Top Things to do in Arizona
10 Deserts in Arizona That You Shouldn't Miss
The state of Arizona is one that features a fantastic diversity of landscapes and areas of geological interest. North Arizona is famous for the Grand Canyon, a colorful chasm with steep rocky walls more than a mile deep and stretching some 277 miles alongside the Colorado River. Other notable destinations in North Arizona include Flagstaff set alongside the San Francisco Peaks which has the largest ponderosa pine forest, Museum of Northern Arizona, and is close to a number of national parks and monuments. On the south side of Arizona lies the city of Phoenix, the largest in Arizona. Notable day trips in Phoenix include the Heard Museum which is one of America's largest collections of Native American art, Phoenix Museum of History, as well as the Desert Botanical garden which has a great collection of desert plants.
Restaurants in Arizona
1. Superstition Mountains
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 196 reviews
Located near the east rim of the Valley of the Sun and popular for the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine.
Reviewed By tmj1998
Started out our long weekend in Mesa area by spending a day in the Superstition Mountains. Started out our day with a paddle on Saguaro Lake, took a break in the middle of the day for lunch and then set out for a "scenic drive" to Tortilla Flats and the Apache Trail (Route 88) in Tonto National Forest. The road is climbs the elevation and there is opportunity to stop off and take a photo, maybe a hike or a brief stroll. For a girl from the lakes and prairies of MN, the road has some hairpin turns on the edge steep canyon drop offs. But the road became unpaved and seemed to be single lane a few miles past Tortilla Flats (and was closed just prior to Willow Canyon). The scenery is beautiful and breath taking. Enjoy a pit stop at Tortilla flats for some refreshments and people watching.
2. Sonora Desert National Monument
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By robbygc - Toronto, Canada
We drove at the Sonora Desert National Monument off highway 8 Maricopa. Everybody told us to go there. It id do beautiful. I like the highway 8 Maricopa. I liked the mountains the most! A must see! You won't regret of that. Wow!
3. Painted Desert
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,449 reviews
This desert is famous for its striking bands of colors.
Reviewed By Chuck2010 - Palmyra, United States
We entered the park off I-40 beyond Holbrook, AZ ... The park road just beyond Blue Mesa is closed due to construction. You can see the first 16 miles before needing to turn around and head back. Seeing the park from north to south gives you the painted desert viewpoints, the historic painted desert inn, route 66 site, pueblo dwellings, newspaper rock, blue mesa, and petrified logs ... nice variety and all great to see!
4. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 552 reviews
Home to a beautiful display of desert vegetation, including the Organ Pipe cactus.
Reviewed By 6philg - San Francisco, United States
Unique access to the heart of the Sonoran Desert with an excellent visitor center and knowledgeable national park rangers
5. Devil's Playground
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Eroded area of the Painted Desert where colors are brilliant.
Reviewed By KatWat39 - Canton, United States
Love this colorful rocky landscape that nature created. Everywhere you look is just a little different. If you are a nature lover, take a few minutes to absorb just how wonderful the view is.
6. Monument Valley Navajo Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 273 reviews
Located on the Arizona-Utah border, this valley has sandstone formations that tower at heights of 400 to 1,000 feet, and more than 100 Anasazi ruins.
Reviewed By CKT808 - Honolulu, United States
It is possible to drive in Monument Valley. We drove a 15-mile loop among the beautiful monuments. There is a $20 per vehicle charge to enter the valley. All kinds of vehicles were making the drive. Some were regular cars but most were SUV's. Some of the road is a fairly smooth gravel or dirt road. Other parts are over solid rock with potholes and many bumps. It is slow drive with a speed limit of 15 miles per hour. We were in the valley for 2 hours. When you pay your fee, they give you a map with the location and name of all the monuments. You can also take a tour in the back of an open-air truck. Either way, it is a dusty adventure but fun. The views from the canyon floor are spectacular.
7. Valley of the Moon
8. Community Nature Center Open Space Preserve
9. Estrella Mountain Regional Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
Reviewed By thedan2015
We went on a Saturday morning in late October. It was just getting cool enough to really enjoy the trails there. We did a 2.7 mile hike: Quail Trail (QL) until it ends at the Maricopa Trail which we took to Baseline Trail (BA) and then to Saddle Trail (SD) and back to QL which took us back to the Nature Center where we started. It was a pleasant easy loop, and we talked the whole way. :-), so it never was too hard to breathe. This trail is pretty because of the rugged rock outcroppings on it. The only wildlife we saw were quail and lizards. The Nature Center is lovely, has a lot of fun touristy things like scorpion lollipops and jalapeño jelly, and the people there are very helpful. The bathroom is new looking, clean, and modern like the rest of the building. This was a great way to have an easy hike. This is part of the Maricopa County Regional Parks system, so you need to either have a pass or pay for parking to enter. If you hike a lot, the annual pass is a good idea. Otherwise I think it's about $7 to get in.
