Arizona National Parks and Natural Landscapes
Featured Arizona locations are listed below, and shown on the Arizona map - these are the most scenic places in the state, including ancient ruins, cactus forests, canyons, deserts, historic sites, lakes, mountains, rock formations and scenic drives.
Alternatively, see these other Arizona listings pages:
National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas and National Historic Sites
National Forests
State Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Park Service Units - Landscapes
NPS Units - Historic Sites
Other Major Scenic Places
Miscellaneous Locations
Alternatively, see these other Arizona listings pages:
National Parks, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas and National Historic Sites
National Forests
State Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Park Service Units - Landscapes
| ★★★★★ CANYON DE CHELLY National Monument - deep canyon on Navajo land, with many cliff dwellings |
| ★★★★★ CHIRICAHUA National Monument - eroded rocky pinnacles and unusual wildlife, in a remote corner of Arizona |
| ★★★★★ GLEN CANYON National Recreation Area - spectacular desert region with red rock canyons, centered around Lake Powell (described in the Utah section) |
| ★★★★★ GRAND CANYON National Park - the most famous national park in America |
| ★★★★★ LAKE MEAD National Recreation Area - scenic desert region centered around a large lake on the Colorado River |
| ★★★★★ ORGAN PIPE CACTUS National Monument - rocky desert around the Mexican border, with rare cacti |
| ★★★★★ PETRIFIED FOREST National Park - brilliantly colored fossilized logs |
| ★★★★★ SAGUARO National Park - large forests of saguaro cactus, the state symbol of Arizona |
| ★★★★★ SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO National Monument - colorful volcanoes and cinder cones with extensive lava flow |
NPS Units - Historic Sites
| ★★★★★ CASA GRANDE RUINS National Monument - four-storey Hohokam house from the 14th century, in the desert south of Phoenix |
| ★★★★★ CORONADO National Memorial - distant, mountainous area bordering Mexico |
| ★★★★★ FORT BOWIE National Historic Site - remains of a remote fort used during the Apache wars of the late 19th century |
| ★★★★★ HUBBELL TRADING POST National Historic Site - homestead and store dating from the mid 19th century, the latter still in use |
| ★★★★★ MONTEZUMA CASTLE National Monument - impressive Sinagua Indian cliff dwelling |
| ★★★★★ NAVAJO National Monument - three large Anasazi settlements, with limited access |
| ★★★★★ PIPE SPRING National Monument - 19th century Mormon fort |
| ★★★★★ TONTO National Monument - two well-preserved cliff dwellings high above Roosevelt Lake |
| ★★★★★ TUMACACORI National Historical Park - early 18th century Spanish mission |
| ★★★★★ TUZIGOOT National Monument - large ruin with good views over the Verde River valley |
| ★★★★★ WALNUT CANYON National Monument - sandstone cliff dwellings in a deep wooded canyon near Flagstaff |
| ★★★★★ WUPATKI National Monument - many Indian ruins at the edge of the Painted Desert |
Other Major Scenic Places
| ★★★★★ APACHE TRAIL - dramatic road from Phoenix to Roosevelt Lake |
| ★★★★★ IRONWOOD FOREST National Monument - mountainous part of the Sonoran Desert |
| ★★★★★ METEOR CRATER - huge impact crater, privately owned |
| ★★★★★ MONUMENT VALLEY - world-famous red rock buttes and mesas (described in the Utah section) |
| ★★★★★ ROUTE 66 - the best preserved section of America's famous road |
| ★★★★★ SEDONA - popular town surrounded by beautiful red rock landscapes |
| ★★★★★ SONORAN DESERT National Monument - rugged saguaro wilderness |
| ★★★★★ TONTO National Forest - most varied of the six national forests in Arizona |
| ★★★★★ VERMILION CLIFFS National Monument - remote plateau with canyons and rock formations |
Miscellaneous Locations
| ★★★★★ Agua Fria National Monument - river canyon in the high desert |
| ★★★★★ Alamo Lake State Park - distant, desert lake in central Arizona |
| ★★★★★ Aravaipa Canyon - wide creek through a long, remote, desert gorge |
| ★★★★★ Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - large collection of Sonoran Desert plants and animals |
| ★★★★★ Bartlett Reservoir - lake with desert and mountain scenery, north of Phoenix |
| ★★★★★ Beaver Dam Mountains Wilderness - rugged, eroded peaks in the far northwest |
| ★★★★★ Bill Williams River - little known river flowing through a desert canyon |
| ★★★★★ Black Canyon - riparian desert drainage lined by lava cliffs |
| ★★★★★ Blue Canyon - fantastic red and white sandstone formations, in a remote area of the Hopi Reservation |
| ★★★★★ Boyce Thompson Arboretum - extensive botanical gardens near Superior; plants from desert areas across the world |
| ★★★★★ Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge - the most remote and hostile land in Arizona |
| ★★★★★ Catalina State Park - cacti, a campground and short trails, in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains |
| ★★★★★ Coal Mine Canyon - multicolored ravine on Navajo land, bordered by jagged, eroded rock formations |
| ★★★★★ Cochise Stronghold - eroded granite formations in the Dragoon Mountains |
| ★★★★★ Copper Creek - interesting ghost town with old mine relics |
