this scenic park, creating a diverse riparian habitat abounding with plants and wildlife. 5 miles of trails. | |
| Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness | GORP | Center by Sedona. Magnificent wilderness of red rock formations, cliff dwellings, Petroglyphs and century-old homesteads. | |
| Riordan Mansion SHP | State of Arizona | This five-acre park, which borders Northern Arizona University, showcases the remarkable home of Timothy and Michael Riordan, lumber baron brothers who married sisters, Caroline and Elizabeth Metz. | |
| Desert USA | |||
| Saddle Mountain Wilderness | GORP | North by DeMotte. Gorgeous Colorado Plateau wilderness bordering Grand Canyon NP. Prime mule deer habitat in grassy meadows and oak scrubland. Most of the vegetation is pinon-juniper forest, with mixed conifers toward the higher elevations. Three permanent water springs and a gathering place for the local inhabitants, including pronghorn antelope, grouse, small mammals, and a buffalo herd. | |
| Public Lands | |||
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Saguaro NM | National Park Service | South by Tucson. A section of desert featuring the Saguaro Cactus and wildlife. |
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Sedona | American Southwest | Center. Great scenery; 2nd most-visited area in AZ. Nice red rock formations. Avoid on weekends because the town is extremely busy. |
| Slide Rock SP | State of Arizona | Center by Sedona. Example of early agricultural development in Central Arizona. Pretty canyon, nature hikes. | |
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Slot canyons, Antelope Canyon | American Southwest | North by Page. The most photographed slot canyon in the world! Book in advance. Expensive. |
| Black Rabbit | |||
| Slot canyons, Butterfly Canyon | American Southwest | North by Page. One of the more difficult to explore; the journey is quite strenuous; route-finding and rock-climbing skills are necessary. | |
| Slot canyons, East Fork of Kaibito Creek | American Southwest | North by Page. Short but very beautiful stretch of narrows. | |
| Slot canyons, Starting Water Wash | American Southwest | North by Page. A very spectacular slot canyon. | |
| Slot canyons, Upper Kaibito Creek | American Southwest | North by Page. Dark very narrow. | |
| Slot canyons, Water Holes Canyon | American Southwest | North by Page. Beautiful slot canyon that cuts through the red Navajo sandstone rocks. | |
| Slot canyons, West Fork of Oak Creek | American Southwest | Center by Sedona. Nice walk (up to 6 miles round trip); not very narrow. | |
| Strawberry Crater Wilderness Area | GORP | A gentle rolling pinion- juniper, cinder terrain, about 5,500 to 6,000 feet in elevation. The wilderness is dominated at the southern tip by low cinder cones and cut at the northwestern corner by the rugged lava flow of Strawberry Crater. | |
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Sunset Crater Volcano NM | American Southwest | North by Flagstaff. Colorful cinder cones formed by extinct volcanoes, and large expanses of lava and ash. Close to Grand Canyon. Allow 1-3 hours. |
| National Park Service | |||
| Sycamore Canyon | American Southwest | North by Flagstaff. Great scenery; hard to access. | |
| Tonto NM | American Southwest | Center by Phoenix. 2 Indian ruins. One can be visited; 19 rooms. Sagauro and cholla cacti. | |
| Tonto Natural Bridge SP | State of Arizona | Believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. The bridge stands 183 feet high over a 400-foot long tunnel that measures 150 feet at its widest point. Tucked away in a tiny valley surrounded by a forest of pine trees. | |
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Tuzigoot NM | American Southwest | North by Flagstaff. Indian ruins, not very photogenic. They have planted a large variety of flowering plants in the parking lot. Allow 2-4 hours. |
| National Park Service | |||
| Vermilion Cliffs NM | BLM | North by Page. Contains Paria Plateau, the dazzling Vermilion Cliffs, and the Paria River Canyon. The Paria Canyon has towering walls streaked with desert varnish, huge red rock amphitheaters, sandstone arches, wooded terraces, and hanging gardens. The 3,000-foot escarpment known as the Vermilion Cliffs dominates the remainder of the wilderness with its thick Navajo sandstone face, steep, boulder-strewn slopes, rugged arroyos and stark overall appearance. | |
| GORP | |||
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Walnut Canyon NM | American Southwest | North by Flagstaff. Single story structures, cliff dwellings, were occupied from about 1100 to 1250. One of the better ones. Allow 2-5 hours. |
| National Park Service | |||
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Wupatki NM | American Southwest | North by Flagstaff. Many ruins. The pueblos are red and were made from the local Moenkopi sandstone, One of the better ones. Next to Sunset Crater Volcano. If the sky is really clean, you will get some nice views of the Painted Dessert. Allow 2-5 hours. |
| National Park Service |
| Rating | Book |
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Photographing the Southwest: Volume 2--A Guide to the Natural Landmarks of Arizona & New Mexico by Laurent Martres. This is a great book for anyone planning a trip to southern Arizona or New Mexico. It's not just for photographers; he covers what to see better than any guide book I've seen. We visited and enjoyed many place that weren't mentioned in other guide books. |
