Top Things to do in Arizona
What to do and see in Arizona, United States: The Best Free Things to do
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. Cathedral Rock
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5,917 reviews
Towering red rock formation, part of the Cathedral Rock Trail.
Reviewed By Cristine4412 - Pittsburgh, United States
It's a relatively easy hike to the base of Cathedral Rock, and from there you can choose the more challenging hike up the rock, or take the flat Templeton trail around the base.
2. 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.
3. Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR 179)
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4,151 reviews
The Red Rock Scenic Byway is your Gateway to the world-famous Red Rock Country of Sedona, Arizona … just 110 miles north of Phoenix, about 40 miles south of Flagstaff, and only a few hours south of the Grand Canyon.
Reviewed By kathyfI6813BE - Big Water, United States
Beautiful drive in the red rocks..we stopped several times to take photos and do a bit of browsing at several arts and craft shows.
4. McDowell Sonoran Preserve
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,114 reviews
Reviewed By 110edwardf
We visited the preserve on two different days from two different trailheads. Both Gateway and Lost Dog Wash trailheads had good parking, restrooms and trails. There were good maps and well marked trails in good condition. The trails were interlinked loops, so you could start on one but switch to another if you wanted to see different territory. For example at the Lost Dog Wash trailhead, we started in the Ring Tail trail. But at a junction at a choice to stay on that trail that had city views, but switched to Lost Dog Wash to hike into a different little valley with more birds, plants and cactus to see. WeSaw lots of people both days, but it didn’t feel crowded at all.
5. Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By MsCanuck24
Hidden in an unassuming warehouse building, a labyrinth of galleries exhibits thousands of paintings and sculptures from the Basha family's private collection. I spend hours there upon each visit. Admission is free, so please donate generously. It will be the most extraordinary collection of western art that you will ever see!
6. Tom's Thumb Trailhead
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 393 reviews
Reviewed By ca847
Beautiful scenery. Fun walk in the heat. Trails are marked very well. Be sure to bring plenty of water and proper shoes.
7. Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 3,150 reviews
Reviewed By seb36 - Tucson, United States
We did this drive during the Covid 19 scare and just before the big fire. It was a perfect outing during the Covid 19 outbreak. You can stay in your car, or stop at various pull-off or trails and basically be all alone with few other visitors on this drive. It is a really educational and beautiful drive, staring out at the desert level and gradually going through multiple nature zones and changes of vegetation, trees, bushes, birds, etc until you get to the top, which is a high mountain zone with lots of green and trees and other nature -- just like mountain areas in Colorado or Canada. It makes us feel like we are on vacation, with all the changes in scenery and temperature. It was 98 degrees at the bottom and 67 degrees at the top. There couldn't be a better half day drive for those of us who have been feeling so very house bound. Actually we do this drive almost every season change and always marvel at the new things we see and feel. There is also a wonderful smartphone app that really helps you to understand the miraculous changes you are experiencing. Going down is like having different scenery even though it is the sam road, so the whole adventure is quit uplifting no matter when you go. Our batteries really get recharged and the trapped feeling lifts for quite a while.
8. London Bridge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,766 reviews
The original bridge from England was purchased by the founder of Lake Havasu City and reconstructed at Lake Havasu in 1971.
Reviewed By NiniBakes - Sudbury, Canada
Those granite blocks have an amazing story to tell! The tour boat operators provide great information as to why, how and when the bridge came to Lake Havasu, and the museum's display rounds out the story. The visitor's center also has great information too. The excellent walking paths along the channel offer great views from both sides, and of course you can walk and drive over it too. To say Mr. McCullough and his team had a great idea would be an understatement. The only downside in the area is that the shops in the English Village are suffering economic woes and need some sprucing up.
9. Oak Creek Canyon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,381 reviews
Breathtaking in its red rock beauty, the Canyon is a spectacular 16-mile gorge with streams and waterfalls between sheer rock walls.
Reviewed By 51gloriab - Advance, United States
We hiked the West Fork trail and enjoyed the lush area with a well-defined trail for several miles. Our necks were stretched upward as we noted what we saw in the sandstone rock structures formed by wind over the centuries. At the start of the hike, it was a treat to learn about Mayhew Lodge that once was a retreat for politicians and movie stars. We saw squirrels, salamanders, butterflies, and hawks as they thrive in the riparian community.
10. Devil's Bridge Trail
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,524 reviews
Reviewed By DistrictBrit - Washington DC, United States
The hike to Devil’s Bridge isn’t too strenuous, it’s roughly five-miles round-trip along a dirt road that leads into a more robust trail, with parts that require a bit of rock climbing up steep sections of the mountain. The higher you get the more narrow and rocky the hike becomes, it’s a 400 ft or so elevation climb in all but there are plenty of places to stop and take a break, or viewing areas to soak in the view should you not make it to the top. But if you make it to the top it’s awe-inspiring, and the opportunity to risk your life walking across the bridge for a photo is right there. Devil’s Bridge itself is a bridge to nowhere, it’s about a 50 feet drop should you fall, so don’t do that. At it’s narrowest it’s about five feet but if you’re good with heights then you’ll be fine.