| ★★★★★ Coronado Trail - scenic, winding road through the White Mountains |
| ★★★★★ Coyote Buttes - eroded rocks of many colors, including The Wave |
| ★★★★★ Dead Horse Ranch State Park - wooded stretch of the Verde River near Cottonwood |
| ★★★★★ Estrella Mountain Regional Park - desert hills southwest of Phoenix |
| ★★★★★ Granite Mountain - partially wooded peak near Prescott, covered by large granite boulders |
| ★★★★★ Ha Ho No Geh Canyon - colorful ravine on the Hopi Reservation, containing badlands and hoodoos |
| ★★★★★ Havasupai Indian Reservation - the most remote reservation in Arizona, centered on a roadless section of Havasu Canyon, a Grand Canyon tributary containing several beautiful waterfalls |
| ★★★★★ Hualapai Indian Reservation - sparsely settled land occupying the western half of the south rim of the Grand Canyon |
| ★★★★★ Kaiser Spring Canyon - narrows and a warm spring |
| ★★★★★ Kofa National Wildlife Refuge - large area of Sonoran Desert wilderness |
| ★★★★★ Lake Havasu - artificial lake on the Colorado River, enclosed by barren mountains |
| ★★★★★ Lake Pleasant - popular lake near Phoenix, in the Sonoran Desert |
| ★★★★★ Lees Ferry - small settlement near some remarkable scenery, close to the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument |
| ★★★★★ Little Colorado River - deep narrow gorge on the Navajo Indian Reservation, joining the Grand Canyon |
| ★★★★★ Lost Dutchman State Park - saguaro cacti beneath the Superstition Mountains |
| ★★★★★ Madera Canyon - sheltered ravine with varied plant and animal life, on the west side of the Santa Rita Mountains |
| ★★★★★ Mount Lemmon - central peak of the Santa Catalina Mountains, near Tucson |
| ★★★★★ Painted Rock Petroglyph Site - rock art on boulders near the Gila River |
| ★★★★★ Patagonia Lake State Park - desert lake along Sonoita Creek, in the hills above Nogales |
| ★★★★★ Pearce Ferry - isolated desert at the lower end of the Grand Canyon |
| ★★★★★ Picacho Peak State Park - volcanic mountain in the Sonoran Desert, between Phoenix and Tucson |
| ★★★★★ Ramsey Canyon Preserve - wooded, riparian ravine in the Huachuca Mountains, with varied plant and animal life |
| ★★★★★ Red Mountain - unusual volcanic formations north of Flagstaff |
| ★★★★★ Red Rock State Park - wooded section of Oak Creek surrounded by red cliffs, near Sedona |
| ★★★★★ Sabino Canyon - cactus-studded hills and ravines at the edge of Tucson |
| ★★★★★ San Carlos Lake - tranquil lake on the Apache Indian Reservation |
| ★★★★★ San Francisco Peaks - volcanic mountains north of Flagstaff |
| ★★★★★ San Tan Mountain Regional Park - rocky hills and desert flats, southeast of Phoenix |
| ★★★★★ Slide Rock State Park - smooth red rocks beside Oak Creek, north of Sedona |
| ★★★★★ South Mountain Park - saguaro-covered mountains within the Phoenix city limits |
| ★★★★★ Superstition Mountains - fabled desert hills east of Phoenix |
| ★★★★★ Sycamore Canyon - colorful, wooded, rarely-visited canyon southwest of Flagstaff |
| ★★★★★ Theodore Roosevelt Lake - desert reservoir in the hills near Phoenix |
| ★★★★★ Tombstone - famous old silver mining town in the far southeast |
| ★★★★★ Tonto Creek - beautiful desert stream through a rugged canyon |
| ★★★★★ Tonto Natural Bridge State Park - largest travertine bridge in the world |
| ★★★★★ Tortolita Mountains - small, isolated range in desert north of Tucson |
| ★★★★★ Usery Mountain Regional Park - several square miles of Sonoran Desert flats and hills |
| ★★★★★ Watson Lake - small but scenic lake near Prescott, lined by rounded granite boulders |
| ★★★★★ West Clear Creek - deep canyon at the edge of the Mogollon Rim |
| ★★★★★ White Tank Mountain Regional Park - isolated, unspoilt mountain range west of Phoenix |
Choose from over 550 Arizona hotels in 78 towns and cities, including national park hotels, interstate hotels
Locations include: Chandler,
Flagstaff,
Grand Canyon,
Goodyear,
Holbrook,
Kingman,
Mesa,
Page,
Phoenix,
Prescott,
Scottsdale,
Sedona,
Tempe,
Tucson,
Williams,
Yuma
Arizona Trails
Hiking in Arizona, in national parks and other areas: northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest. The top two hiking areas are Sedona and the Grand Canyon
Other Arizona Resources
Driving Distances - mileages between selected cities and parks
Introduction - summary of Arizona's scenic areas
Maps - state map and national park maps
Weather - forecasts for Arizona cities and parks
Introduction - summary of Arizona's scenic areas
Maps - state map and national park maps
Weather - forecasts for Arizona cities and parks
Arizona Slot Canyons
Arizona has many narrow gorges, second in number only to Utah; major locations are the Grand Canyon, Sedona and especially Page, on the Navajo Reservation around the south end of Lake Powell, where slots include the famous Antelope Canyon and Water Holes Canyon
Arizona Travel Itineraries
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Arizona Photography
Photographs - indexed by location
Panoramic Photographs - wide landscape photos
Videos - mp4 videos
Panoramic Photographs - wide landscape photos
Videos - mp4 videos
| Photograph Search |
Plants of Arizona
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